State

THE STATE June 22. 1935 Dobbs County Memorial Erected IXTEHE.STING liislorirnl fads brought out at exer¬ cises w liich were held in Wayne County last week, at uliicli lime the Hobbs County marker was erected A picture of the new marker. The site it near the Seven Springs road, five miles east of Goldsboro. By 1IHS. GEO. S. IIAKEIt granite. 4 feet tall, three feet wide, and 1 foot thick. It boars the in¬ scription: "On this spot stood Dohb* County Court House 1758-1791. Tlie following counties nor.- formed from Dobbs. Greene (formerly Glas- cow) 1799, Wavin', 1799. Lenoir, 1791. Krected by i lie Wnvnc County Committee North Caro¬ lina Society Colonial I bates of America 1935.” Craven County, which wn» formed in 1712, com¬ pris'd most of Eastern North Carolina. John¬ son County was cut off from Craven, aud in 1746 Johnston was divided into two precincts — St. Patrick’s and St. Stephen's. In 175C Dobbs wa- cut off from St. Patrick'». Walnut Creek was the county teat of Dobbs County. The place had been the location of an Indian camp. For many years after the Mttlcnient was built up there it was * FEW people know much of old IVdihs County or of Governor Arthur Dobbs for whom it was named. At the unveiling of a marker on the site of the old Dobbs County Courthouse in Wayne Countv on Wed- nesday afternoon, June 12, interesting faet» about both were given by Airs. W. H. Cobb, of the Wiiync County Com- mittcc of Colonial Dames, and by Dr. Albert Kay Newsome, head of the His¬ tory Department of the University of North Carolina. The site is near the Seven Springs road at a |->in« three miles from where the road turns off from Highway 10, five mile» east of Goldsboro. A white sign on Highway 10 at the point where the n*ad turns off direel* traveller* to the marker. The marker is of blue Winmboro known as Angle. Wing in an angle of the stage coach road to New Hern. The land hnd Wen granted in 1700 to Henry McKinne. In 1750 it eame into the pos-ession of Elijah Bi/ull, and later of Wooten Bimll, father of the Mi**» Iltzsell of Golds- Wro and Mrs. Wilbur Best of Wayne County. Brick from the old courthouse wen- u-od in building an inn or tavern which later became the Woolen Biuell home. Material f rom the old jail, which had stood near the courthouse, was used in building tenant houses. Near the village of Angle on Walnut Creek was a beautiful mill pond. There the gritl, Hour, and rice mill, known as the "Bi*/e!l Mill,” stood for 100 years. On the Neuse River near by were two ferry boat», "The Johnston” ami “The Wayne." These ran from New Bern lo Smithfield. In 1779 the portion of Dobbs County that included the courthouse was cut off and named “Wayne." A courthouse ★ was built al old Waynesboro near the present silo of Goldsboro. The same year Greene County was also formed from Dobbs. The old courthouse con¬ tinued to W wed for the remaining part of Dobbs County until 1791, when that part of the county became Lenoir, and the countv scat was moved to Kinston. The old name “DobW" clung for many years. The ground on which the marker standi has Wen given to the Colonial Dam» by the Mis»» Bizzell and Mr*. Best. Arthur Dobbs was a nobleman of •Scotch-Irish descent. He was Wrn in Ireland in 1889. Пе Wcamc High Sheriff of Antrum County, and was later chosen to represent his district in parliament. He was much interested in conditions of trade and commerce, and Wlieved that a water route from Eng¬ land to India through the northern part of America could W found and thus eliminate the circuitous route around Africa. Dobbs Appointed Governor lie became interested in the coloniza¬ tion of North Carolina, and was instru¬ mental in the settling of a group of Scotch-Irish along the upper Cape Fear River. In 1754. at th. age of 65, in recognition of his services, he was ap¬ pointed Governor of North Carolina by the King of England, which position he held until 1765, a longer period than any other governor except his predeces¬ sor, Gabriel Johnston. An Obstinate Man Dobbs, an obstinate lord of the old country, stubborn and not very tactful, eame to grip* with the North Carolina assembly. He was determined to carry out the policy of the sovereign who had appointed him— that the main purport of a colony was for the good of the old country. Our forefathers were in¬ terested in their own welfare, and the assembly met to paw laws for the good of North Carolina. After the French ami Indian War, Governor Dobbs, then in his late 70's, was tired, worn out, and wanted to go home. While on his way to take ship for England, he became ill in Brunswick County, and died. He was buried in that county, and the exact location of his grave is known, (hough it is un¬ marked.