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Updated July 18, 2010

MEETING May 11, 2010

MEETING July 13, 2010 Indians and Artifacts. By Larry Etheridge

Minutes of the June 8, 2010 meeting

Mr. Knapp:

1. Sludge from Norfolk flowing down the Inland Waterway because the locks were broken during World War II. Mr Knapp went to the Corp of Engineer and wrote a check to fix the locks and correct the problem.

2. Mr. Knapp gave every children a suit of clothes, one toy, candy and fruit for Christmas. He also gave a college education for children of his employees.

3. Children were taken to Currituck from the school to get free medical and dental care on his boat the Bootlegger.

4. Mr. Colin Doxey was sent to New Jersey for training on how to raise ducks and fowl.

5. Mrs. Knapp was involved with giving as much as Mr. Knapp. She often challenged him for dollars for the people of Knotts Island.

6. Mr. Knapp built his own lawnmower using parts of a Model T Ford. He had lots of grass to cut, as he had a 9 hole golf course on the property.

The Wicker family was discussed. Cindy Scott brough a picture of Oliver Jackson Wicker born 16 June 1846 died 9 April 1929 and his wife Georgianna Litchfield (the daughter of Ezekiel Litchfield and Elizabeth Beasley. Georgianna was born ca 1845 Knotts Island, NC and died 22 Jan 1931 Knotts Island, NC. Amanda Wicker (the daughter of Christopher Wicker and Sarah Bowden ) married George Bailer Cason which we have on the internet. We have a big gap in the information on the Wicker Family. They were on the Island early but we can’t find information to tell us who Joseph Wicker, born 1800’s, father was. Joseph’s wife was Lydia Simpson born 1810 and died before 28 June 1860 (father’s will). Her father Zachariah Simpson born 1786 and died in 1860 listed Lydia in his will as being deceased and her children were given $5.00 between them. Cindy is in possession of a letter about a bible record that goes back to the early 1700’s If we had a copy of it we could probably connect the Wicker line.

Larry Etheridge bought up the fact that many of the names of the people that settled on Roanoke Island were the same early names that were on Knotts Island. I had also noticed this and did a little research into it. But I couldn’t find proof that those folks came to Knotts Island. They already knew of Jamestown at the time and we believe that they were trying to get to Jamestown for help. There are no records to prove this point.

Jimmy Waterfield said that there were 3 roads that went to Virginia. The first was built in 1748 across the Great Marsh. A dredge was used to dig a later road. A canal was dug on each side of the road. The spoils were used for the road. Oyster shells were used to help hold the road. They were transferred to the site on barges. The dredge is still in the marsh as it sunk there. Jimmy remembers seeing logs of the older corduroy road near Cory’s Hunt Club where the Kuralt Trail is today. Each man on the island between the ages of 18 and 50 were required to work on the road one day a month. Some people moved off the island because that didn’t like that requirement.

I know I didn’t get everything that was said but maybe others can add to this. We need to have someone taking notes so the data is not lost.

Larry Etheridge will be speaker for July 14, 2010.

Melinda