Situated in one of the most picturesque regions of Eastern North Carolina, Martin County has provided a setting for many of the important events in the Tar Heel State’s history: from the early exploits of New World explorers and the county’s part in the American
Revolution, to its plantation-style existence in the antebellum South and its strategic importance during the Civil War, to its developing role in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the state’s agriculture and timber commerce. Martin County, showcasing nearly 200 photographs, will take you on a visual journey through the county’s past and allow you to explore Williamston, Robersonville, and the smaller rural communities, such as Oak City, Hamilton, and Jamesville, dotting the countryside as they appeared over the past 100 years. Walking down unpaved streets and peering into early general stores, hotels, homes, businesses, tobacco warehouses, and schools, you will meet many of the county’s prominent community leaders, such as Cushing Biggs Hassel and Sheriff William Hardison, and a wide selection of everyday citizens, who worked on the area farms, owned some of the small businesses, and served in a variety of wars. This volume also brings to life the personal side of Martin County, showing the county’s people at play in the local swimming pools, on the sporting field, in their front yards at special family events, and along Main Street waiting on the parade.