Topics Related to This Day in North Carolina History

Diminutive Circus Duo Retired to Salisbury

On August 16, 1883, circus performers John Mertz and Mariah Elizabeth Nail were married on the stage of the Buckingham Theater in Louisville, Kentucky.

U.S. Senator Benjamin Hawkins, Later Emissary to American Indians in the Southeast

On August 15, 1754, Benjamin Hawkins, politician and agent for Indian affairs south of the Ohio River, was born in Warren County.

Social Work Pioneer Ellen Winston

Throughout her career, Ellen Black Winston was an advocate for professional training for social workers, both black and white. She was also a founding member of the National Association of Social Workers. She remained active in the social work community until her death.

Monroe Nathan Work of Tuskegee Institute, Chronicler of Black History

On August 15, 1866, Monroe Nathan Work, one of the most distinguished historians of the African American experience, was born in Iredell County.

Jockey’s Ridge Patron Saint, Carolista Baum

On August 15, 1973, Carolista Fletcher Baum placed herself in the path of a bulldozer removing sand from Jockey’s Ridge and refused to move. The driver cut off the engine and talked with Baum, who, after some time, left the dune unscathed.

Couple Immortalized on V-J Day

V-J Day in Times Square.

Confederate General Bryan Grimes, Target of Hired Killer

On August 14, 1880, while returning home from a political convention in Beaufort County, Bryan Grimes was murdered by a hired assassin near Bear Creek, about five miles from his family’s plantation, “Grimesland.”

Stanley Harris, Booster of Diverse Scouting Initiatives

On August 13, 1976, early Boy Scout leader Stanley Harris died in Greensboro.

Manteo, Friend to the Roanoke Colonists

Manteo, an Algonquian Indian, proved to be a stalwart friend of the English, helping them navigate the multicultural frontier of the New World. His name lives on today as the name of the county seat of Dare County.

Banker Ponies Protected Since 1998

On August 13, 1998, President Bill Clinton signed the Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Protection Act.