by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society This month marks the death 98 years ago of a distinguished New Bern native for whom a liberty ship was named. This is the story of diplomat, author, and legal scholar Hannis Taylor. After the Union occupation of New Bern during March 1862, many local families fled […]
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by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society Winslow Homer “Thanksgiving Day in the Army – After Dinner: The Wish-Bone” (from Harper’s Weekly, Vol. VIII), courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art website During November our thoughts often turn to family, food and home in preparation for Thanksgiving. Although we deeply associate the story of the Pilgrims’
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by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society Appleton Oaksmith, one of the most eccentric characters in New Bern history, died this month in 1887. While he did not reside in New Bern, he was known here primarily due to his purchase and reconstruction of the Simpson house at 226 East Front Street. Later known
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by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society Photo from Wikipedia On September 19, 1889, a young professional, educated couple were married in New Bern. Together they were to have a profound effect in establishing an African American middle class and promoting gender and racial equality in 19th century New Bern. This is their story.
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by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society North Carolina Highway Marker at Broad and Craven Street, New Bern, NC New Bern is well known for its many significant “firsts” – North Carolina’s first capital, first printing press, first newspaper, first published book, and first postal service, among others. But one “famous first” in August
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by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society What person from a famous New Bern family was promoted to commodore in the US Navy on 1 July 1870 and had a destroyer in WWII named after him? Our notable person for July is Fabius Maximus Stanly, the son of John Stanly and Elizabeth Franks Stanly,
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Another Famous First by Claudia Houston, Historian New Bern is the site of many significant “firsts” – first provincial convention in America held in defiance of British orders, North Carolina’s first capital, first postal service, first free public school, and first black-owned bank. During the month of June in the year 1749, New Bern was
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by Jim Hodges Curator, New Bern Historical Society “Boston Millionaire to Locate Here,” read the headline in the New Bern Weekly Journal on this day in May 1914, declaring that Dr. Earl S. Sloan was planning to build a winter home in the area. Today this announcement would probably not attract much attention, but in
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U.S. Colored Troops Recruiting Poster, Wikipedia At the Vanguard of History by Bernard George One hundred fifty-seven years ago this month, New Bern, North Carolina was the site of an event that would dramatically impact the conduct of the Civil War and provoke a major societal shift across our young nation. In 1863, the United
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New Bern’s Oldest House? by Jim Hodges, Curator I have always been puzzled as to the oldest surviving residential structure in downtown New Bern. When asked from time to time as to which house has the acclaim, my response has routinely been inconclusive. A few months ago, armed with Peter Sandbeck’s authoritative book The Historic
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