Strolling Through
History:
OK, A Ride Through
Wilmington, NC
1-Go to above posted coords above.
They will take you to the National Historic Monument the
U S S North Carolina Battleship docked
in Wilmington. The first of ten fast battleships built by the
United States that saw service in World War II, North
Carolina set a standard for new shipbuilding technology that
combined high speed with powerful armament. Her superior
performance during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August
1942 established the primary role of the fast battleship as a
protector of the aircraft carrier. Her resiliency to battle damage
was proven just a month later in the same area when North
Carolina sustained a hit from a Japanese torpedo. Despite an 18
by 32 foot hole in her side, and following a short period to
counterflood, she resumed a speed of 25 knots to regain position to
protect her assigned aircraft carrier. North Carolina is the
most decorated U.S. battleship of World War II with 15 battle
stars, having participated in every major naval offensive in the
Pacific from Guadalcanal to Tokyo Bay. She is also credited with
kills of 24 aircraft, a merchantman and the bombardment of nine
Imperial Japanese strongholds. There are 2 numbers on the front of
the battleship take either number which will be X. X minus 1 =
A.
2-Go to N 34 14.366 W 077 56.989
They will take you to the Cotton
Exchange. At the turn of the century, majestic sailing ships
delivered treasures from around the world to the Port of
Wilmington. Paddle-wheel boats plied the broad Cape Fear River from
Southport to Fayetteville. Cotton was king, and one of the largest
and busiest cotton export companies in the world was located in
Wilmington. Today, The Cotton Exchange is still an adventure in
trade. Eight graciously restored buildings connected by brick
walkways, open-air courtyards, and gigantic heart pine beams house
30 unique specialty shops and restaurants, each a charming
reflection of the style and feel of Wilmington's 19th century
working port days. In 1975-76, The Cotton Exchange was the first
downtown complex in North Carolina to adapt and utilize existing
buildings, serving as an excellent example of local preservation
efforts. In constant occupancy since the pre-Civil War decade, the
Sprunt Building was home of the Cape Fear Flour and Pearl Hominy
Mill in 1884--the largest of its kind in the South. In 1919-20,
Alexander Sprunt & Sons rebuilt the structure to its current
Neoclassic revival style to house the thriving cotton export
business. They shipped cotton to ports in Europe, England, and
America, and the Sprunt Building overlooked all the cotton
compresses on the river and was, in actuality, a cotton exchange.
The Wood See Building housed a Chinese laundry in 1917, E.C.
Moore's Wholesale Notion Company in the 1930s, and in 1938 T.W.
Wood & Son's Seed Company. The Winslow Merrick Barber Shop, a
popular barber shop frequented by railroad executives, was also
located here. The Granary Building, located on Nutt Street,
formerly housed the Boney & Harper Milling Company, which in
1912 was capable of producing 4,000 bushels a day of pearl hominy,
grits, and cornmeal, sold under the Diamond B trademark. In 1884,
the Dahnhardt Building was a three-story mariner's saloon. In 1900,
W.B. Cooper moved his wholesale grocery and peanut cleaning
operation here. The Bear Building was occupied in 1913 by a
wholesale grocer. As a result of a fire in 1974, followed by
hurricane force winds which leveled the back wall, the building now
exists as two stories, with a three-story façade on Front Street.
The O'Brien Building housed Sears, Roebuck, and Company around
1930. The brass doors on Front Street are from an Atlanta Bank; the
stained glass and top wall railings came from demolished Wilmington
homes. The Front Street Entrance at 313 North Front Street
was occupied by the LeGwyn Printing Company in 1910, and later
served as the entrance to Sutton-Council Furniture Company. The
Nutt Street Entrance was probably used as a storage and loading
area for the milling operation. The steps are built from materials
salvaged from the burned Bear Building. The Cotton Exchange invites
you to visit us on the historic Wilmington riverfront. Special
treasures, old-fashioned service, and a sense of history make The
Cotton Exchange an exciting shopping adventure. The coords
will take you to a painting inside a hallway. Count the number of
hats on the men in the painting and this number will be Y. Y minus
4 =B
3-Go to N 34 14.498 W 077 57.031.
They will take you to the Wilmington Railroad
Museum. For more than a century, railroading was
Wilmington's chief industry. In 1840 the Wilmington &
Weldon Railroad was completed and was the longest continuous rail
line in the world at 161 miles long. Near the turn of the century
several railroads up and down the eastern seaboard, including the
Wilmington & Weldon, merged to become the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad. The ACL company headquarters was located here in
Wilmington. During its heyday the railroad heavily contributed to
the area's commercial and industrial growth and provided jobs and
revenue for the local economy. In 1960 the ACL moved its
headquarters from Wilmington to Jacksonville, FL. It was the
largest single move of employees ever staged by a southeastern
industry. The railroad moved over 1,000 employees, their
families, their belongings, and the company files and office
equipment more than 450 miles by rail. Started in 1979 by three
women and a table of ACL Railroad artifacts, the Wilmington
Railroad Museum was dedicated to preserving the rich history of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the history of railroading in the
southeastern United States. By 1983 the Museum found a home in the
former ACL Freight Office Building at the north end of downtown
Wilmington. In 2007 the Museum moved to new quarters. We're
now housed in an authentic 1880s railroad freight warehouse. At the
coords you will see a Atlantic Coast Line red caboose with a set of
numbers on the left side of the caboose. Take the last number on
the right and this will be W. W plus 5 = C
4-Go to N 34 14.128 W 077 56.687
This will take you to St James Episcopal
Church. The establishment of St. James Parish occurred in
November 1729 when the General Assembly of the colony of Carolina
approved legislation which said: "The Southernmost Boundary of the
Province shall be and is hereby appointed a separate and district
parish by the name of St. James." Many years passed before the
first church building was completed in 1751. In order to finish the
church, the General Assembly levied an annual tax of one shilling
and four pence on all taxes of the parish for three years. During
the American Revolution in 1781, St. James faced first of many
crises when it was seized by British troops under Lord Cornwallis
and converted into a stable and riding school for Tarleton's
dragoons. In the early 1830s, the members of St. James Parish
decided to build a small chapel near Wrightsville Beach. The
Lebanon Chapel was to serve those members of St. James who lived in
the vicinity of Greenville, Wrightsville, Masonboro and Middle
Sounds, and those who vacationed in the area during the summer
months. In 1839, construction began on our present church edifice.
Considered to be an excellent example of neo-gothic architecture,
the present church was consecrated in 1840 by Bishop Ives. To the
right of the sanctuary is the painting "Ecce Homo". The painting
has been attributed to Francisco Pacheco (1564-1654) – a
Spanish painter, teacher, and scholar. Twenty-five years later, St.
James was again occupied by an adversary, but this time it was
Federal Troops during the final stages of the Civil War. At this
time the keys to the church were taken and all furnishings ripped
out. The church was used as a hospital during this time of national
crisis. Recovering slowly from the war the people of St. James
found solace through common worship and fellowship. The graveyard
is the sole remaining physical connection with the original church
building. The last burial in the churchyard was in 1850 when
Oakdale Cemetery was established and private burials within the
city were prohibited by law. Among the historic tombstones is one
marking the burial site of Thomas Godfrey, author of "The Prince of
Parthia," thought to be the first attempt at dramatic composition
in America. Another marks the grave of Cornelius Harnett, patriot
and signer of the Articles of Confederation, who died a prisoner of
the British during the occupation of the city. Major George
Washington Glover, husband of Mary Baker Eddy, is also buried here.
Stand at the black wrought iron fence and look into the graveyard
and you will see a monument erected to Thomas Godfrey. On the
bottom is the date it was erected. Take the third number from the
right and that will be V. V minus 4 =D.
5-Go to N 34 14.206 W 077 56.617.
This will take you to the Von Glahn
House Circa 1859. There are many legends associated with
Jacob's Run, a buried stream that starts at the Von Glahn House,
that connects historic buildings in Wilmington to the river. Some
claim it was a path for slaves during the Civil War, and it was
reported to serve as a way out for persons fleeing the British
invasion of Wilmington during the Revolutionary War. It has even
been suggested that the secret tunnel was an escape route for
prisoners fleeing the old jail on Fourth and Princess streets.
Though the legends cannot be fully proven, the tunnels definitely
exist. In the same way that the Cape Fear River flows into the
ocean, a number of creeks and streams flow into the Cape Fear. One
such stream was named Jacob's Run, after the man who owned the land
that the stream initially ran through. Joseph Jacobs was an
architect who lived at the South East corner of North Fourth and
Princess Streets in the late 1700's and early 1800's. Jacob's Run
flowed right through what is now the downtown district of
Wilmington. As the city grew in the early 1800's, the sides of the
stream were reinforced with brick, and wood was laid in the stream
bed to seal the bottom. Eventually, as new street and buildings
were constructed, the top of the stream was covered with brick.
Jacob's Run was now officially underground. The stream starts at
the Von Glahn house on North Fifth Avenue and continues under the
streets and buildings, to the end of Dock Street and the Cape Fear
River. Boardwalk now covers the outlet of water. There are several
manhole covers at the intersection of Water and Dock Streets that
serve as entrances to the tunnel. Jacob's Run is documented to have
flowed deep all the way up to the intersection of Second and
Market. In fact, the run was deep enough for boats to sail in at
high tide. Locals Robert Roudabush and his father William were
stewards of a seed house above the tunnel. They recalled a day when
his father's automobile sank in the parking lot beside the old
Barefoots Jackson building, right about where the brick color
changes and it was thought that Jacob's Run might be the culprit.
Years later surveys placed the course of the stream through that
very spot. The underground stream plots its course from the Slice
of Life across the intersection of 2nd and Market to the parking
lot of Cooperative Bank. Farther up Market St. is the Burgwin
Wright house, in which some speculate soldiers escaped through
Jacob's Run from the British dungeon when the property was occupied
in the Revolutionary War. The Burgwin Wright house installed
drainage pipes run to the underground stream and the prisoners
escaped through them and made their way to the Cape Fear. Jacob's
Run has also been named as an underground path for the bodies of
Yellow Fever victims traveling from ships to the Bellvue Cemetery.
Jacob's Run was eventually sealed off at 2nd and Market and
diverted to a modern drainage system. Several reporters from the
Star News visited the Run for a story several years ago and
described it as unbearably hot and humid. The Burgwin Wright
entrance is accessed by city permit only. At the Von Glahn House is
a historic marker on the front of the house. You are looking for
the date the Von Glahn family gave the house to the City of
Wilmington. Take the last number on the right and it will be T. T
plus 2 = E.
6- Go to N 34 14.156 W 077 56.579.
This will take you to the Bellamy Mansion
Museum. The mansion was built as the city residence of
prominent planter, Dr. John D. Bellamy, the Bellamy Mansion is
Wilmington's most spectacular example of antebellum architecture
--a mixture of Greek Revival and Italianate styles. In 1859, Dr.
Bellamy hired local architect James F. Post to design his new
residence. Post, assisted by young Connecticut draftsman Rufus
Bunnell, supervised the talented enslaved carpenters and free black
artisans who built the Mansion. Although Dr. Bellamy owned
plantations in nearby counties, the 22-room landmark was the main
residence of Dr. and Mrs. Bellamy and their numerous children. The
Bellamy family moved into their new home on the eve of the Civil
War, only to be displaced initially by a raging yellow fever
epidemic and later, by the conflict itself. Early in 1865
Wilmington fell to Federal troops and the occupying military
administration commandeered the house as their headquarters. When
Union General Joseph Hawley refused to return the house to the
family after the war, Dr. Bellamy traveled to Washington and was
able to personally obtain a pardon from President Andrew Johnson to
reclaim his property. Dr. Bellamy was a prominent, successful and
influential Wilmington citizen, and his children went on to success
in politics, law, business and medicine. The Bellamy Mansion
remained the family residence until 1946, when the last of the
children, Ellen Douglas Bellamy, died. Since her death there have
been numerous sightings of various apparitions throughout the
mansion. Reports of an elderly couple looking out of the second
floor windows and a number of children watching from the corners of
the home may prove that the Bellamys never left their beloved home.
There has been several other strange occurrences and the most
interesting happened one night in front of a witness. The mansion
is often rented for parties, meetings and weddings that last until
midnight. On one of these nights, a mansion volunteer, Paul
Bowerman, was on his habitual lockdown routine. He starts on the
bottom floor and works his way up to the cupola, locking all the
doors and windows and then turning off the lights. He was on his
way up one particular evening when he saw someone. He saw a man
entering one of the vacant bedrooms. The man was wearing a black
suit so he walked into the room to ask the man to leave. No one was
there. The volunteer walked back out into the hallway and saw the
man again coming out of the room he had walked into. Mr. Bowerman
told this to a high school student volunteering at the mansion. He,
in turn, mentioned it to his class. A girl said that her mother had
sneaked into the mansion when she was young and saw a man fitting
the same description. Not long afterward, the two were cleaning up
after a late night event and they both saw the man, "as plain as
day, " Mr. Bowerman said. The student "turned white as a sheet. He
skied down the stairs." And he never came back. Mr. Bowerman and
others have also seen doors unlock themselves and swing open.
Motion detectors go off alerting police of someone's presence, but
they only find windows or doors open that had been locked at
closing and when the mansion underwent restoration in the early
1990s, Mr. Bowerman and another man who was working to restore
mirrors and chandeliers heard little girls giggling and talking.
The coords will take you to the front of the house where you will
need to count the columns along the "FRONT" of the house. This
number will be S. S minus 1 = F.
7- Go to N 34 14.144 W 077 56.546.
This will bring you to the William J. Price
House Circa 1860. In 1860 Dr. William Price built a home on
Gallows Hill. Gallows Hill was where public hangings took place in
the early 1800s and has a gruesome history. Today the 500 block of
Market Street looks like any other street in Wilmington but history
says the convicted would meet their fate on Gallows Hill, which is
present day Market and Fifth Streets. It was a real social event,
public executions back then people used to be brought in, they'd
like an open area, like what was up here so they could view the
execution. Under this very ground some of the executed still
remain. Many of the victims were from other ports of call and they
were tried here on land they had no one to claim body or pay for
burial, they'd dig trenches around the gallows and bury them for
free. There's no telling how many bodies remain buried at Gallows
Hill. A few decades ago, while renovations were taking place at the
price house, a body was unearthed. After Dr. Price built his house
and moved in he found he and his family weren't alone as they
experienced strange and unusual occurrences. To this day sounds of
footsteps of the condemned walking up to the gallows along with the
smell of tobacco. Doors have been seen opening and closing with no
rational explanation. People still claim to see ghostly figures and
bright lights in the windows of the home. One of the most active
rooms is the upstairs office, which for many years was used as a
bedroom. It is almost usual for the windows to frost up on a hot
summer night. They can be seen from the outside, and on a clear
night you can see the word "HELP" written in the frost of the upper
left window. Visitors have reported feeling a pressure build over
them while standing in the side yard. The house is now an office
and the employees have taken to calling their resident ghost
"George". It is said to be the most actively haunted home in
Wilmington. Look at the front steps leading up to the porch of the
house. Count the number of steps and that number will be R. R minus
7 = G
Go to N 34 1A.BCD W 077 55.EFG
This is the location of the final cache, You DO NOT
have to go inside the cemetery to retrieve this
cache.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on
Geochecker.com.
Check out the
other Caches in the
Strolling Through History:
GC250VQ Tabor City,
NC
GC1MEP7 Another Part Marion,
SC
GC1M8JD Part One Marion,
SC
GC23N91 Mullins,
SC
GC246TW Mullins, SC, Part
Two
GC1KCRX Wilmington One
Block