Roger: I realize that this information was taken from a newspaper article but perhaps in finding it you may have a bit more information re: Yankee Hall. I have been told that Yankee Hall was owned by one of the Grimes family - William Grimes of Raleigh? Do you have any more info - like years it was bought and sold by William (if that is who owned it?)? In a message dated 8/2/2006 12:25:55 AM Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: A HISTORY OF PACTOLUS Pactolus is a small village located on the north side of the Tar River about ten miles from Greenville. The history of Pactolus begins with Yankee Hall, also known as Speir’s Landing, Pactolus Landing, and Perkins’ Wharf, located one mile from Pactolus on the river. Yankee Hall was owned by Samuel Ralston, an Irishman, who died in 1829. His business partner, Churchill Perkins, eventually obtained all the land from the river to the public road to Washington, known as the Yankee Hall Farm whereon Pactolus grew. The name Pactolus was supposed to have been given the area by a school teacher named Lincoln about 1790, but it was long after getting its name before it became a village. In 1831, the Jordan Plains Academy, located about two miles north of Pactolus, was chartered with Hugh Telfair, Thomas Jordan, Valentine Jordan, Benjamin F. Eborn, James Little, and Churchill Perkins as trustees. A post office was established at Pactolus on May 30, 1832, with Churchill Perkins as first postmaster. On May 29, 1838, a large circus and art exhibition, traveling in the area, stopped in Pactolus with its menagerie of lions, tigers, camels, hyenas, condors, vultures, monkeys, and an ostrich. Also on August 16, 1838, there was a large public dinner held at Pactolus to celebrate the recent Whig victory. A table 87 yards long served 500 guests. On July 25, 1839, election day in Pactolus, Churchill Perkins, having a dispute with another man who approached him in a threatening manner with a stick, drew his pistol which fired accidentally, the ball striking John Cherry in the neck, killing him in a few minutes, As Yankee Hall Landing began to fade as a place of business, Churchill Perkins built the first store in Pactolus in 1840. Nine years later, in 1849, another academy called the Midway Male and Female Academy was chartered at or near Pactolus. The trustees were Churchill Perkins, Henry I. Toole, William Grimes, Godfrey Langley, Benjamin Daniel, Valentine S. Jordan and David Langley. Henry Irwin Toole, one of Pactolus’s most renowned citizens, was a native of Edgecombe County and lived near Pactolus in his home called “The Cottage.” He represented Pitt County in the Legislature and was a writer of merit. He published the newspaper, Southern Times in Raleigh, N.C. in 1841 and moved to Wilmington, N.C. in October 1849 where he published the newspaper The Aurora until his death December 28, 1850. In 1850, Pactolus consisted of the store of Churchill Perkins, Dr. Joseph R. Reading, and Richard L. Brewer of Virginia as the teacher in the academy. During the Civil War, Pactolus was often the scene of troop movements and afterwards suffered through Reconstruction like the rest of the country. Churchill Perkins (1804-1867) left his Yankee Hall Farm of 2,129 acres to his son Julian V. Perkins, and his son-in-law, Rufus S. Tucker, of Raleigh, N.C. Julian V. Perkins (1835-1884) graduated from St. Timothy’s Hall, an Episcopal classical and commercial school in Catonsville, Maryland, in 1855 and immediately entered business with his father at Pactolus. In 1859, Julian married Lucy F. Alston, daughter of Hon. Thomas N. F. Alston of Warren County, N.C. and later served as postmaster of Pactolus from 1860 to 1866. In 1867, Julian went into business with J. J. Rollins in a large store in Pactolus, hoping to pay off the large debts his father had encumbered. In 1869, R. S. Tucker sold his half interest in the Yankee Hall Farm to Julian who in turn began to build and lease buildings on his Pactolus property. But in the spring of 1882, seeing no hope of ever relinquishing the debts owed, he surrendered up every cent of his property. By the aid of his friends, Julian was able to open a small store in Pactolus which he operated until his death in 1884. In 1884, R. S. Tucker bought back the Pactolus property and advertised it for sale, describing it as having “some 60 buildings, including 4 stores, a water gristmill, and steam sawmill.” R. S. Tucker and his wife eventually sold off lots and the town began to grow. After the Civil War, a number of doctors practiced in Pactolus, including Dr. R. M. Terrell (1867-72), Dr. Taylor (1872), Dr. C. A. Swindell (1875-76), Dr. Smith (1877-78), Dr. Ed Ewell (1881-82), Dr. W. H. Bagwell, and Dr. B. Chears. In 1872, James A. Davenport, a Confederate veteran, opened a store with his brother-in-law, Robert R. Fleming. They merchandised for ten years, dissolving in December 1882. Davenport continued in business for himself, operating a carriage factory and was one of the largest farmers in Eastern Carolina, serving as a director of the Bank of Washington. Robert R. Fleming, also a Confederate veteran, had a large general merchandise and supply business. He ran a large sawmill, cotton gin and gristmill, known as the Pactolus Watermills. He suffered heavily from fire when his sawmill burned in July 1888. He rebuilt it and it burned again nine months later in April 1889. His store also burned in December 1889. In 1892, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad built a branch railroad to Washington, N.C. which passed through Pactolus. A depot was built about a half mile from town on the north side of Grindle Creek. The East Carolina Land and Improvement Company bought land near the depot and 147 lots were laid out and streets numbered and named. It looked as if there were two towns, separated by the Creek. The depot became an ill-fated edifice in Pactolus. The first one built in 1892 was struck by lightning and burned May 19, 1896. A second depot was built and was found on fire October 8, 1899, after being robbed, burning only the office. New businesses in Pactolus after the railroad came were C. E. Bradley and Co., James H. Gurganus & Little & Satterthwaite (later J. J. and B. B. Satterthwaite Co.). In 1900, R. R. Fleming bought 17 lots from the East Carolina Land and Improvement Company and erected a large steam mill. Also, C. E. Bradley built a large two-story store near the depot, the second story to be used for the town hall. At the turn of the century, Prohibition became a heated issue in Pactolus. The new part of town on the north side of Grindle Creek wanted to be dry, while the old part wanted to remain wet. Steps were taken to separate and the new town of Maupin was chartered March 4, 1905. The charter was eventually revoked on February 25, 1911. In 1902, Pactolus had 6 stores, 3 public gins, 2 sawmills, 1 gristmill, a blacksmith and repair shop. In 1903, James R. Davenport, J. C. Braxton and E. L. Braxton formed a business under Braxton and Davenport, manufacturing and selling fertilizer. —Roger Kammerer Greenville Times December 7, 1988