August 16, 2024 Coats Museum News
The words “Green’s Path” may be recognized by some of you as the name of a current highway in Sampson County. What was the Green’s Path? Last week, you read why some immigrants settled in the northern part of the “New World” while others came south to the Virginia and the Carolina coastlines. Why did some of these newcomers and descendants migrate to places known later as Harnett, Sampson and Johnston?
Today I will discuss why some settlers might have come southward into our area from Virginia to the lands along the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers and eventually into our areas. Later I will share why others traveled northward up the Cape Fear River from what is now the Wilmington area.
In 1653, the Virginia legislature granted lands along the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers to a Roger Green. In “Johnston County-1746-1996” the author stated that Green was associated with the earliest years of English settlement in North Carolina. Colonial records indicate that some English settlers moved to North Carolina from Virginia before 1653, but settlement below the Virginia borders did not gain momentum until that year when Roger Green, a Virginia clergyman in Nansemond County, received a grant of 10,000 acres in the Albemarle region for the benefit of the first 100 persons he could persuade to settle along the Roanoke River and an additional grant of 1,000 acres for himself.
If the origin of Green’s Path cannot be traced to this Roger Green, perhaps a kinsman of his braved the wilds of an unsettled area in the late 1600’s or early 1700’s, leaving behind some markings of his own along the way.
Researcher James P. Smith concluded that “Green’s Path crossed parts of the region embraced by present day Johnston County, entering from the north and fording the Neuse River between the present day Wilson’s Mill and Smithfield. . After crossing the Swift Creek west of the river, Green’s Path apparently continued southwestward through the region now known as Harnett County.” Green’s Path enters Harnett County in this area known as Bailey’ Crossroads then ultimately continuing to the upper Pee Dee River Valley in South Carolina.
Land patents and recorded deeds confirm that settlers moved from the north to occupy land that would later become Johnston and Harnett County. The entire route of the Green’s Path is not far removed from the current Interstate 95. Next week I will attempt to share why some of these early settlers who came down the Green’s Path came to the New World.
Gregory is a name that has a long history in the Coats area. Did the original Gregory families come up the Cape Fear River or did they come down from settlements on the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina? This I do know. Caleb Michael Gregory celebrated his first birthday with “Bert” and “Ernie” and lots of balloons, food and family. Parents Dale Gregory and Michelle Bass Gregory hosted the party (Daily Record Oct. 5, 1994).
Larry Thornton had opened a service station on the corner of Main and McKinley Street. He checked the tires and cleaned the windshields. (Just for fun—who knows what a bulletproof vest, fire escapes and windshields have in common? They were all invented by women.) Larry Thornton, the new owner of the station, was in the ministry prior to opening the station.
Lots of supporters for Craig Matthews had enjoyed hot dogs and trimmings. One man had paid $135 for a coconut cake baked by Betty Gregory. Wonder if it was from the recipe of Betty’s favorite sour cream coconut cake that was served at the Lane’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant.
Does anyone remember the famous “Dosses” when they appeared at the Coats Methodist Church (Daily Record Oct. 6, 1994)?
The museum volunteers are so appreciative of the tremendous support extended to the Coats Museums through gifting and loaning of family treasures, through honoring and memorializing those they love and respect and through outright donations for maintaining the museums and grounds. We are especially humbled by the fact that some are giving to the Coats Museum Building Fund to be used to build a second exhibit hall to house the hundreds of items that cannot now be permanently showcased in the Cotton Museum or the Kress and Nell Penny Williams Exhibit Hall.
The building of another exhibit hall is so personal to me because the last goal of my late husband H.L. was for the volunteers to be able to display items from all the donors and lenders in a second exhibit hall. Some of you know that a few months after H.L. died, I was diagnosed with cancer throughout my body and had to make the decision of immunotherapy or have eventual death from the Melanoma. Only one of those choices would give me the time needed to help plan for his second hall. Some land issues have slowed down the process of moving forward. Most of the troublesome spots in my body seemed to be responding to the treatment; however, a recent PET scan has shown some new growth activity and four new immunotherapy treatments were ordered by my team of doctors. One down and three treatments to go as I ask that your prayers include me along with the many sick people with cancer that I see each trip I make to Duke.
The words “Green’s Path” may be recognized by some of you as the name of a current highway in Sampson County. What was the Green’s Path? Last week, you read why some immigrants settled in the northern part of the “New World” while others came south to the Virginia and the Carolina coastlines. Why did some of these newcomers and descendants migrate to places known later as Harnett, Sampson and Johnston?
Today I will discuss why some settlers might have come southward into our area from Virginia to the lands along the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers and eventually into our areas. Later I will share why others traveled northward up the Cape Fear River from what is now the Wilmington area.
In 1653, the Virginia legislature granted lands along the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers to a Roger Green. In “Johnston County-1746-1996” the author stated that Green was associated with the earliest years of English settlement in North Carolina. Colonial records indicate that some English settlers moved to North Carolina from Virginia before 1653, but settlement below the Virginia borders did not gain momentum until that year when Roger Green, a Virginia clergyman in Nansemond County, received a grant of 10,000 acres in the Albemarle region for the benefit of the first 100 persons he could persuade to settle along the Roanoke River and an additional grant of 1,000 acres for himself.
If the origin of Green’s Path cannot be traced to this Roger Green, perhaps a kinsman of his braved the wilds of an unsettled area in the late 1600’s or early 1700’s, leaving behind some markings of his own along the way.
Researcher James P. Smith concluded that “Green’s Path crossed parts of the region embraced by present day Johnston County, entering from the north and fording the Neuse River between the present day Wilson’s Mill and Smithfield. . After crossing the Swift Creek west of the river, Green’s Path apparently continued southwestward through the region now known as Harnett County.” Green’s Path enters Harnett County in this area known as Bailey’ Crossroads then ultimately continuing to the upper Pee Dee River Valley in South Carolina.
Land patents and recorded deeds confirm that settlers moved from the north to occupy land that would later become Johnston and Harnett County. The entire route of the Green’s Path is not far removed from the current Interstate 95. Next week I will attempt to share why some of these early settlers who came down the Green’s Path came to the New World.
Gregory is a name that has a long history in the Coats area. Did the original Gregory families come up the Cape Fear River or did they come down from settlements on the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina? This I do know. Caleb Michael Gregory celebrated his first birthday with “Bert” and “Ernie” and lots of balloons, food and family. Parents Dale Gregory and Michelle Bass Gregory hosted the party (Daily Record Oct. 5, 1994).
Larry Thornton had opened a service station on the corner of Main and McKinley Street. He checked the tires and cleaned the windshields. (Just for fun—who knows what a bulletproof vest, fire escapes and windshields have in common? They were all invented by women.) Larry Thornton, the new owner of the station, was in the ministry prior to opening the station.
Lots of supporters for Craig Matthews had enjoyed hot dogs and trimmings. One man had paid $135 for a coconut cake baked by Betty Gregory. Wonder if it was from the recipe of Betty’s favorite sour cream coconut cake that was served at the Lane’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant.
Does anyone remember the famous “Dosses” when they appeared at the Coats Methodist Church (Daily Record Oct. 6, 1994)?
The museum volunteers are so appreciative of the tremendous support extended to the Coats Museums through gifting and loaning of family treasures, through honoring and memorializing those they love and respect and through outright donations for maintaining the museums and grounds. We are especially humbled by the fact that some are giving to the Coats Museum Building Fund to be used to build a second exhibit hall to house the hundreds of items that cannot now be permanently showcased in the Cotton Museum or the Kress and Nell Penny Williams Exhibit Hall.
The building of another exhibit hall is so personal to me because the last goal of my late husband H.L. was for the volunteers to be able to display items from all the donors and lenders in a second exhibit hall. Some of you know that a few months after H.L. died, I was diagnosed with cancer throughout my body and had to make the decision of immunotherapy or have eventual death from the Melanoma. Only one of those choices would give me the time needed to help plan for his second hall. Some land issues have slowed down the process of moving forward. Most of the troublesome spots in my body seemed to be responding to the treatment; however, a recent PET scan has shown some new growth activity and four new immunotherapy treatments were ordered by my team of doctors. One down and three treatments to go as I ask that your prayers include me along with the many sick people with cancer that I see each trip I make to Duke.