A Secret Key, a Pre-Revolutionary Port, and Easter Monday Baseball
Plus, hiking Lover's Leap
This week, read one man’s story of unlocking a family secret in North Carolina, visit a pre-Revolutionary colonial port and town, and relive a historic baseball rivalry.
Unlocking a Family Secret
A small metal box quite literally held the key
Story by and photos courtesy of Dr. Garry E. Moore, Ph.D.
Sometimes, history is not found in a library. It is found in the keepsakes passed down to the next generation. Recently, I discovered a long-forgotten treasure: a small metal box containing a key chain that belonged to my grandfather, William Wilson “Willie” Moore. I wondered what the keys had unlocked.
The attached metal tag was cold and tarnished, a silent witness hidden away for decades. At first glance, the stamped characters were an indecipherable blur of faded letters. But as I squinted at the letters worn by time, his name and the word “Cleveland” emerged.
Free subscribers can preview this email. Upgrade your subscription for full access. Also, let’s take a fun poll in the spirit of our lead story!
Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson
Winnabow, North Carolina
Brunswick Town, a pre-Revolutionary colonial port founded in 1726 and destroyed by British troops in 1776, was never rebuilt. Today, its relics lie below Confederate Fort Anderson’s earthworks near the Cape Fear River. Excavations have revealed foundations of homes, a church, and fortifications, plus artifacts from enslaved Africans and merchants. The town’s remnants, unmarked graves, and stories of buried treasures and ghosts—including a soldier’s apparition—offer a glimpse into pre-Revolutionary life.
Easter Monday Baseball
Wake County, North Carolina
