"Between The Bookends"

"Between The Bookends"

By: Valerie Powers
Hyconeechee Regional Library
Gunn Memorial Branch (Yanceyville, NC)

As a newcomer to the Caswell County area, I was immediately struck by the wealth of valuable history lying just beneath the modernism of the county today. Aware that the County Historical Society is very much involved in preparing a county history which is certain to quench the historical thirst of anyone interested in the "old" and how it became the "new," I, nevertheless, decided to do some digging on my own. In my last two columns, I have briefly surveyed the high points of Caswell County's past, but I can't help wanting to know more. So, for the next few weeks I will take a look at the individual communities of the county.

This study will be designed not only to help me learn, but also to test your memory of places, people and events in Caswell County. Try your hand at these true or false statements about the Milton community in Caswell County.

1. Jarvis Friou, a French Huguenot who resided in Milton, is credited with building several of the lovely old homes in Milton. T - F

2. Shuttered Bohemian ruby glass panels adorn the front door of the old "Hurdle Place" believed to have been built around 1800. T - F

3. The Irvin House, built in 1820, has magnificent boxwoods in its formal gardens, among the most noted in the state. T - F

4. The oldest building in Milton is the "Yellow Tavern" - a favorite stopping place during stagecoach days. T - F

5.The Cedars can tell the story of Milton's history, even family histories can be traced. T - F

6. Milton was incorporated in 1796 and has remained so since that time. T - F

7. The town name Milton came from Thomas's mill on the river where planters came to get their grain ground. T - F

8. Tom Day was believed to have organized the first Baptist girls' school in North Carolina. T - F
_______________

1. T; 2. T; 3. T; 4. T; 5. T; 6. T; 7. T; 8. F - Tom Day was a cabinet maker who had a shop in Milton.
_______________

Note that the original answer to #8 was: "Tom Day was a West Indian cabinet maker who had a shop in Milton." The West Indian reference was removed.

Source: The Caswell Messenger (Yanceyville, North Carolina), c.1975.