LOOKING
ЛТ
MAP before starling off in an attempt to locale a tract of
land where it is believed Flora Macdonald. Scottish heroine, once lived, are,
left to right: Phillips Russell, professor of journalism at U.N.C.; Paul Green
of Chapel Hill, author and playwright; R. E. Wicker of Pinchurst, student
of early North Carolina history; I)r. Blackwell Robinson of Chapel Hill, who
is writing a history of Moore County; and Malcolm Fowler of I.illington,
student of local history. The group has been searching off and on for the land
during the past several years. — (Photo by Cadwalader Benedict.)
Purloined Plantation
The search for Flora Macdonald's
old home leads explorers into Mont¬
gomery County.
Л
major moving job has just been
finished. R.
П.
Wicker, historian of
Moore County, has moved the old
plantation of Flora Macdonald, kit and
kaboodlc. out of Richmond across the
line into Montgomery.
It took 40 years of research to do
it, but Mr. Wicker, a thorough and
reputable scholar, is satisfied that at
last he has pinpointed the exact spot
where the noted Scotchwoman and her
family lived during their brief and
stormy career in North Carolina.
After an expedition last summer
with Paul Green and others, Mr.
Wicker and Mr. Green both wrote
reports tentatively locating the site. But
recently the group went back over the
trail and did a rcchcck which out-dated
their earlier manuscripts.
We don't know how Ike London and
his Richmond County folks are going
to take all of this plantation purloin¬
ing. but wc submit herewith a letter
recently had from Mr. Wicker and
which he says finally postscripts his
previous efforts.
"Paul Green, Malcolm Fowler and
Col. Jeffery Stanback, of Ml. Gilead
made another and successful attempt
at the location of the home of Allan
and Flora Macdonald, in Montgomery
County last Sunday.
“Every source of information known
has been collected, and all evidence
points conclusively to a point on
Check's Creek, in Montgomery Coun¬
ty. about one and one half miles
northeast of the little settlement
known as Pekin. Mr. Fowler, together
with the writer and all the others pres¬
ent, solemnly agreed that here was
truly the place.
"It is known locally as the old Bald¬
win place. The remains of the old
Baldwin home is situated on a sand¬
stone dyke southeast of the creek,
and wc were assured by the older resi¬
dents that the house was made up of
a very old kitchen, with a later wing
built across the front. Wc arc not con¬
vinced that this was the Macdonald
house, but after a critical examination
of the entire tract, wc feel certain
that at least the Baldwin house oc¬
cupied the original site. The Baldwin
family lived there during and after
the Civil War.
"Back of, and at the foot of the
dyke is the old spring, walled in with
rock. Beyond the spring the land rises
for a distance of about a half mile,
terminating in an abrupt bluff facing
the creek. At this point the hill, or
mountain, is precipitous — it is utterly
impossible to climb it, and its peak
stands perhaps one hundred and fifty
feet above the river. There is barely
room to walk between its foot and the
river bank. On the opposite side of
the river, another mountain of equal
height and slope, leads away to the
north. Between these two hills arc
the remains of two old mill dams, both
built of rock. Our informant stated that
within his recollection, the Baldwins
ran a mill at the lower of these dams,
but that the other dam was there when
the Baldwin's mill was built.
"As I pointed out in my article,
Cheek's Creek traversed the Touch¬
stone or Macdonald land from cast to
west, a distance of about a half mile.
Wc have personally examined this
stream from near its head, to where
it enters Little River, and in addi¬
tion, have consulted with the older
people who live along it. From both
sources, wc arc positive that this par¬
ticular stretch is the only point where
such conditions exist.
"I began the search for this tract
in the year 1914, and have pursued
that search from time to time since
that date. I am now writing finis to
the entire subject of Flora Macdon¬
ald — may she rest in peace! — R. E.
Wicker, Pinchurst.”
THE STATE, Januaby 2. 1954
