A Pulitzer, a Love Story, and New Bern’s Link to the Wall Street Journal NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston New Bern has a knack for attracting fascinating people. Some are born here, some pass through, and others find themselves drawn back later in life. Two of those people lead us straight from East Front Street to the […]
This Month in New Bern History – October 2025 Read More »
Two Brothers, One War: The Whitman Legacy in Battle and Verse NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston Celebrated poet Walt Whitman is often praised for his poetic portrayal of the American Civil War. His younger brother, George Washington Whitman, endured the war as a soldier, prisoner, and survivor. George’s experiences in the war were different from the literary
This Month in New Bern History – September 2025 Read More »
Lost at Sea – The Croom Family Legal Odyssey NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston William Croom of Lenoir County played a key role in defending New Bern during the Revolutionary War. His post-war investments in Florida land made him a wealthy man. His son, Hardy Bryan Croom, born in 1797, graduated from UNC with a law degree.
This Month in New Bern History – August 2025 Read More »
A Legacy Built in Faith and Brick: The Story of Pastor George A. Rue and Rue Chapel NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston In the heart of New Bern, North Carolina, stands a church built not just with bricks, but with faith, vision, and resilience — characteristics that reflect those of its remarkable pastor, George A. Rue. Born
This Month in New Bern History – July 2025 Read More »
A Local Legend with a Global Past NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston New Bern has seen its fair share of ambitious dreamers, but few have left a mark quite like James Milton West. Born in Ohio in 1879, West was anything but ordinary. By the time he made New Bern his home in the 1920s, he had
This Month in New Bern History – June 2025 Read More »
The Forgotten Keepers of the Light NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston The lighthouses of North Carolina helped guide ships through treacherous waters, and lighthouse keepers tended their lights with quiet dedication. Among these unsung guardians were two sisters from New Bern—Martha Annie and Susan Dena McCotter. Their remarkable yet forgotten contributions helped keep sailors safe along the
This Month in New Bern History – May 2025 Read More »
Historic Five Points District NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston Whether you are new to the City of New Bern or a long-time resident, you have probably heard of the area known as Five Points. However, many ask, where exactly is it and what is its historical significance? Intersection of Five Points New Bern’s Five Points is just
This Month in New Bern History – February 2025 Read More »
Necessity is the Mother of Invention NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston January is a good month to reflect on the past, and at the New Bern Historical Society, we like to review old newspaper articles. An article from the Raleigh News and Observer written in 1938 by local reporter and Historian Gertrude Carraway reminded us why. Her
This Month in New Bern History – January 2025 Read More »
A Day of Infamy NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston On December 7, 1941, two young men from Craven County died after a surprise attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, propelling the United States into WWII. President Franklin Roosevelt, in an address to Congress and the nation, announced, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941-a date which will live
This Month in New Bern History – December 2024 Read More »
New Bern’s Own “Six Triple Eight” NBHS Historian/Claudia Houston A movie debuting in December 2024 states “Six Triple Eight” tells the inspiring true story of the incredible and brave women of the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color stationed overseas during World War II.” A woman born and raised in New Bern
This Month in New Bern History – November 2024 Read More »
