Editor Visits Lower Randolph County, 1914

“A Trip to Lower Randolph” From the Aug. 13, 1914, issue of The High Point Review.

Sunday the editor with his family motored to Spokane, a new village, four miles below Moffitt’s Mill. The trip was made by way of Asheboro, Franklinville and Ramseur and the run was made in good time owing to the dry condition of the roads. Some rough road was experienced between Randleman and Asheboro where the highway is being fixed for macadam, and between Moffitt’s Mill and Spokane, the road between Asheboro and Ramseur, being of sand clay and almost perfect, but strong on curves and hills.

Spokane and the neighborhood close by is an ideal spot to live. Most everything can be grown on the land there and notwithstanding the dry spell a fine crop of tobacco can be seen, especially while corn will make itself if rain comes soon. The wheat crop was a very good yield. Vegetables did well also. But in a good season, bumper crops are realized.

But we want to more particularly speak of the Pell settlement, where we visited. Three years ago, Mr. S.F. Pell of Pilot Mountain looked over the surroundings in lower Randolph and decided to cast his lot there where land was cheap and had the necessary qualifications for good crops. He bought 140 acres and began his career. Today he has about 40 acres cleared and can boast of one of the finest tobacco crops anywhere, averaging 5 feet high now and almost every stalk perfect. Mr. Pell erected the buildings necessary and today within three years has transformed the surroundings wonderfully. 

He told his good fortune to a brother who also soon located, then to a brother-in-law and he also settled adjoining, and the end is not near, others of the family are coming and these good citizens of Surry country are going to show the people how to raise tobacco and other things as well. In fact the neighbors dub them as the tobacco raisers. The editor was much pleased with the general healthy surroundings, good water, well drained lands and the soil which never gets nasty to walk in, plow or handle in any way.

We must not forget to mention what a feast of good things greeted us on the table, how well it was cooked and prepared for hungry mortals after a cross-country trip. But the good lady of the house knows how to cook and good victuals always gets next to any one.

Side Notes

It is a prosperous country all along the route, down the valleys and on the hills from Asheboro to Ramseur, and it looks like anything would grow thereabouts.

Along the line of good roads, good schools, churches and rural improvements, Randolph county has awakened to some extent, but bigger things are promised in the near future.

Moffitt’s Mill is where our townsmen Messrs. Hugh A. and Alpheus Moffitt first saw the light of day. Their father at present is quite feeble. He is one of the pioneers of that settlement and well and favorably known.

Just seven miles from Spokane is Bennett, the terminus of the Bonlee and Western Railroad, which runs out from Bonlee on the southern, near Sanford.