Robeson County History:

Governor says State economy lagging: On Oct. 8. 1923, The Robesonian reported that North Carolina in the lead of the southern states and abreast of the most progressive commonwealths of the nation in manufacturing, farming, educational facilities and happy industrious citizenship, is lagging woefully behind in commerce between herself and her sister states, and even within her own borders, and is the bondman of the Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina cities, in this respect and ever will be under present conditions, Governor Cameraon Morrison declared in an impassioned address before the Rotary club and its guests.

Election platform centers on Lumberton recreation: on Oct. 7, 1973, The Robesonian reported that Norman L. Morton filed for a seat on the Lumberton City Council Friday, broadening the precinct race to three announced candidates. Morton, treasurer of the Robeson County Republican Party and member of the county delegation to the state Republican convention, will go up against Hubert Gore and John Bennett. The new candidate said he intends to work for recreational facilities in Precinct 5 and stated that both of his opponents “have served on city council but haven’t done a thing about recreation.”

North Carolina History

Half-Ton Pickup a Challenge for Pallbearers: On Oct. 7, 1799, Mills Darden, a true giant among men of his time, was born in Northampton County. In his lifetime, and for some 100 years afterward, Darden was considered the world’s largest man. By today’s standards he is neither the heaviest nor the tallest, but he is the heaviest tall man and the tallest heavy man. At the time of his death, Darden was 7 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed a little more than 1,000 pounds.

Though a native North Carolinian, Darden moved to Tennessee when he as a young adult. Self-conscious about his appearance, the giant posed for no portraits. In 1839, a tailor who made a coat for Darden had three 200-plus-pound men button themselves inside the coat and parade about the court square in Lexington, Tenn. Another source reported trousers with a 76-inch waist and a size 8 1/2.

Remarkably, Darden worked as a farmer for much of his life. When the work became too strenuous for a man of his stature, he opened a tavern, where his moderate fame was an advantage. Married twice, he had numerous children. Upon his death in 1857, it took 17 men to place Darden in his 8-foot long coffin.

Edenton Courthouse, Built 1767 and Renovated 2004: On Oct. 8, 2004, the Chowan County Courthouse reopened to the public after years of renovation. The majestic courthouse, completed in 1767 in Edenton, is considered the finest example of Georgian architecture in the South.

While the architect remains anonymous, many have speculated that either Gilbert Leigh, known to have worked on many houses in the area, or John Hawks, best known for Tryon Palace, supervised construction.

Overlooking Edenton Bay, the building features Flemish bond brickwork and a slightly projecting three-bay entrance pavilion crowned by a classical pediment. The interior consists of two floors, the bottom a courtroom with a large magistrate’s chair in the center. English ballast stones pave the ground floor and, in lieu of paint, the plain walls were whitewashed.

The top floor, an assembly hall, was one of the largest during the colonial period. Beginning in 1778, the hall hosted the Masons of Unanimity #7, an order to which George Washington belonged. Necessary utilities were incorporated through the years, including telephones, electricity and plumbing services. Although Edenton constructed a modern courthouse in 1979, the historic Chowan County Courthouse remains in use and open to the public.

Matt Ransom, Confederate General and U.S. Senator: On Oct. 8, 1826, Matt Whitaker Ransom, Confederate general, U.S. senator and minister to Mexico, was born in Warren County.

After graduating from the UNC, Ransom studied law. He married and moved to Northampton County in 1853, where he practiced. Serving in the legislature at the outbreak of the Civil War, Ransom enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army, joining the 35th North Carolina Regiment which he eventually would command. He was wounded three times during the war and was eventually promoted to brigadier general.

After the war, Ransom became a strong supporter of reconciliation between the regions. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1872 and represented North Carolina there until 1895. A strong supporter of President Grover Cleveland, he was posted to Mexico as the “Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary” serving in that role until 1897, when he returned to Northampton County and retired from public service.

He died in October 1904. A bust of Ransom, commissioned by the North Carolina Historical Commission, was placed in the rotunda of the State Capitol in 1911.

Nationm and World History

Anita Hill alleges sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas: On Oct. 7, 1991, University of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill publicly accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of making sexually inappropriate comments when she worked for him; Thomas denied Hill’s allegations and would go on to win Senate confirmation.

The Great Chicago Fire breaks out: On Oct. 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire erupted; fires also broke out in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and in several communities in Michigan.

Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize: On Oct. 9, 2009, President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for what the Norwegian Nobel Committee called “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

33 Chilean miners rescued after 69 days underground: On Oct. 13, 2010, rescuers in Chile using a missile-like escape capsule pulled 33 men one by one to fresh air and freedom 69 days after they were trapped in a collapsed mine a half-mile underground.

Martin Luther King wins Nobel Peace Prize: On Oct. 14, 1964, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.