The First Annual John Lawson Expedition will be this weekend
and I am looking forward to it. Some of you are really into the
history of this area so thought some of you might be interested in this
map. Here in New Bern we have heard a lot about John Lawson this
year as we have celebrated the 300th Anniversary of New Bern. The
300th for Craven County will be in 2012 as well as the 250th of Kinston
in Lenoir Co.
The first white man that we know of to explore NC was John Lawson in 1709
whose book on his travels is in existence today. He finally made
his home here in NB where the Neuse and the Trent Rivers meet. He
lost his life to the Indians slightly NW of what is today Snow Hill in
Greene Co. Since his partner, Baron Christopher de Graffenried (who
settled NB), was released, there has been a lot of speculation as to why
Lawson, a real friend of the Indians, was killed. Lawson traveled
up Contentnea Creek several times. The Phillips family of
Craven/Lenoir settled on Contentnea Creek 30 some years after Lawson
first traveled up the creek - hence the interest to some of us.
From the map attached you can get a feel of where the first land patents
were for the Phillips. From what I have seen most of their land was
not adj to the Creek but just south of it on Eagle Swamp but we do know
at least some of it was on the creek which would offer them quick
transportation to NB. The best I can tell the Phillips land was
probably directly below Blount Hall on the SS of the creek. We will
be going to some of the Indian Mounds on Sat but I am not sure which
ones. It is ironic that at least one of them is on land owned by a
first cousin who is also a Phillips des on his father's side of the
family - a fact he does not know or care about.
We hope to get some good pictures and maybe upload them to Old Dobbers at
some point.
Martha