An Early History of Trash in Greenville According to an item in the New York newspaper, Saturday Evening Post in Oct. 1882.. “At Greenville, N. C., the people let their hogs run in the streets during watermelon time, in order to dispose of the rinds, which would otherwise furnish a green and slippery pavement.” At first glance it may seem a simple solution to a trash problem; but it represents Greenville’s long struggle to dispose of its never ending accumulation of rubbish, refuse and trash. In the olden days there was only a little thought given to trash, since they would recycle whatever they could. What waste anyone had, was disposed on the household’s own property. Farm families had a use for most everything left over from production or consumption. Food waste went to hogs or chickens and pets ate what the family did. When clothes wore out they were cut up for making gloves, sacks and rugs. The patterned cotton used for flour sacks would be used for dresses and skirts, with the scraps left going into quilts. From Colonial times to the 1830’s, paper was made from cotton and linen rags. The newspaper would run advertisements for buying old rags and peddlers would wander the countryside buying or trading for rags. One interesting advertisement appeared in the NC Gazette in Nov. 1777 for a paper manufacturer in North Carolina which read.. "When the young Ladies are assured, that by sending to the Paper Mill an old handkerchief, no longer fit to cover their snowy Breasts, there is a Possibility of its returning to them again in the more pleasing form of a Billet Doux (love letter) from their Lovers, the Proprietors flatter themselves with great Success.” When products were purchased in glass containers, it just became another container to hold homemade food stuffs. When tin cans became available they were reused around the farm for such things as baking, growing plants from seed, holding nails, etc. Anything not reused was dumped or buried at edge of the woods or burned. As wells and outhouses became old, the holes in the ground were used as trash receptacles; which have now become an archeologist’s dream. The only mention of garbage disposal in the first Greenville Town Ordinances of 1832 is a fine of 10 shillings for throwing filth in the streets. We know that after the Civil War, the area where Ringgold Towers now sits from Reide Street to Fifth Street, was known as “Buzzards Roost.” It was a horse-trading area and where trash and dead horses and mules were dumped. Buzzards supposedly covered the trees there. In 1887, the fire engine horses doubled as trash wagon horses, and the buzzards were so brazen that the trash men had to put a steel trap on the horses to keep the buzzards off their backs. The local newspaper also complained in 1889 about the dead animals that were dumped in the wet lands near the north end of the bridge. The foul odors certainly didn’t make a good impression on visitors to Greenville. We know from the Greenville City minutes that a horse and wagon went door to door collecting garbage. In the Greenville Town Ordinances of 1885, the only mention of trash is where the Board of Councilmen had the power to “provide for repairing and cleaning the streets; suppress and remove nuisances; preserve the health of the town from contagious and infectious diseases.” Later in 1885, the local newspaper complained that the town ordinance prohibiting the running at large of cattle on the streets later than 9:00 pm was being ignored like many of the other town ordinances. You can “hardly go on a single street of the town but what the senses are met with foul odors, caused by deposits and accumulation of filth and garbage. I some places stables, hog pens and such are allowed to stand right on the line of the sidewalks, and they prove very offensive to passers by.” In the 1880’s the area along the river around Pitt Street to Washington Street was used as a city dump. In 1887, the foot of Washington Street was called “Baptism Landing” and was used as a ferry landing, trash dump, baptismal font and oyster boat landing. According to the Greenville City Minutes, Joab Tyson was named as street hauler from 1889-90; F. G. James was street hauler from 1890-91; and Joe T. Moye was street hauler from 1895-97. F. G. James was mayor of Greenville from 1889-1892, which probably means he was the head of the street committee or hired the job out, since I can’t see the Mayor out picking up garbage. In May 1895, street hauling was put under the supervision of the Chief of Police and street work was placed under the supervision of the Assistant Policeman. In 1917 the newspaper asked the citizens to keep Greenville clean. “Put your garbage out only on the days when the trash man is due...And then let it be a covered can if possible. An old lard stand will do.” In Aug. 1919, the City advertised that...”Due to the scarcity of labor and number of carts,” nothing but garbage and grass placed in cans, will be hauled away. All limbs and debris will have to be hauled away at the owner’s expense. Around 1910, older residents said that trash was carried some place north of the river on Greene Street and dumped on the ground. After the City bought part of the Brown farm on east Fifth Street in the 1920’s, the City created Greenwood Cemetery and moved the dump to a site on the Tar River behind the Cemetery. In the Greenville Town Ordinances of 1926 is found an ordinance to Regulate Garbage Disposal. It ordered that everyone must keep “galvanized can or cans equipped with covers not exceeding a thirty capacity.” It was the duty of the street department to make inspection from time to time of every garbage can maintained. All debris, tree limbs and rubbish placed in the cans would be removed, but larger items would be hauled away at the owner’s expense. Anyone violating the ordinance was fines $10.00 a day for every offense. In 1931, The City erected a fence to obstruct the view of the city dump behind Greenwood Cemetery. By 1953, the City was running ten garbage trucks that could only hold five to seven cubic yards. In Oct. 1954, they began replacing the old garbage trucks with new compaction type bodies with a 15 cubic yard capacity. In 1958, the City began a new program turning the dump behind Greenwood Cemetery into a landfill operation. They leased bull dozers, operated by local prisoners, to work daily to cover the refuse with dirt. It was hoped this would eliminate fires and the rodent population. The County eventually took over the dump and when it became full, a county landfill was established west of Greenville on Allen Road. An interesting story about the dump behind Greenwood Cemetery is that in 1960 it was the home of an 82 year old hermit named Henry Daniel Bennett. He moved to the dump in 1956 after his farm house blew over in a storm. He lived in an old school bus body with a tin chimney and had a brood of chickens. Mr. Bennett whose family was from Rocky Mount, was once a boiler maker and once worked for the government in the Navy Yard in 1917. He received a Welfare check of $31.00 a month. The City, wanting to build a sewage treatment plant where he had his structures, made him to go to a sanitarium for his health. The bulldozers tore up his abode and his chickens were sold off. When he returned from the sanitarium, he was given the money for his chickens and moved in with a family south of town. Apparently happy with his new situation, he received a few more dollars in his Welfare check for his higher expenses living in a private home. _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail® goes where you go. On a PC, on the Web, on your phone. http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/learnmore/versatility.aspx#mobile?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_WL_HM_versatility_121208

Roger, Interesting reading, sure enjoyed them. Thanks! Sandi On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 10:22 AM, Roger E. Kammerer <kammerer@hotmail.com>wrote: > > An Early History of Trash in Greenville > > > According to an item in the New York newspaper, Saturday Evening > Post in Oct. 1882.. "At Greenville, N. C., the people let their hogs run in > the streets during watermelon time, in order to dispose of the rinds, which > would otherwise furnish a green and slippery pavement." At first glance it > may seem a simple solution to a trash problem; but it represents > Greenville's long struggle to dispose of its never ending accumulation of > rubbish, refuse and trash. > In the olden days there was only a little thought given to > trash, since they would recycle whatever they could. What waste anyone had, > was disposed on the household's own property. Farm families had a use for > most everything left over from production or consumption. Food waste went > to hogs or chickens and pets ate what the family did. When clothes wore out > they were cut up for making gloves, sacks and rugs. The patterned cotton > used for flour sacks would be used for dresses and skirts, with the scraps > left going into quilts. > From Colonial times to the 1830's, paper was made from cotton > and linen rags. The newspaper would run advertisements for buying old rags > and peddlers would wander the countryside buying or trading for rags. One > interesting advertisement appeared in the NC Gazette in Nov. 1777 for a > paper manufacturer in North Carolina which read.. "When the young Ladies are > assured, that by sending to the Paper Mill an old handkerchief, no longer > fit to cover their snowy Breasts, there is a Possibility of its returning to > them again in the more pleasing form of a Billet Doux (love letter) from > their Lovers, the Proprietors flatter themselves with great Success." > When products were purchased in glass containers, it just became > another container to hold homemade food stuffs. When tin cans became > available they were reused around the farm for such things as baking, > growing plants from seed, holding nails, etc. Anything not reused was dumped > or buried at edge of the woods or burned. > As wells and outhouses became old, the holes in the ground were > used as trash receptacles; which have now become an archeologist's dream. > The only mention of garbage disposal in the first Greenville > Town Ordinances of 1832 is a fine of 10 shillings for throwing filth in the > streets. We know that after the Civil War, the area where Ringgold Towers > now sits from Reide Street to Fifth Street, was known as "Buzzards Roost." > It was a horse-trading area and where trash and dead horses and mules were > dumped. Buzzards supposedly covered the trees there. In 1887, the fire > engine horses doubled as trash wagon horses, and the buzzards were so brazen > that the trash men had to put a steel trap on the horses to keep the > buzzards off their backs. The local newspaper also complained in 1889 about > the dead animals that were dumped in the wet lands near the north end of the > bridge. The foul odors certainly didn't make a good impression on visitors > to Greenville. > We know from the Greenville City minutes that a horse and wagon > went door to door collecting garbage. In the Greenville Town Ordinances of > 1885, the only mention of trash is where the Board of Councilmen had the > power to "provide for repairing and cleaning the streets; suppress and > remove nuisances; preserve the health of the town from contagious and > infectious diseases." Later in 1885, the local newspaper complained that the > town ordinance prohibiting the running at large of cattle on the streets > later than 9:00 pm was being ignored like many of the other town ordinances. > You can "hardly go on a single street of the town but what the senses are > met with foul odors, caused by deposits and accumulation of filth and > garbage. I some places stables, hog pens and such are allowed to stand right > on the line of the sidewalks, and they prove very offensive to passers by." > In the 1880's the area along the river around Pitt Street to > Washington Street was used as a city dump. In 1887, the foot of Washington > Street was called "Baptism Landing" and was used as a ferry landing, trash > dump, baptismal font and oyster boat landing. According to the Greenville > City Minutes, Joab Tyson was named as street hauler from 1889-90; F. G. > James was street hauler from 1890-91; and Joe T. Moye was street hauler from > 1895-97. F. G. James was mayor of Greenville from 1889-1892, which probably > means he was the head of the street committee or hired the job out, since I > can't see the Mayor out picking up garbage. In May 1895, street hauling was > put under the supervision of the Chief of Police and street work was placed > under the supervision of the Assistant Policeman. > In 1917 the newspaper asked the citizens to keep Greenville > clean. "Put your garbage out only on the days when the trash man is > due...And then let it be a covered can if possible. An old lard stand will > do." In Aug. 1919, the City advertised that..."Due to the scarcity of labor > and number of carts," nothing but garbage and grass placed in cans, will be > hauled away. All limbs and debris will have to be hauled away at the owner's > expense. > Around 1910, older residents said that trash was carried some > place north of the river on Greene Street and dumped on the ground. After > the City bought part of the Brown farm on east Fifth Street in the 1920's, > the City created Greenwood Cemetery and moved the dump to a site on the Tar > River behind the Cemetery. > In the Greenville Town Ordinances of 1926 is found an ordinance > to Regulate Garbage Disposal. It ordered that everyone must keep "galvanized > can or cans equipped with covers not exceeding a thirty capacity." It was > the duty of the street department to make inspection from time to time of > every garbage can maintained. All debris, tree limbs and rubbish placed in > the cans would be removed, but larger items would be hauled away at the > owner's expense. Anyone violating the ordinance was fines $10.00 a day for > every offense. > In 1931, The City erected a fence to obstruct the view of the > city dump behind Greenwood Cemetery. By 1953, the City was running ten > garbage trucks that could only hold five to seven cubic yards. In Oct. 1954, > they began replacing the old garbage trucks with new compaction type bodies > with a 15 cubic yard capacity. > In 1958, the City began a new program turning the dump behind > Greenwood Cemetery into a landfill operation. They leased bull dozers, > operated by local prisoners, to work daily to cover the refuse with dirt. It > was hoped this would eliminate fires and the rodent population. The County > eventually took over the dump and when it became full, a county landfill was > established west of Greenville on Allen Road. > An interesting story about the dump behind Greenwood Cemetery is > that in 1960 it was the home of an 82 year old hermit named Henry Daniel > Bennett. He moved to the dump in 1956 after his farm house blew over in a > storm. He lived in an old school bus body with a tin chimney and had a brood > of chickens. Mr. Bennett whose family was from Rocky Mount, was once a > boiler maker and once worked for the government in the Navy Yard in 1917. He > received a Welfare check of $31.00 a month. The City, wanting to build a > sewage treatment plant where he had his structures, made him to go to a > sanitarium for his health. The bulldozers tore up his abode and his chickens > were sold off. When he returned from the sanitarium, he was given the money > for his chickens and moved in with a family south of town. Apparently happy > with his new situation, he received a few more dollars in his Welfare check > for his higher expenses living in a private home. > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Hotmail(R) goes where you go. On a PC, on the Web, on your phone. > > http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/learnmore/versatility.aspx#mobile?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_WL_HM_versatility_121208 > Pitt County Family Researchers website: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncpcfr/ > > Message archives address: > http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=nc-pcfr > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NC-PCFR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >