Mike Parker: Place names reflect Kinston’s history
Most citizens who drive through this city have little awareness that the street names preserve and reflect the city's history prior to the American Revolution. In December of 1762, the General Assembly passed an act to establish the town of Kingston on land belonging to William Herritage at Atkins Bank. Herritage, for whom Herritage Street is named, donated the first 100 acres of what became “Kingston” and later “Kinston.”
The town was originally named to honor the young British king, George III, who had ascended the throne just two years before the town's founding. The name of the town remained “Kingston” until 1784. After the Revolutionary War, the "g" was dropped to indicate that the town's citizens no longer wished to pay homage to a king.
The site of our city was described as “a pleasant and healthy situation, and commodious for trade and commerce.” Herritage consented to 100 acres of his land being laid out for a town, with 50 acres designated as a town common.
Town commissioners tasked with designing the town were instructed to take “subscriptions” for numbered lots. When 50 lots were claimed, officials were to hold a drawing. The lots were to be assigned according to the number drawn. To keep a lot, the owner was required, within three years, to build a frame or brick house at least 16 feet square with a brick or stone chimney.
Any lot distributed in the drawing that was not built upon within three years would become the property of anyone who would build the required house. If an owner died before building his house and without making other provisions for its disposition, the lot was to become the property of William Herritage or his heirs.
The boundaries of the initial land grant for Kinston is easily discerned today. The southern boundary was South Street, and the northern boundary was North Street. East Street served as the eastern boundary, and the Neuse River was the western boundary.
Francis Mclllwean, for whom McLewan Street was named, served as the new town’s treasurer. If he should move from Dobbs County, the remaining commissioners were authorized to appoint another treasurer. Other streets bearing the names of Kingston’s first officials were: Shine Street (John Shine), Gordon Street (David Gordon), Bright Street (Simon Bright Jr.), and Caswell Street (Richard Caswell).
The original commissioners do not appear to have resided within the proposed town boundaries. All but one owned a large tract of land near the town. A warehouse for tobacco inspection already existed on site. Since around 1748, a chapel, a Church of England mission served by a traveling missionary from New Bern or perhaps Edenton, was in the area.
When the town was laid out, the two principal streets were named for King George and Queen Charlotte – today’s King and Queen streets. A street was also named in honor of Governor Dobbs, but residents renamed it Independence Street.
Sales of the lots progressed slowly. By the end of 1763, only 19 had been taken. Just two years after the establishment of Kingston, Richard Caswell and Abraham Sheppard presented to the General Assembly a petition signed by several Dobbs County citizens urging that the new town be made the county seat “for the greater convenience of the people.”
A bill introduced for this purpose also provided that a portion of Craven County in the vicinity of Southwest Creek be added to Dobbs County, apparently to overcome objections that Kingston would not be at the center of Dobbs County unless this part of Craven County were added.
Even with the support of the Craven County representative the whole bill was not passed. Only the portion pertaining to the addition of Craven to Dobbs was passed. The county seat was to remain at Walnut Creek.
The county in which we live today has borne many names. Early on, what is now Lenoir, Greene, and Wayne counties were part of a sprawling Johnston County. Dobbs County was established in 1758 and comprised what are now Wayne, Greene, and Lenoir counties.
In 1791, after the American Revolution, Dobbs County was divided into the counties we know today – although for a while, Greene County was named after James Glasgow, North Carolina’s secretary of state. It was named Greene County in 1799.
History surrounds us. Much of that history is reflected in the names of streets, counties, and places that make up our home today.
Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.
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