Huckleberry Historian

In the early days of Sampson County, located in the heart of North Carolina, the county was widely known for the abundance and quality of its huckleberries growing wild in shallow ponds and pocosins, often harvested and marketed as an additional source of income. Hence, the name chosen for our newsletter was “Huckleberry Historian.” Included within the pages of this work are family genealogies, stories about notable citizens, our schools, churches, villages and Clinton, the county seat and more. Sampson County was formed out of Duplin County in 1784. Settlers came as early as 1740 and claimed vacant land. These settlers were of English, Scotch Irish, French and Swiss descent. Some Native Americans remained within the bounds of Sampson County and African Americans came in a state of servitude. Agriculture and turpentine was a mainstay of our early economy. Our farmers have followed the ox, horse, and mule eventually employing the tractor to till the soil. Early crops were: rice, corn, cotton, sweet potatoes and later tobacco was introduced. Sheep, hogs, cows and fowl foraged freely over the county side. We had a virgin forest of long-leaf pines that was devastated by the turpentine and timber industry. What were the inhabitants like? Generally speaking, the early citizens were rude and uncultivated in their manners. Many could not read a chapter from the Bible or write their name legibly. Dancing, gambling, horse-racing and whiskey drinking were common practices, at least until the circuit riding preachers arrived and set them on the straight and narrow way. We have certainly progressed in sociality and civilization since those early beginnings. This collection of history will take you on an incredible, informative journey through Sampson County’s past 230 years.