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Topics Related to This Day in North Carolina History
On October 29, 1901, early in the morning, “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West Show met with disaster in Davidson County. An engineer on a freight train misread a telegraph message reporting that Cody’s train was in two sections and returned to the track after the first section had passed. The freight train and the second section of the Wild West Train collided, with engineers and firemen jumping just moments before impact.
On October 28, 1854, the Fayetteville and Western Plank Road was completed. Stretching nearly 150 miles west to Forsyth County, it was the longest plank road in the state.Plank roads were wooden highways that were easier to navigate than rough, rutted and often muddy dirt roads. Tolls were collected along the route to pay for their maintenance.
On October 28, 1959, Guinean President Sékou Touré visited the Triangle on a two-week tour of the United States.
On October 28, 1798, Levi Coffin, anti-slavery leader and reputed “conductor” of the Underground Railroad, was born in the Guilford County Quaker community of New Garden.
On October 27, 1864, the Confederate ram CSS Albemarle was sunk.The Albemarle was commissioned and launched in April 1864, departing directly for Union-occupied Plymouth. Since the iron plating was not yet complete, forges were installed on the deck and craftsmen worked on the ship as it floated down the Roanoke River.
On October 27, 1961, Henry Casey, Lemuel Houston and Thomas Carlyle began serious efforts to salvage the remains of the ironclad CSS Neuse from the Neuse River in Kinston.The first stages of recovery proceeded easily since the river level was low and the weather was ideal, but ultimately the project would take much longer than anticipated.
On October 27, 1901, George Watts Hill was born to a prosperous family in Durham. The newborn would inherit wealth, commanding a fortune earned in banking, and over time would demonstrate an abiding sense of devotion to his country.
On October 26, 1993, NFL owners chose the site of the 29th NFL franchise, and the Carolina Panthers were born.
On October 26, 1858, James H. Young was born into slavery near Henderson. Thanks in large measure to his father’s emphasis on education, Young was hired to work in the office of Colonel J. J. Young, an internal revenue collector. While working in the office, he became involved with the Republican Party.
On October 26, 1895, UNC fullback Joel Whitaker threw the first forward pass in football to his teammate George Stephens.The history-making throw happened in Atlanta where the Tar Heels were playing the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Whitaker was punting from the Carolina end zone and, to avoid the Georgia players charging him, tossed the ball forward. As luck would have it, Stephens was the one to catch the toss. It probably looked to many in the audience like the ball was knocked out of Whitaker’s hands and that the whole situation was an accident.