Saturday, December 7, 2019

Wanchese Man Grows Sweet Potato 31 1/2 Inches Long, Dec. 4, 1919

From the Elizabeth City Independent, as reprinted in The Review, High Point, N.C., Thursday, December 4, 1919. Last name spelled Daniels and Daniel in newspaper; I don’t know which is correct.

Grows Sweet Potato Nearly a Yard Long

Joe Tom Daniels of Wanchese, Dare county, claims to have grown the largest sweet potato ever grown in northeastern North Carolina. The measurements of the potato as attested by several reliable witnesses were 31 ½ inches in length, 4 inches in diameter and 12 inches round. The potato is of the Hayman variety and was grown on Mr. Daniel’s farm at Wanchese on Roanoke Island.

It will interest many readers of this paper to recall that the common Hayman potato, now generally grown throughout North Carolina was introduced into this country about 75 years ago by Captain Dan Hayman of Croaton, near Wanchese. Captain Hayman brought the first sweet potato slips to Dare county from some of the West Indian islands and the potato has borne his name ever since. Sons of Captain Dan Hayman are still living on Roanoke Island. One of them is Mathias Hayman of Wanchese, the other ex-Sheriff Jeff Hayman of Manteo, both men well known in this city and section.
Mr. Daniels says some one else may have produced a larger potato than his, but he never heard of one.

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