Stop Neglecting Elizabeth City's Second Ward, Says Editor, May 25, 1923

The Second Ward

Folks who live on Main Street have a way of forgetting all about the Second Ward of Elizabeth City until there is a bi-ennial election, and then every Main Streeter deplores the fact that Second ward folks show a vicious political disposition and invariably try to vote against the interests of the rest of the town. It doesn’t occur to the Main Streeter that the Second Ward man has a real grievance against the rest of the town. He is out of harmony with the rest of the town because the rest of the town has a way of forgetting him except on the occasion of bi-ennial election. He makes himself heard then by throwing discord into the ballot box. And I, for one, don’t blame him.

The Second Ward is the biggest and most populous political subdivision of Elizabeth city, has more acres and more votes than any ward in the city, and is woefully neglected in the apportionment of public improvements. It has more bad streets, more unpaved sidewalks, less street paving, less sewerage, less fire protection and less of everything than any other similar area in Elizabeth City.

The Second Ward is the home of a large population of working people, furnishing the bulk of the labor, both male and female, to many of the city’s most important industries. These working people do not come into much contact with the rest of the town and have a way of thinking that they are not welcome in other parts of the town. They have a habit of staying much to much to themselves and the rest of us have taken little pains to approach them. We have only begun to touch them in spots during the last few years thru the Red Cross and, more recently, thru the office of Public Welfare.

Elizabeth City should pay more attention to the needs of the Second Ward; something should be done for its streets; it should be given better sanitary service, better fire production and somewhere in that Ward the city should locate a park and playground as a rest and recreation center for the people. The way to make the Second Ward a desirable part of the town is to make the Second Ward a desirable part of the town.

From page 4, the editorial page, of The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., May 25, 1923, William Saunders editor