Anson County is named for George, Lord Anson, who was a celebrated English admiral and who…read morecircumnavigated the globe in 1740 to 1744. The county was created in 1749, and Mount Pleasant was selected as the county seat in 1750. In 1785, the county seat was moved to Wadesboro. This building was completed in 1913 and is the fifth to serve as the county courthouse. It is a two-story buff-colored brick and concrete structure. The front is a monumental Doric portico, with four fluted columns supporting a wide entablature and frieze. The second-story windows are recessed and arched, and a projecting cornice runs beneath the roofline, giving the building a stately, balanced appearance. It is a Classical Revival architecture and conveys order and permanence. Half of the original Confederal Soldiers monument remains with the soldier having been removed. The other inscriptions point to the Confederate cause, listing the specific regiments and companies from Anson County that served in the war. There is also a non-Civil War memorial listing names of those lost from Anson County who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Two plaques next to the entrance, one listing "the negro men of Anson County who went forth at the call of their country" and the other with just "the men and women of Anson County." So there's that. [Review 1310 of 2025 - 4445 in North Carolina - 24862 overall]

This marker is located at the side of US-74 in front of Anson High School…read more The marker reads, ""Father of soil conservation." First chief of the Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1935-1952. Born 4 miles southwest." Online there is more information. "Among soil conservationists and agronomists, Hugh Hammond Bennett, nicknamed "the Chief" or "Big Hugh," is a legend. Widely credited with selling the benefits of soil conservation to a dubious public, Bennett is known as the "father of soil conservation." Born on a 1,500-acre farm in Anson County, in the drainage basin of the Pee Dee River, Bennett at the age of ten realized the woeful effects of erosion and benefits of conservation." "Sheet erosion, he reasoned, was the problem and preservation of the topsoil was the key. Soil conservation could be pursued through terracing, strip cropping, contour plowing, grassed waterways, and crop rotation, among other means. Bennett promoted the planting of covers such as kudzu and lespedza grass." "In 1951 the News and Observer wrote of Bennett that "When history finally sets up the measure of the contributions of the men of our times, it may very well be that so far as North Carolina is concerned Hugh Bennett of Wadesboro will be recognized as the most important North Carolinian of this generation."" [Review 13953 overall, 1275 of 2020, number 2596 in North Carolina.]

This marker is in front of a farm stand not far from downtown Rockingham and points out the history…read moreof an important local union. The marker reads, "North Carolina Farmer's Alliance. Organized by statewide convention of delegates in Rockingham, Oct. 4, 1887. Leonidas L. Polk elected first secretary." Online, there is more information. "The Farmers' Alliance, which originated in Texas and appeared in North Carolina in 1887, was an important agent of change in an era of political and social upheaval. The organization, national in scope, was private and nominally nonpartisan. According to John D. Hicks, pioneer of Alliance historiography, the national organization's aims were fourfold: social, educational, financial, and political. In North Carolina the entanglements of the Alliance with politics were many, culminating with the defection of a sizable number of Alliance men to the Populist Party in 1892. Historian Lala Carr Steelman detailed the State Alliance's attempts to win control of the Democratic Party, purify politics, elected farmers to office, and enact agrarian reforms." "The organizational meeting of the State Alliance was held in Rockingham over two days, October 4-5, 1887. The convention drew up a constitution and appointed committees. Chosen as officers were: Alexander, president; Thaddeus Ivey, vice-president; Polk, secretary; J. D. Allen, treasurer; and Elias Carr, chairman of the executive committee." [Review 15457 overall, 961 of 2021, number 3001 in North Carolina.]

Was it only last year that we all got into a tizzy with the eclipse that was visible from Texas to…read moreMaine? People went NUTS. So I totally get that this marker is here, to an earlier eclipse and in a part of the country that was well populated. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, which dispatched a team to Wadesboro, North Carolina, chosen for its optimal viewing conditions. Photographer Thomas Smillie rigged cameras to seven telescopes and captured eight glass-plate negatives of the solar corona--some as large as 30 by 30 inches. These images were considered groundbreaking for both photography and astronomy. The U.S. Weather Bureau selected Newberry, South Carolina for a meteorological study, based on historical cloudiness data. Their goal was to observe how the eclipse affected atmospheric conditions. Their gamble paid off: skies were clear, temperatures moderate, and pressure high, allowing for ideal observations. The eclipse's duration increased as it moved eastward, from about 72 seconds in New Orleans to roughly 100 seconds near Norfolk, Virginia. It is a black marker with white text. It has the same on both sides, reading , "In 1900, hundreds of astronomers and newspaper reporters from around the world descended on Wadesboro, the perfect place to view and report on a total solar eclipse that occurred on May 28 at 1:54 PM. The goal was the rare opportunity to study the corona around the sun at total eclipse. Preeminent scientists came from around the world, among these representatives from the University of North Carolina, University of Chicago-Yerkes Observatory, Princeton, Yale, the Smithsonian, and the British Astronomical Association. Newspaper reporters from the Charlotte Observer and Charlotte News, the New York Sun, the New York World and New York Journal, the Chicago Times-Herald, the Chicago Tribune. the Philadelphia Press, the London Times, and the local Anson Independent and the Messenger and Intelligencer covered the event. "The event, which lasted precisely 2 minutes and 10 seconds, took years of planning, months of preparation, days of anticipation and hours of waiting. Tens of thousands of pictures and measurements taken that day would be studied for years to come." The marker was erected in 2017 by the Anson County Historical Society. The eclipse was one of the first eclipses to be widely documented by both scientists and the public, marking a turning point in eclipse science and public engagement. [Review 1330 of 2025 - 4449 in North Carolina - 24882 overall]

Thankfully, the Confederate Monument was removed from the entrance to the Anson County Courthouse…read morein Wadesboro, NC back in 2020. What remains is a granite monument to the Confederate flag. I'm not sure why that was kept. In front of the Courthouse is a memorial to WWI; WWII; Korean War and Vietnam Veterans. The courthouse has two bronze plaques on the outside of the courthouse one for African American soldiers and another for the white men and women who served in WWI. Pinwheels were in the lawn for child abuse prevention.

Anson County doubles down on the Confederate Memorial debate by having not one, but two memorials…read moreon the grounds of the Anson County Courthouse in Wadesboro. Wadesboro is the county seat of Anson County and the largest city in the county. Anson County was formed in 1750 as part of Bladen County. It is named for Baron George Anson, a British admiral, who circumnavigated the globe from 1740 to 1744, and later became First Lord of the Admiralty and purchased land in the state. The first monument was installed in 1906 and is a all, multi-tiered white granite base and column which used to support a bronze Confederate Common Soldier that was removed in 2020. An ornate, darker granite section rests on top of the first three tiers of the base, and the four sides of this darker granite face are inscribed. Each corner of this section is framed by a Roman-style column, capped with acanthus leaves. "By this monument we / translate our homage / for the soldiers of / Anson County / who served in the war / between the government / and the Confederate / states." Means business there. The second monument is lower and stands to the right. More of a memorial than a tribute, it has the Confederate flag at the top and a long poem. "Not long ago, unfurled was I known for fate was against me but I flashed over a pure cause and on land and sea, so fired the hearts of men unto heroism the the world honors me, within my folds, the dead who died under them, lie nobly shrouded and my tattered colors crowded with a thousand shining victories have become the people who loved me, a glorified memory." Welcome to the South, y'all! [Review 15455 overall, 959 of 2021, number 2999 in North Carolina.]

This marker is located just east of the city of Rockingham on US-1 opposite a gas station. It…read morepoints out some Civil War history that happened here. The marker reads, "Sherman's March. Kilpatrick's Cavalry, a part of Sherman's Army, marching from Savannah to Goldsboro, passed through Rockingham on March 7-8, 1865." Online, there is more information. "In late 1864, Union General William T. Sherman began moving his forces, some 60,000 battle-hardened soldiers strong, northward from Atlanta to "divide the Confederacy in two." The plan was to march the Union forces through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina in order to squeeze Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee in Virginia between Sherman's men to the south and those of General Ulysses S. Grant to the north. Along the way, Sherman hoped to disrupt Confederate supply lines and break the will of southerners on the home front. This "total war" assault on civilians - women and children included - by Union forces was a break from traditional warfare that had, up until this time, focused largely on military targets." "In Georgia and South Carolina Sherman's men freely plundered their surroundings as they marched, leaving whole towns in ashes. As they approached North Carolina, Sherman's forces were divided into separate divisions or corps. They traveled across the state to protect each other's flanks, forage for supplies and to spread their influence throughout the state." "Sherman's army entered North Carolina in stages, with one contingent entering the state in modern-day Richmond County. A portion of General Judson Kilpatrick's cavalry unit entered Richmond County on the March 7 and engaged Confederate troops under the command of Matthew Butler in Rockingham. Kilpatrick's troops returned the next day and destroyed a cotton factory and a shipment of firearms before destroying track, rails and other equipment of the nearby Wilmington, Charlotte, and Rutherfordton Railroad." [Review 15461 overall, 965 of 2021, number 3005 in North Carolina.]

As historical markers go, this one is pretty typical. As you can see, it is a gray sign with black…read morelettering. While it won't blow your socks off, it isn't ugly either. In fact, it looks similar to all other historical markers in North Carolina. If you're ever in Richmond County and in the mood to see a genuine state historical marker, I recommend that you consider this one. It certainly met all of my expectations for what a historical marker could and should be.

Located in front of the Richmond County Court House, this marker points out a local hero of the…read moreRevolutionary War. The marker reads, "Henry William Harrington. Brigadier general of militia, 1776-81, State senator, a commissioner to locate State capital. Grave is five miles south." This is another instance where there is some distance from the site being pointed out to here where the marker is located. There is more information online. "Henry William Harrington, Revolutionary War political and military leader, was born in London in 1747. He immigrated to Jamaica in the 1770s, but left after a short time for South Carolina, where he settled along the Pee Dee River. At the outbreak of war in 1775, Harrington accepted a captaincy in the South Carolina militia. The following year he married Rosanna Auld, the daughter of a prominent Anson County militia officer. The couple moved to North Carolina, settling in part of Anson that became Richmond County in 1779." "Harrington was elected colonel of the Richmond County militia in November following their arrival and briefly commanded a militia regiment in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1780 before returning to serve in the General Assembly. In the summer of 1780 he was called upon to accept a temporary position as the brigadier general in command of the Salisbury District militia while Griffith Rutherford was serving in the Camden expedition." "After the conflict [a British raiding party attacked his home in January 1781] Harrington represented Richmond County in 1783 and again in 1785. In 1784 he was appointed a trustee of Salisbury Academy, and five years later became a trustee of the University of North Carolina, a post he held for six years. He also served as one of the commissioners that approved of placing the state capitol at Raleigh. In the latter 1790s Harrington retired to his plantation. He died on March 31, 1809, and is buried in the family cemetery overlooking the Pee Dee River." [Review 15474 overall, 978 of 2021, number 3017 in North Carolina.]

Located in gas station parking lot along US-1, this marker points out something nearby. I guess…read moreyou're probably not heading down Caddell Road, so it's here. The marker reads, "Cameron Morrison School. State home and school for boys, opened 1925. Gives academic, vocational and agricultural training. Three miles west." Online, there is more information. "Work for the care of delinquent youth in North Carolina began in 1890 when the State Board of Public Charities passed a resolution calling for the appointment of a committee to formulate plans for a juvenile reform school for offenders. In 1907 the legislature passed an act creating the Stonewall Jackson Manual Training and Industrial School in Cabarrus County. In 1909 the school opened to serve 120 white male adolescents." "By the 1920s Thad Tate, a black barber and civic leader from Charlotte, was voicing his concern about the large number of black youths being placed on chain gangs as punishment for committing crimes. Tate approached one of his clients, Cameron Morrison, then a candidate for governor, and suggested a training school be established for young black men in trouble with the law. His proposition was that, just as at the Stonewall Jackson School, offenders could learn a trade and be given a new start in life." "In 1925, during Cameron Morrison's term as governor, the Cameron Morrison Training School for Negroes was opened on a 700-acre farm in the community of Hoffman in Richmond County. The school's core curriculum included English, social studies, mathematics, and science. Vocational education courses offered included shoe repair, electricity, carpentry, brick masonry, auto mechanics, barbering, arts and crafts, vocational agriculture, and graphic arts. As stated in the Second Annual Report of the Morrison Training School "the school committed itself to the task of making citizens rather than punitive repression." By the end of the school's first year in operation the school's population had grown from thirty-seven to sixty-two and by 1956, the enrollment had risen to 228. The school closed during the 1970s and the property was turned over to the Department of Correction." And yes, it is now the Morrison Correctional Institution. [Review 15005 overall, 507 of 2021, number 2867 in North Carolina.]