The coastland times., 1957-12-27
DARE co. TAXES
TOTALLED UNDER
$4,000 IN 1903
vaIuated Under Half
Million: County Was Bonded
to Build Courthouse
By EARL DEAN


an annual business directory of the
State of North Carolina which
came out around the first of the
year containing the names of city
and county officials all over the
State.
The copy which came out in jan
uary, 1908, contained many inter-
esting facts about Dare County as
it was 55 years ago.
For instance, the county tax
rate was then only 40 cents on the
$1O0 valuation of which there was
only $413,020 worth of property
listed by white taxpayers and SILL
LOG worth Of taxable property own
ed by Negroes, most of whom
lived here on, Roanoke Island
For town purposes in Manteo the
tax rate was 16 2/3 cents per $100
valuation and as there were no
streets and sidewalks and travel
was largely by means of horse and
cart along winding sandy trails it
didn't take much to keep the town
up in those days.
The late w. G. Forbes, listed
also as butcher and cattle trader,
was mayor of Manteo in 1908, and
other town officials included R. c.
Evans, who was town clerk and
treasurer; A. H. Davenport, bar
Der and dealer in general merchan-
disc, was the part-time tax collec-
tor; B. G. Crisp, town attorney;
and the city fathers 55 years ago
were James A. Evans, w. P. Gray
and Postmaster ]. B. Jennette.
In 1908 Theodore S. Meekins,
Sr., native of Rodanthe, was a
young man 33 years of age, and
clerk of Superior Court. Augustus
H. Etheridge was sheriff of Dare
County, and among the other
county officers that year were R.
w. Smith, register of deeds; DR..
Woodson B. Fearing, county treas
urer; John E. Berry, county sur
veyor; B. G. Crisp, county attorney
and superintendent of schools, and
the county board of education was
composed of A. H. Davenport,
chairman, and Mayor w. G.
Forbes, both of whom lived in Man
teo, and ]. L. Hooper, Of Avon.
Dare County's commissioners in
1908 were B. T. Daniels, of Wan
chese, chairman; P. F. Meekins, of
Stumpy Point; Matthias d. Hay
man, of Skyco, and H. w. Styron,
of Hatteras Island.
Listed as constables that year
were Daniel Meekins of Manteo,
for Nags Head Township; John F.
Holmes, East Lake Township; T,
L. Midget of Stumpy Point, Croa-
tan Township; Frank Gray Of
Avon, Kennekeet Township, and
]. D. Robinson, of Frisco, Hat
teras Township.
Among the school teachers in
Dare County 55 years ago were
the Misses Alethia, Myrtle and
Nellie Sample of Woodville, Per-
quimans County; Josiah Baum, of
Skyco; Lemuel Whitehurst and
Luke Brothers, of Elizabeth City;
Misses Sarah Baum and Emily
Taylor, of Wanchese; Robert and
Charles Taylor, also of Wanchese;
Miss Mary Weeks, of Elizabeth
City; Clarence Pugh, of Wanchese;
Miss Ida w. Watts of Manteo;
Mrs. Sarah nj. Carter, of Salvo,
and Mrs. Ella M. Dunbar, Colored,
of Manteo.
Listed according to occupations
were the following: Architects, w.
P. Gray; BARRIERS, A. H. Daven-
port; Butchers and Cattle dealers,
w. G. Forbes; Blacksmiths, James
Gdant anr J. w. Casey; Boots and
Shoes, Evans & Meekins, Griffin,
Sample & Co., ]. w. Evans and
w. j.. Griffin & Co.
Carriage Manufacturers, james
A. Evans; Coal and Wood Dealers,
r. C. Evans; Physicians and Sur
geons, w. B. Fearing and F. p.
Gates; General Merchandise, Evans
& Meekins, Griffin, Sample & Co.,
w. ]. Griffin & Co., ]. w. Evans,
L. D. Hassell, j. H. Midget and
A. H. Davenport; Lawyers, B. G.
Crisp and D. M. Stringfield.
There were no saloons or other
places where strong drink could
be bought legally in Dare County
in 1903. However there were 13
open bar rooms in Elizabeth City
in those days!
EDITORS NOTE: It is interest
ing in connection with this story
to note that back in those days,
the county had been bonded to-
build a $4,000 courthouse which
was equal to a years taxes, and
this courthouse was the subject of
much scandal, similar to last years
job. The matter went to court, and
it was alleged there was much
graft in connection with it, and
p. #. Meekins, one commissioner
resigned because he said the deal
was too rotten. The contractors
didn't give the county what if har-