Black Friday, an exciting time of the year for many shoppers…the biggest day of the year for many merchants.
Been feeling good about using my encrypted credit card, now learn only about one in five merchants around the US have updated their systems to fully protect their customers from being “ripped” off.
Some of us older folks can’t remember anything…like important dates, times, places.
Woke early this AM and I begin to think of changes that have occurred over the past 40 to 50, 60 years.
At one time there were 7 or 8 new car dealers in Bladen. See how many I can remember, keep in mind some changed hands more than once.
Clark Motor Company, Ford and Mercury dealer (Ellis Clark, later David Shaw); Clark Brothers, Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler (Manley Clark family); A Kaiser-Frazer dealership (may not have been the name but it was located where Affordable Tires is today, maybe owned by Sidney Britt); Potter Motor Company, Buick and other GMC products (Rudolph Potter and Francis Hardee, later Robert Jessup); The Chevrolet dealership had several names but same location including Billy Hinson, Len Ricks, Robert Jessup Motors and others. One or two dealers in Clarkton (Donald Baldwin and Dwight Fort (B&F), another was Billy Hinson Chevrolet and in Bladenboro Bridger Motor Co. (James Albert Bridger).
May not be totally accurate, but close. Today, no new auto dealers in the county.
Years ago, Clarkton was the home of tobacco markets, a busy place during the harvest season. E.J. Cox Company provided services and jobs for many over the years.
Old pictures of Abbottsburg indicates Pullman train cars were built there, if true, long before my time, but do remember Dowless tobacco curers. Ben Dowless was the builder.
In Bladenboro, the Bridgers came to town and built Bladenboro Cotton Mill that provided jobs, housing and businesses to supported the industry. Heck, they had their own money that was used in the company owned store. Businesses included, Bridger Motor Co, Bridger Corporation, Bridger Drug Store, Bank of Bladenboro and Dr. Dewey Bridger was the doctor. He delivered many babies at the home of their family, including me.
Other towns in the county were thriving as well. In Dublin, Dixon Brisson and Miller Taylor owned businesses that helped put “groceries on the table” of many families.
Several early pioneers were putting White Lake on the map.
There were many more who contributed in the early years, some I never knew and some I can’t remember. In the early days, transportation was not as plentiful as today, and the rural phone system has been in place only about 50 years. In the early years, party lines were the norm.
There were more…more later. If you can’t sleep and the sheep have been counted, re-visit yesteryear.
Hope your Thanksgiving was good. Enjoy this day.
A salute to all who provided meals for anyone who “showed up.” We should all be more like the providers.
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
If I want your opinion, I’ll ask you to fill out the necessary forms.
If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.
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