 In 1898, Wilmington, N.C. was a shining example of what a Southern city could be, with a thriving majority-Black population made up of not just laborers, but also a strong professional and middle class. But when the Fusion movement of the 1890s delivered big wins for Republican candidates across the state, Democrats began plotting to retake power - even if it meant violence to do it. It all came to a head in an insurrection on November 10, 1898, when armed white supremacists took to the streets. When it was over, hundreds of Blacks had been dispossessed and run out of town, a legally elected government had been overthrown in the only successful coup d’etat in U.S. history, and African Americans had been killed in the streets in untold numbers. This is that story.
1 Comment
 Brooks Preik's classic volume of Cape Fear and Wilmington ghost stories is back on March 15, 2022! First published in 1995, this Dram Tree Books edition reintroduces the first and arguably the best book of spooky local history. A bestseller that has gone through four printings since its original release, "Haunted Wilmington" is back to delight new audiences who love to shiver and shudder at things that go bump in the night - in the Cape Fear's own back yards!
 Coming in January 2022, Plantations: Living and Working on North Carolina's Great Estates will debut as the newest title in our series aimed at young people ages 8-14.. It's a great new addition to our list that parents, teachers, school libraries, and North Carolina history fans should all like!
 Wilmington author, veteran, and civic leader Wilbur D. Jones will tell his fascinating story in the memoir, "The Day I Lost the President," coming this spring from Dram Tree Books. Spring 2020 will bring several new titles to the Dram Tree Books lineup, including a new edition of the continuing Coastal Chronicles series of magazine-length stories about a wide variety of topics related to the history of North Carolina; a new memoir by one of Wilmington's native sons who has led a life that has taken him from New Hanover High School, to a career as a naval officer, to service in the White House and beyond; and even the return of a venerable book of local ghost stories that have been augmented by Dr. Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr. to tell the real history behind the spooky tales.  In the third volume of the Coastal Chronicles, author Jack E. Fryar, Jr. will offer stories about North Carolinians in World War I, Civil War blockade running, Admiral Vernon's ill-fated expedition to Cartagena and the role North Carolina men played in it, the connections that have linked Charleston, S.C. and its Wilmington cousin since the very beginnings of Carolina settlement, Robley D. Evans' account of the battle at Fort Fisher in 1865, the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, the sinking of the S.S. John D. Gill, and much more!
 I had a blast this morning with Captain Doug and the folks at Wilmington Water Tours, who took us all down the Cape Fear River to the site of the earliest Carolina settlement below the Albemarle, Charles Towne. The two-hour cruise which left just as Wilmington's Riverfest was getting started, was well attended by local history lovers, as well as one of my students from E.A. Laney High School! You can learn the story of the first Charles Towne in Carolina by getting your own copy of my new book, "Charles Towne on the Cape Fear: The Rise and Fall of the First Barbadian Settlement in Carolina."
 Last night (8/19/19), author and historian Jack E. Fryar, Jr. entertained a full house at the Federal Point History Center at Carolina Beach, N.C. with the story of the Charles Towne settlement (1664-1667). It was a real pleasure to see some folks I haven't seen in a while, including a favorite uncle, a couple of nationally known Civil War historians, and one old friend from 35 years ago! If you missed it, check the Upcoming Events list to the right for the next opportunity to hear Jack, Chris, or other Dram Tree Books authors speak!
Check out all of our currently available Dram Tree Books titles, complete with ordering information. Download your own copy today! 
In July 2019, prior to the release of Charles Towne on the Cape Fear: The Rise and Fall of the First Barbadian Settlement in Carolina, historian and author Jack E. Fryar, Jr. joined Star News Media podcaster Hunter Ingram to delve into the story of the first settlement on the Cape Fear. Check it out here:
https://omny.fm/shows/cape-fear-unearthed/the-short-life-of-charles-town  While South Carolina may have the famous Charles Town, the first settlement to bear that name in Carolina was on the Cape Fear River between 1664-1667. Now, for the first time, author and historian Jack E. Fryar, Jr. has written the first book that tells the story of those settlers. Despite their best efforts, world events and a competing colony to the south would doom the John Vassall settlement at Cape Fear, "reduced more by faction than necessity."
|
|||
