The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1960-06-24

SO years. Mr.. Twiford was mem.
Der of a large family, one other
living member being Mrs. Sarah
Cahoon, for many years postmaster
of East Lake. Their father was
the late Manliff D. Twiford, lead
ing citizen of the community, we'll.
educated, businessman, and print.
tive Baptist preacher and once 8
teacher.
In February Mr.. Twiford sui.
fered a severe heart attack, but
is now recovering, nicely surround.
ed by home comforts and his mem.
ory of old legends and early days
in the East Lake area is remark.
ably clear. He believes the last Of
the permanent residents of Beech.
land movd out about 70 years ago
The area was long a part of Tyr
rell County, but became Dare Coun.
ty in 1870.
Logging crews and hunters con-
tinued to make headquarters in
Beechland long after the citizens
had left. Some crops were tended
Several hundred acres had beer
cleared by the first settlers. 1t was
a fertile area, and an easy place tc
make living in pioneer days, due
to the plenty of game and fish
fruits, nuts, and grapes.
Mr.. Twiford we'll remembers tn,
old names which prevailed in tn,
areas, family names who came owe
with the Colony in 1887. Their,
were the buttons, the Suttons, tn,
Paynes and the Paines, the Whites
the Sanderlins.
Here are a number of good OLE
English names which have persisted
from time immemorial Throughout
eastern North Carolina, in addition
to other mentioned: White, Bailey
Cooper, Harvie, Howe, Stevens
johnson, Warner, Cage, Willis
Brooke, White, Taylor, Brown
Smith, Harris, Dutton, Allen, Wa
tiers, Little, Gibbs, Wilkinson
English, Berry, Butler, Powell
Ellis, Farrow, Jones, Martin
Hewett, Wood, Jones, Pierce, Law
renee, Smart, Sampson and Hum
frey.
Incidentally, the Twiford's did no
claim to be members of the Roam
oke Colony, but came into the are;
later. Mr.. Twiford said his ances
tor, Wallace Twiford come owe
from Powell's Point, but he hal
a brother who settled in Virgins
and another in Maryland. Som
used "Y" instead of 81" in thi
name. Wallace Twiford was an oil
Baptist leader. He married in tn
Payne family.
One legend concerning BeechlanC
is that the settlement was all bu
wiped out about a hundred year
ago by a plague which struck dow
the community. This is believed
have been cholera, brought back b
West India traders, for in thos
days a considerable commerce wa
maintained with the West Indie.
Carolina boatmen would take cal
goes of shingles, slaves and farr
produce to the Indies, and woul
return with sugar molasses, run
salt, and other products of the is
lands. One Lamb Basnight is
name long remembered as sailo
who lost his life while on voyag
to the West Indies.
The West Indies boats brough
back many ballast rock, used by tn
settlers as foundations for chin
neys, houses and for grave an
land markers.
Mr.. Twiford recalls, as a youn
man, he saw an old coffin un
earthed in one of the two grave
yards of Beechland, and Will
nothing remained inside but dust
he recalls the coffin was made o
two parts, scooped out like a dug
out boat as used by the Indians
with the deeper part being tn
coffin, and the shallow part in
verified for lid and the whole pu
together with pegs. At each end Q
the coffin, ballast rocks had bee
used to mark the graves.
Some four years ago, the Yves
Virginia Pulp and Paper Compan
now owner of this vast Dare Cour
ty mainland comprising some 1870
900 acres, engaged in an extensiv
bodybuilding and drainage projec
During the course Of digginI