The Inter-State Tattler, 3 February 1928.
- Rev. George — Arthur H. George.
Month: May 2024
Introducing the Park-Mercer wetland.
The short block of Banks Street between Goldsboro and Mercer Streets was once home to Andrew Townsend‘s home and grocery store, as well as the first location of Trinity A.M.E. Zion church. Hominy Swamp crosses the block from Goldsboro to Mercer, and a tiny branch of that waterway, little more than a ditch, meanders off toward Banks.
As sluggish and unimpressive as the Hominy usually appears, it has repeatedly wreaked flooding havoc across southeast Wilson.
I recently spotted these placards along Banks Street:
The City of Wilson’s press release on Park-Mercer Wetland:
In the heart of Wilson, North Carolina, an exciting and innovative stormwater management project is taking shape. The Park-Mercer Wetland, situated as a tributary to Hominy Creek just outside Historic Downtown Wilson, is set to become a shining example of how municipalities can tackle stormwater challenges while fostering environmental sustainability. This project, in partnership with the NC State University Bio and Ag Engineering program, is not only transforming the local landscape but also providing valuable insights into water quality management.
Why Park-Mercer Wetland Matters
Wetlands are nature’s filtration systems, and their importance within municipalities cannot be overstated. They play a pivotal role in mitigating the impacts of urbanization and improving water quality. As our cities grow, managing stormwater runoff becomes increasingly critical to prevent pollution and flooding. This is where wetlands step in.
The Science Behind Park-Mercer Wetland
What makes the Park-Mercer Wetland project particularly fascinating is its collaboration with the NC State University Bio and Ag Engineering program. Together, they are conducting vital water quality testing to determine the nitrogen concentration in the water flowing out of downtown Wilson. This data is essential for establishing how long the water needs to be in contact with wetland vegetation to effectively reduce nitrogen levels.
Catch and Release Design: A Flow-Based Solution
The Park-Mercer Wetland project is designed with a ‘catch and release’ concept, emphasizing a flow-based approach to stormwater management. In essence, this means that water will be temporarily detained within the wetland, allowing it to interact with the native vegetation. This interaction is a crucial step in removing pollutants like nitrogen from the water.
The Impact on Wilson’s Community
So, why should the residents of Wilson be excited about the Park-Mercer Wetland project? The benefits are manifold:
- Improved Water Quality: By naturally filtering and purifying stormwater runoff, the wetland will enhance the quality of water flowing into Hominy Creek and, ultimately, our local waterways.
- Flood Mitigation: The wetland will help manage excessive stormwater during heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding in our community.
- Biodiversity: Wetlands are home to a diverse range of plants and wildlife. The Park-Mercer Wetland will contribute to biodiversity and offer opportunities for residents to connect with nature.
- Educational Opportunities: Through partnerships with educational institutions like N.C. State University, the wetland project becomes a living classroom, fostering research, learning, and engagement with environmental science.
Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, May 2024; aerial via Google Maps.
Training School for Bears.
Greensboro Daily News, 11 July 1927.
O. Nestus Freeman not only owned bears as pets, he operated a Training School and offered them for sale to others. [Though described as “Siberian,” it is more likely that these were common American black bears. North Carolina has banned buying, selling, possessing, or keeping bears, except in zoos, since 1975.]
Freeman’s bears. Detail from Oliver Nestus Freeman Round House Museum Photograph Album, Images of North Carolina, http://www.digitalnc.org.
Funeral Program Friday: S.P. Artis.
Dr. W.T. Darden serves as acting hospital director.
Washington Tribune, 29 January 1929.
Dr. Walter T. Darden, son of Charles H. and Dinah Scarborough Darden, served as acting director of Tuskegee Institute’s John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital during the absence of its regular director, who was at Johns Hopkins Hospital with Tuskegee Institute principal Dr. Robert R. Moton.
Hired from Franklin County, no. 2.
Slaveowners needing additional labor sometimes looked beyond the borders of Wilson County for supply. J.J. Williams, J.W. Davis, William M. Gay, and T.C. Davis agreed to pay J. Dent $675 for twelve months’ hire, beginning on or before 1 January 1861, of enslaved men Gilbert, Plyant, and Seneca. The men were to receive the “usual amount clothing” provided to hired slaves and were to be returned to Dent in Louisburg, Franklin County, the following Christmas Day 1861, barring “unavoidable accident.”
Why was Franklin County the go-to spot to pick up extra labor? To what work did these groups of white Wilson County men set the men they leased?
——
- J. Dent
- J.J. Williams
- J.W. Davis — in the 1860 slave schedule of Wilson County, Wilson, J[oseph] W. Davis is listed with two 14 year-old enslaved girls. Davis was a merchant.
- W.M. Gay — in the 1860 slave schedule of Wilson township, Wilson County, William M. Gay is listed with ten enslaved people of his own, as well as 11 people held in trust for an unnamed minor. Gay is listed in the federal census that year as a merchant with a $16,000 personal estate, largely comprised of enslaved people. Sixteen year-old B.J. Tyson, who lived in his houshold, claimed $12,000 in personal property and likely was the minor noted above.
- T.C. Davis — in the 1860 slave schedule of Wilson County, Wilson, Thomas C. Davis is listed with four enslaved people, the oldest a 23 year-old man. The census schedule discloses that Davis was the county clerk of court, and his household included a 6 year-old free girl of color, Sarah Locus.
Slave Hire-1861, Records of Slaves and Free People of Color, Miscellaneous Records, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
For the first time, white people cannot ride with those of color.
Wilson Times, 9 June 1899.
Wilson Commercial Realty Company incorporated.
Winston-Salem Journal, 3 April 1927.
In April 1927, J.D. Reid, Samuel H. Vick, and Isaac A. Shade, officers of Commercial Bank, filed a certificate of incorporation for Wilson Commercial Realty Company. The company was in business at least two years earlier, when it commissioned a plat map of a bloc of buildings it owned in the 400 block of East Nash Street, immediately east of the tracks. It likely collapsed two and a half years later when Commercial Bank failed and the bottom dropped out of the American stock market.
Podcast recommendation, no. 3: Hot Corner.
I’m not podcasting, but if I were, Hot Corner, www.cornerhistories.com, would be a model.
Hot Corner is the historic commercial hub of Athens, Georgia’s African-American community. Much like the 500 block of Wilson’s East Nash Street, Hot Corner once buzzed day and night with Black-owned shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Over the span of six episodes, hosts Broderick Flanigan and Aleck Stephens explore Athens’ racial dividing lines and “what Black communities have built in the spaces between.” Find Hot Corner wherever you listen to podcasts.
