THIS WEEK IN ROBESON COUNTY HISTORY

100 Years Ago: The regular monthly cooperative marketing meeting for Robeson county will be held at the court house in Lumberton at 11 a.m., February 20th. At this meeting the delegates from the cooperative marketing locals of the county, and other Robeson farm leaders, will assemble for the purpose of discussing common farm problems and making plans for an increased cooperative marketing signup for both cotton and tobacco. (From the Feb. 15, 1923 Robesonian, Farmers’ Meeting Will be Held in Lumberton February 20)

75 Years Ago: The Robesonians may later regret having legislated against the milder of the beverages with alcoholic content, may decide that, far from decreasing drunkenness, they have stimulated the sale of “harder stuff.” (From the Feb. 17, 1948 Robesonian, Interesting Situation, from the Fayetteville Observer)

50 Years Ago: There is some improvement in road conditions in the county in the wake of the weekend snow storm, but I-95 south is still closed, with traffic being shunted to US 74 and Charlotte where I-85 can be used. (From the Feb. 13, 1973 Robesonian, I-95 South Remains Closed As Crews Work To Clear Snowdrifts)

Five Years Ago: A two-vehicle crash on Monday that killed a Pembroke Middle School student and her mother hit home for North Carolina Department of Transportation officials. A newly formed task force supported by the department met for the first time on Thursday with an impossible goal but one that will be chased — eliminating deadly accidents in Robeson County. An average of 43 people have died in car accidents annually in Robeson County from 2012 to 2016, according to data gathered by Transportation Department. They want that number to be zero. Comprised of community leaders in the areas of law enforcement, education, health care and transportation, the Robeson County Vision Zero Task Force aims to address factors that lead to traffic fatalities. (From the Feb. 16, 2018 Robesonian, Task force’s goal: zero road deaths)

One Year Ago: Two Robeson County men accused of involvement in a fatal South Carolina shooting were arrested recently by multiple agencies. Austin H. Fairley, 24, of Red Springs, and Chandler T. Lowry, 23, of Shannon, were arrested Friday after a traffic stop by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Division, U.S. Marshals Carolinas Fugitive Task Force and Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. (From the Feb. 16 Robesonian, 2 Robeson County men charged in South Carolina shooting)

Source: Robesonian Archives

THIS WEEK IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY

On Feb. 18, 1927, the General Assembly adopted “The Old North State” as North Carolina’s official state song.

State Supreme Court Justice William Joseph Gaston of New Bern penned the song’s patriotic lyrics in the 1830s, when North Carolina was lagging economically behind its neighbors and masses of people were moving away. A dedicated public servant and advocate for internal improvements, Gaston sought to defend North Carolina against accusations of being backward.

When court was in session in Raleigh, Gaston stayed at the home of Mrs. James F. Taylor. One day after a couple of women in the household returned from a concert by a group of visiting Swiss bellringers, they began to sing and play one of the concert tunes on the piano. Gaston became inspired. At his office on Hargett Street, he wrote several verses of the now-familiar song, adapting it to the melody he had just heard. A chorus of 50 young women first performed the song at the Whig state convention in Raleigh in October 1840.

R. Culver set Gaston’s poem to music in 1844, but the arrangement composed in 1926 by Mrs. E. E. Randolph in Raleigh is the version familiar to North Carolinians today.

Source: North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

THIS WEEK IN NATION AND WORLD HISTORY

On Feb. 16, 1804, Stephen Decatur led a raid to burn the USS Philadelphia, which had been captured by pirates.

On Feb. 17, 1959, the first weather satellite, Vanguard 2, was launched.

On Feb. 18, 1930, Clyde Tombaugh discovered former planet Pluto, the same day Elm Farm Ollie AKA Nellie Jay AKA Sky Queen became the first cow to fly in an airplane, during which the cow was milked.

Source: Wikipedia