Communities of Richland township (a work in progress)
Aurora
In 1880, Reverend William Henry Cunningham, a Methodist minister
from Lenoir county incorporated the town of Aurora. Relatives of
the minister say that he called the place Aurora because it was a
new light in the east. Another theory is that it was such a dark
dismal place that he thought if any place needed light this place did.
A number of steamboats have played an important part in the history
of Aurora, especially the steamboat "Oregon".
At one time Aurora had two newspapers, The Aurora Borealis and
The Progressive Age.
Town Hall Aurora Fossil Museum (Old Jail)
Aurora Methodist Church Hodges Marina
Town Dock & Boat Ramp Aurora Welcome Sign
Terry Groome Building Sidewalk to Creek
Aurora Beach
Beech Grove
Blounts Creek
Bonnerton
Campbell's Creek
Core Point
The main part of the point that juts out the farthest in the Pamlico river
was once owned by the Archbell family. The estate owned by this family
comprised of 500 or 600 acres. Mr. William Archbell was the last one of
the family to live there. It was all cleared from the river for about 400
yards back. After Mr. Archbell left, the land grew up, except for a small
place where the house was. The estate was divided, each heir receiving
from 15 to 50 acres and they started selling their interests.
One among the first to buy was Elder T. H. Pipkin, who built a house and
moved in and started clearing a small farm, others followed doing the
same. Mr. Henry Bonner built a summer home and liked it so well that
others bought and built summer homes. At one time, there was quite a
number of summer residents and some permanent ones.
A church was built around 1894, known as Core Point Chapel, a Free
Will Baptist church, which is still standing today. About this time, a
one teacher school was established, which grew to a three teacher school
later transferred to Aurora. This Core Point district was one of our first
rural school districts to vote a special tax.
From 1905 to 1925, Core Point had a splendid boat service to and from
Washington, the nearest and best shipping point. These boats did a
freight and passenger business. About this time, the government gave
Core Point a post office and the mail was brought from Washington by
a gas boat named Nyddia.
The people at Core Point made a fair living from fishing and farming.
There is now a nice new subdivision, Eagle Trace, in this area with lots
for sale for building a summer home or permanent residence. This area
has a marina, tennis court, a clubhouse and fenced storage for boats,
motor homes, etc. Also, there is a nature walk.
Entering Community of Core Point Core Point Chapel
Former location of Martin's store Tripp Cemetary
Old Schoolhouse Smithwick House
Crystal Beach
Edward
The community of Edward is not a particularly old one. Joesphus
Edwards erected a mill across Durham's Creek and the settlement
became Edward's Mill. This mill was both a saw and grist mill and
was water driven.
Edward's Mill became the stopping place of salesmen enroute from
Washington to Aurora. Hotel Edwards did a thriving business . During
the years 1880-1908, Edward progressed rapidly. The town was
incorporated and a jail and mayor's court installed. Edward had it's
own police and it's own laws and penalties.
There were numerous businesses, L. H. Redditt General Merchandise,
T. R. Boyd General Merchandise & Cotton Gin, A. E. Edwards Barber
Shop, and a telephone exchange with one operator. There were three
churches and a three room school building with three teachers and a
music teacher. After the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was built in 1905-
1906, the railroad became the center of transportation and travelers
and salesmen went on to Aurora or Washington for the night rather than
stop in Edward. The town began to decline and never reached the peak
of development it once knew.
Welcome to Edward Durham Creek bridge at Edward
Edward firetower Ruth Meadow's
Walker's laundromat Dudley's Grill
Veri-Kwik Convenience Store Edward Christian Church
Edward Fire Department Edward Post Office
