Zorah News, January 16, 1904

The following is from the New Bern Daily Journal of January 19, 1904:

  ZORAH, January 16th.
  Mr. I.R. Whitford of this place, has been elected keeper of the Neuse River bridge.
  Miss Amanda Whitford and Mr. J.R. Wiley went to Clayroot last Saturday.
  Larry Alston, the little son of Mr. D.P. Whitford, caused his people considerable anxiety last week by putting a bean in his nose.
  The recent bad weather has caused our schools to stop several days.
  Mrs. Mary Tunstall is quite sick with grip. Dr. Primrose of New Bern is attending her.
  Mrs. W.D. Toler is in quite a critical condition. She has been lying unconscious since Friday noon. Her recovery is doubtful.
  Mr. Jas. O. Wiley and sister, Miss Rosa, are visiting their sister Mrs. R.E. Lathinghouse, near Vanceboro.
  Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Whitford went to New Bern yesterday to visit their son, Mr. J.R. Whitford.
  Mr. Ransom Booth of Pollocksville is visiting at Zorah.
  The young people of our place had a very enjoyable dance at Mr. W.R. Arthur's last night.

  I.R. Whitford is Ira Romonas Whitford (1880-1948), son of Bryan Cox Whitford and Margaret Jane Wiley. He is probably the J.R. Whitford in the 8th paragraph that B.C. Whitford is going to see in New Bern.
  Amanda Rhesa Whitford (1877-1965) was the daughter of Stephen Edward Whitford and Artemisia Tuten. J.R. Wiley is probably John Redding Wiley (1877-1961), son of Azariah Wiley and Ellen Ann Stilley.
  Larry Alston Whitford continued his love for botany as a long-time professor at North Carolina State University.
  Mary Tunstall (1828-1906) was the widow of Alfred B. Tunstall (1828?-1903). She was the daughter of Calvin Morris and Sallie Reel. Both Mary and Alfred are buried in High Bridge Cemetery.
  Mrs. W.D. Toler (nee Sarah "Sally" Knox) was the daughter of William R. "Bill" and Dorcas Knox. She married William David "Willie" Toler. She died January 17, 1904, from complications following childbirth. The child also died. Both were buried in "Bethel Burying Ground" (now High Bridge Cemetery), but were later re-interred at the Knox Family Cemetery.
  James O'Neal (O'Neill) Wiley, Rosa Wiley, and Mrs. R.E. Laughinghouse (Nancy "Nannie" Wiley), were the children of Azariah F. Wiley and Ellen Ann "Nellie" Stilley, and the siblings of John Redding Wiley mentioned above.
  Ransom Booth was the son of Merritt Booth and the brother of Julia Booth (married Fred Willis Toler) and Claud Booth (and others).
  W.R. Arthur was William Roberson Arthur (1867-1929). He married Nancy Pauline O'Neal.

Ancient News--April 27, 1916

The Sun Journal published the following on April 27, 1916:

ZORAH NEWS.

Zorah, April 27--We are having some windy weather now.
Mr. and Mrs.W.H. Caton and children of Dover were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Caton Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Charley Caton were the guest of Mr. L.B. Caton Sunday.
Mr. Columbus Booth was the guest of Miss Annie Taylor Sunday afternoon, and her sister Miss Bessie was the guest of Miss Katie Gaskins a short while Sunday.
Mr. Thad Boyd of Truitt was the guest of Mr. Jesse Gaskins Saturday night and Sunday. Come again.
Mr. Mack Norman, Miss Katie Gaskins, Miss Bessie Norman, and Miss Oma Gaskins called to see Misses Janie and Annie Taylor Sunday evening.
Mr. Guy Wetherington came to Penciltucky Sunday and broke his new buggy. Ha! ha!
Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Gaskins called to see their son, Mr. Elbert Gaskins, at Broad Creek Sunday.
Mrs. M.E. Toler called to see Mrs. I.W. Toler Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Addie Stilley passed through Penciltucky Sunday en route to Truitt.
Mr. Mack Norman was the guest of Miss Katie Gaskins Saturday night.
There was a great alarm in Zorah when the wedding bells rung on the 16th. We are expecting them to ring again at the same place soon.
A large crowd of girls from Zorah attended the ball game at Truitt Saturday afternoon and report a nice time. The boys are expecting to play a match game Friday evening. Everybody is welcome to attend.
Let us hear from our sweetheart at Truitt. Wake up Truitt.
DARLING BLUE EYES.

  Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Caton were William Harvey and Myrtie Holton Caton. They were visiting his parents, Lewis Bryan and Arnecia Toler Caton. Charley and Amanda Cayton Caton were also visiting his parents.

  Columbus Booth was the son of Merritt and Mary Smith Booth. He was visiting Annie Toler (not Taylor). She and Bessie (and Janie) were the daughters of Abram Lincoln and Mary Norman Toler.

  Katie Gaskins was the daughter of John R. and Lizzy Toler Gaskins. Jesse Gaskins was their son, and Oma (Omie/Naomi) was their daughter. 

Mack and Bessie Norman were the children of John H. and Victoria (known as Puss John Henry) Toler Norman.

  Addie Stilley was the son of Jesse and Elizabeth Rice Stilley.

  As for the location of Penciltucky, the best anyone can figure is that it was down what is now the Cayton Road. This mention is the closest description of a location for Penciltucky that I can find..."Addie Stilley passed through Penciltucky en route to Truitt." Uncle Jesse Stilley (and family) lived at one time near R.W. Stilley's place, in the area where Jonathan Hannah had his trailer before he moved to the back of the Philpot field. If Addie Stilley passed through Penciltucky on the way to Truitt, he would have to have gone either down the Cayton Road or Purifoy Road to get to Truitt (Spring Hope Church area).

  For the alarm at the wedding, see my previous post on the wedding of Miss Mary Knox to Mr. Mack Wetherington.

[Posting updated to show that Katie Gaskins was the daughter of John R. Gaskins. She moved to Lenoir County and married George Washington Buck. In my records, I had she died young, but I discovered today that she lived until 1953.]

Ancient News, April 1916

The following is from the April 6, 1916, Semi-Weekly Sun Journal:

NEWS FROM ZORAH

Special Correspondence.
ZORAH, N.C., April 5--We are having some fine weather now, and the farmers are busy getting ready to plant their seeds.
Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Caton were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Whitford Sunday.
Mr. Levi Connoway and sister, Gladys, were the guests of Miss Mary Knox Sunday afternoon.
Miss Nina Gaskins visited Miss Janie Toler Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Columbus Booth, Mr. Artis Whitford, C.H. Booth, and Ed Booth were the guests of Mr. Zeffie Toler Sunday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Gaskins and litte son, Alois, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Gaskins, Sunday.
Messrs. Jimmie Toler and Mack Norman made a call at Mr. J.R. Gaskins' Saturday night.
Mr. Jessie Gaskins, Zeffie Toler, and Addie Stilley made a business trip to Truitt Sunday afternoon.
Miss Nina Gaskins and Jimmie Toler were out walking Sunday afternoon.
Mr. John Rowe took a pleasant trip through Penciltucky Sunday.
Miss Katie Gaskins was the guest of Miss Annie Toler Sunday morning.
Mr. Zeffie Toler made a call at Mr. J.R. Gaskins' Monday morning.
Misses Oma and Katie Gaskins are visiting their brother at Broad Creek.
The little black horse is still tied at Mr. Duffy Price's gate.
Our school closed March 30th. We all had a nice time.
Listen for the wedding bells the 16th.          SWEETHEART.

  Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Caton are Lewis Bryan Caton and Arnecia Toler Caton. They were visiting Arnecia's sister Permelia Toler Whitford and Addison Purifoy Whitford.

  Levi and Glady Connoway should be Conway. Gladys would be briefly married to Mr. Jimmy Toler.

  All of the Gaskinses mentioned are the children of J.R. [John Riley] Gaskins and Penelope Elizabeth Toler Gaskins. I'm not sure which brother was living at Broad Creek at the time, but probably Elbert Gaskins.

  The only local marriage I can find on April 16, 1916, is Mack Wetherington to Mary Knox. More on this next time.

Ancient News--Zorah, March 1916

The following is from the March 30, 1916, Semi-Weekly Sun Journal:

Zorah News Items

Special Correspondence.
ZORAH, N.C., March 30--We have been in a slumber for a long time, and have just awoke. We want to hear from Truitt and Askin once more.
Our boys have organized a baseball team and will play Saturday afternoon at Mr. H.B. Wetherington's. Everybody is invited to attend.
Mr. Guy Wetherington and Mr. Henry Caton spent Sunday at Small.
Miss Essie Toler was the guest of Miss Nina Gaskins Saturday night.
Mr. Artis Whitford was the guest of Mr. Claude Booth Sunday.
Mrs. Ardel Toler and children of Forest are visiting friends and relatives at this place.
Mrs. John Booth of Oriental is visiting at this place.
Mr. Guy Wetherington has purchased a new buggy. Look out girls!
Miss Bessie Norman spent Sunday at Penciltucky.
Master Clifford Toler won the price at Vanceboro commencement for a high jump, and Miss Neva Whitford won the prize for running.
Miss Mary and Essie Knox spent Sunday afternoon with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Knox.
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Stilley and little son, James, spent Sunday at Mr. Isaiah Toler's.
Mr. Mack Wetherington was a guest of Miss Mary Knox Saturday night.
Mr. Harvey Toler was the guest of Miss Essie Knox Sunday.
Our school will close March 30, which has been taught by Miss Bertha Pipkin of Forest.
Everybody is looking forward to a pleasant time at the county commencement. Hope it will be a grand success.
Listen! The wedding bells will soon be ringing.
With best wishes to the Sun Journal.               JUST WE TWO.

Mrs. Ardel Toler and children are Minnie Ardell Pipkin Toler, the widow of Silas G. Toler, and their children Herman and Mavis. Silas died in 1914.

Penciltucky has never been positively identified, but based on other posts, it appears to be a "community"  up what is now Stair Ridge Road (off of the Cayton Road where Cayton Hunting Club has their camp). No one knows where the name came from, either.

Mr. Mack Wetherington eventually married Miss Mary Knox. And had he lived, Harvey Toler would have probably married Essie Knox. Harvey died in 1917, and Essie would marry Mr. Luther Lane.

Miss Bertha Pipkin, the school teacher, would marry Mr. Charles H. Toler in December 1916. The Forest is another name for the Antioch community.