User:Jjohnson94/history

Early History
In 1585, the Ralph Lane Colony explored the Chowan River. They explored the river at least as far up as Winton. In 1622, the John Pory Colony led an expedition from Virginia to the Chowan River. Pory was secretary of the Province of Virginia. In 1629, Sir Robert Heath was granted a patent to settle carolina. This patent embraced Gates County. During the 1650's Colonists from Virginia started to move into the Albermarle region. Colonel Drew and Roger Green led an expedition into the Albermarle area. In 1654, Francis Speight was granted a patent for 300 acres of land near Raynor Swamp. The first settlement in Gates County was established near Corapeake in 1660. In 1662, George Durant recieved the oldest land grant in North Carolina. Yeopin Indian leader gave the grant to Durant. The land was located in Perquimans county. Then in 1665, William Drummond became the first govenor of the Albemarle area. In 1670, Colonel John Baker of Nansemond county obtained a grant of land for 2400 acres near Buckland. In 1672, George Fox, leader of the quakers, visited Gates County. He described the county as barren. In 1677, an Indian Reservation was established between Bennett's Creek and Catherine Creek in Gates. From 1684-1722 Gates County was apart of the Chowan precint. In 1705, Gates County started to grow with Charles Griffin establishing the first school in the Albemarle region. In 1711, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel established a school for Native Americans at Sarum, with Mr. Marshburn as the teacher. In 1738, a mail route from Suffolk, VA to Corapeake to Edenton was established. This was a stage coach route, which crossed the Chowan River at Barfield.

1800's
In 1806, Middle Swamp Baptist Church was established as the first Baptist church in Gates County. Then in 1811, Savages United Methodist Church was established and is the oldest Methodist Church in Gates County. In 1825, Marquis De Lafayette passed through Gates County and was entertained at Pipkin's Inn. Soon after, in 1830, the town of Gatesville was incorporated. The old courthouse located on Court St. was built in 1836. The oldest item in the courthouse is the Federal Style bell, which was purchased in 1781. William P. Roberts, youngest Confederate general in the Civil War, was born in Gatesville, 1841. According to the 1850 census there were 717 farms in Gates County and only 15 produced cotton. In 1851, Reynoldson Academy was established. Organized by free blacks, New Hope Baptist church was established in 1859. In 1878, Jethro Goodman introduced peanuts into Gates County. Secetary of State Thad Eure was born in 1859.

Gates County's Port of Hamburg
The Cross Canal, or Hamburg Ditch, three miles south of the Virginia line, was Gates County's water route to Norfolk. Opened in 1805-1822, it ran straight east for ten miles through the Dismal Swamp, from a landing on Daniels Road in Gates County, to the Dismal Swamp Canal where the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center is now. (The Great Dismal Atlas, pp. 39-41.) The Cross Canal is no longer a through route, but 20 or 30 years ago, within living memory, the Gates Coutny end, at the site of Hamburg, was used by sportsmen in small boats to enter the swamp. Hurricanes since then topppled huge trees across it. It would exciting to re-open parts of the canal for intimate guided tours into the heart of the Great Dismal Swamp, perhaps in the same type of boats used there two centuries ago. A mile or so of the canal could be re-opened at the Gates County end of the Cross Canal, into the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This would give Gates County a natural and historic asset to add to Merchant's Millpond State Park. The canl could also be opened at the east end of the canal. Here it is close to the new visitor's center in North Carolina's Dismal Swamp State Park, across the Dismal Swamp Canal from the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center. Visitors could experience the swamp by boat, perhaps to a re-creation of a ahingle-maker' village, as part of the park's interpretation of the Underground Railroad.

Gates County and the Civil War
Before the Civil War, in Gates County, you had to be self-reliant. Most of the land in Gates County was covered with virgin timber. When North Carolina suceeded from the Union, Gates Representative, Joseph Riddick, was sent to the secession Convention. Soon after, the "Gates Gaurd" was born as the 1st company raised in Gates County to protect the borders of Gates County. The 2nd company was "Gates Minutemen". Thanks to the industry of agriculture, Gates County played an important role of the food supply to Confederate States of America. General William P. Roberts represented Gates County well as the youngest general of the Civil War. General Lawrence Baker is known for the lost of his arm. After the war he moved to Suffolk, VA and worked for the Seaboard Railway Co. Jack Fairless formed a group known as the "Buffaloes". They were known to raid homes throughout the area. Jack Fairless was originally kicked out of the war for stealing, so when the troops leave to fight all that's left in Gates County is women, children and the un-abled bodied. Soon after the raids were started, Jack Fairless was killed by his own men. Fort Dillard was a confederat fort in the county. Even to today the story of the "Ellis Girls" haunts the ears of Gates County. The Ellis Girls caught fish to eat and also to sell. One Day though, while fishing, the Union War ship went to capture the girls while they burned winton. This story is significant because this is the first up-close encounter of the Union. Fort Fisher was the last fort to fall. The largest amount of Confederate troops surrendered at Bennet's Place, May 1865.

1900's
On May 9, 1925 the 1st bridge opened across Chowan River between Gates and Hertford counties. In 1925, Hwy 158 opened between Gates and Pasquotank counties. In 1935, Sunbury Ruritan Club was established as the oldest club in N.C. In 1954 Gates County Historical Society was established. In 1973 A.B. Coleman donated 1065 acres of land (Millpond to the state of N.C.) This is the beginning of Merchant's Pond. The first tornado strikes Gates County in 1984, killing one person. Hurricane Floyd hit Gates County in 1999. Beckford Junction was abandoned in 1940. Beckford Junction was a switch that was used by trains to go to Elizabeth City. ( From Suffolk to Edenton.) The last passenger train that served Gates County was in 1954.

2000's
The Navy announces plans for OLF. Outlying Landing Field