Back in the Day: Early Beginnings: Conclusion
Dr. Joe Sutton
Digitally archived land records have recently come to light that unequivocally confirm that the settlement of the Bucklesberry area began in the early 1700s. A total of 131 deeds and surveys dated 1729 to 1759 prove Bucklesberry was opened for colonization fully a century before the traditionally held year of 1825.
These land records, which name 92 settlers, represent some of the oldest land in Dobbs County, from which Lenoir County was formed in 1791. The tracts of land were far from large, averaging 238 acres per record. This finding is at odds with information provided in the 1998 book, Coastal Plain and Fancy: The Historic Architecture of Lenoir County and Kinston, North Carolina, co-authored by Robbie D. Jones, Penne Smith, Scott Power, and M. Ruth Little.
They asserted that early residents, "In Lenoir County, as elsewhere in North Carolina during the eighteenth century....lived on large estates....[and] obtained large grants, often thousands of acres." Clearly, most did not. Evidence from the 131 land records indicates residents lived on much smaller tracts of land. Only one record was for 1,000 acres.
Further, the large number of landowners named in these land records is discrepant with Jones et al.'s view that only "a few large landowners shaped the future [of Lenoir County], often from afar." Without question, the 92 landowners constitute more than a few. Moreover, Jones et al. claimed that "Much of the land...was owned...by speculators," that is, investors who were absentee owners who lived in coastal communities. This cannot be supported, given the high likelihood that most, if not all, of the 92 landowners named in the land records migrated to, and were responsible for settling, the backcountry of the Bucklesberry area between 1729 and 1759.
In conclusion, the prominence of Bucklesberry as the first and foremost farm community in the history and development of Lenoir County is undeniable. Local news outlets have a long history of reporting social news about happenings and events in Bucklesberry and its area residents. A Newspapers.com search of the seventy-year period from 1855 to 1924 identified more than 800 Bucklesberry-related news items and articles.
Unfortunately, renowned historian William S. Powell (1919-2015) failed to mention Bucklesberry anywhere in his 1963 book, The Story of Lenoir County and Kinston, N.C. To his credit, Powell acknowledged "a number of communities important enough to have their own names but not large enough to be incorporated as towns." Although he identified Dawson, Fountain Hill, Institute, Parrotts, Sandy Bottom, and Woodington, he curiously excluded Bucklesberry. Powell's omission of Bucklesberry was a glaring, albeit unintentional, oversight. As previously noted, many historical records available online today, may have been inaccessible to Powell when he researched and wrote his book.
A true accounting of history demands verifiable facts and documentation, free of unsubstantiated information incorrectly drawn from scant data or legend that rests on no evidence at all. Until now, Bucklesberry's beginnings have not been firmly established, despite previously published reports by various sources that have purported its origins. The findings presented here confidently support the conclusion that the colonization of Bucklesberry began in 1720-1730. Moreover, they bolster Bucklesberry's indisputable standing as the oldest named, most recognized, and historically significant farm community in Lenoir County.
This article ends this series on the early beginnings of Bucklesberry. Future articles will focus on other topics. As combines are busy harvesting corn around the County, interested readers may enjoy reading a timely, previously published Bucklesberry article titled "Bumper Crop 1902" available at https://shorturl.at/lrlf8
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