The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-11-17
LARGE TRACT AT ENGELHARD'
TO BE LEASED BY AIR FORCE
FOR USE AS BOMBING RANGE
Despite Strong Opposition from Coastal Inter-
esfs. Air Force Maintains It VIII Lease 10000
Acre Tract Northwest Of EngeIhard; Expected
and industrial Prospects.


Despite intensive opposition from
residents of the coastal area, it has
been announced that the Air Force
win acquire leasehold on approx
mately 10000 acres of land in Hyde
County about five miles northwest
of Engelhard for an East Coast
practice bombing range by crews at
Seymour johnson and Myrtle Beach
Air Force Bases.
The announcement was made
Wednesday by Secretary Of the Air
Force Eugene Zuckert. Soon after
President Kennedy's Inauguration,
Congressman Herbert C. Bonner
had called on Pentagon officials to
halt the bombing range plans, he
having received resolutions from
the N. G. General Assembly which
had been sent in by N. c. State
Senators P. d. Midget of Hyde
and Lindsay Warren of Beaufort;
and Rep. w. ]. Lupton of Hyde and
passed by the state body. The State
Wildlife Commission also passed a.
resolution saying the range would
be harmful to the Mattamuskeet
Wildfowl area.
Zuckert added that acquisition
by leasehold of this site "would
enable as to meet our urgent re-
quirements for combat crew train
ing on the East Coast at great
savings to the government"
He added that when the range
is in operation, it is anticipated
that most of the manpower need
ed for its operation and mainten-
ance can be provided by employing
local citizens.
Mattamusleet Area.
~Since this tract of land is in the
general area of the Mattamuskeet
Wildlife range, we plan ~ k
closely with the Department of In
terror and the Fish and Wildlife
Service in order to minimize any
possible interference with the
waterfowl,8 stated the Secretary.
If necessary, it was stated, train
ing operations may be limited dur
ing certain periods of the year in
cooperation with the Fish and Wild
life Service.
Oscar Payne of Engelhard oper-
ational manager for the Pamlico
Development Co. which controls a
74,OOO-acre site that will be en-
braced by the bombing range, said
trustee for the property is E.
Wheeler Bryant of Hattiesburg,
Miss.
w. A. Powe of Hattiesburg, who
is said to have lost some Is million
dollars when Castro seized two of
his factories in Cuba, owns about
three-fourths of the property,
Payne said.
Harold King of Washington,
member of the Federal Reserve
Bank Board and formerly of Mis-
sissippi, and Roger Stribling of
jackson, Miss, a machinery manu-
facturer, own about one-1ourtn
each.
Payne said the development
company now is paying $4,000 an
nually as an indebtedness on loan
left by Sam F. Broadhead Of Merid-
ian, Miss, when the company ac-
quired the property from Broadhead
in July 1858 for $175,000. Broad
head acquired the property from
John L. Roper Lumber Co. in 1850.
He explained that SO miles of
road have been paved in the area,
which has been yielding timber. He
said a survey this summer showed
that t16 million board feet of pine
tinber prevail in the holding.
Foreman Lumber Co. of Elizabeth
City has been doing considerable
logging in the area, it is reported.
See BOMB RANGE. Page Six