On October 9, 1866, Governor William Walton Kitchin was born near Scotland Neck. Educated in local schools and at Wake Forest, he studied law and in 1888 opened a practice in Roxboro.
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On October 9, 1837, the steamship Home ran into a powerful hurricane that became known as the “Racer’s Storm.” The ship was en route from New York to Charleston and was operating with a damaged boiler.
Steamships, built for speed and comfort, were not designed for rough ocean travel, so the choppy surf was treacherous for the Home. Hoping to wait out the storm, Captain Carlton White grounded the struggling vessel about 100 yards off shore near Ocracoke Village, but the surf tore the vessel apart.
On October 9, 1993, American Idol winner Scotty McCreery was born in Garner. More than 25,000 fans attended Scotty’s homecoming visit at Lake Benson Park the weekend before the finals show in 2011.
On October 8, 1912, Millie McKoy, one of the conjoined twins known as Millie-Christine died. Christine, who could not be separated from her sister, died the following day.
On October 8, 1826, Matt Whitaker Ransom, Confederate general, U.S. senator and minister to Mexico, was born in Warren County.
On October 8, 2004, the Chowan County Courthouse reopened to the public after years of renovation. The majestic courthouse, completed in 1767 in Edenton, is considered the finest example of Georgian architecture in the South.
While the architect remains anonymous, many have speculated that either Gilbert Leigh, known to have worked on many houses in the area, or John Hawks, best known for Tryon Palace, supervised construction.
On October 8, 1973, the board of directors of the California-based Peoples Temple passed a resolution establishing a “Branch Church and Agricultural Mission” in Guyana. The settlement would come to be known as Jonestown, and church assistant pastor Archie Ijames was one of six authorized to help establish the mission.
On October 7, 1780, Patriot forces defeated the British-led Loyalist militia in the Battle of Kings Mountain, signaling the beginning of the end of British control in the South. Patriots had created an atmosphere of Tory persecution in western North Carolina and in September of 1780, British Major Patrick Ferguson decided to subdue the rebellious region. He warned mountain residents that if insurrection continued, he personally would “lay waste their country with fire and sword.”
On October 7, 1799, Mills Darden, a true giant among men of his time, was born in Northampton County. In his lifetime, and for some 100 years afterward, Darden was considered the world's largest man. Upon his death in 1857, it took 17 men to place Darden in his 8-foot long coffin.