A HISTORY OF BELL ARTHUR Bell Arthur, originally known as Arthur, is a small community in western Pitt County that came to life when the Norfolk and Southern Railroad built a line through the area in 1907. It seems that the town of Arthur began when two businessmen from Greenville, L. C. Arthur and C. T. Munford, bought what was known as “old Becton farm” and began dividing the land and selling lots when the railroad came through. In September 1907 a station opened there, known first as Cobbdale and later as Arthur. The railroad station was only a platform with no shelter. In July 1908 the village of Arthur was described in the local newspaper as becoming a place of means. They had eight trains some days and the place had one store, three or four residences, one steam mill to saw wood and gin cotton, and a dry kiln connected with the mill. Later that year Robert Strickland built the second store in Arthur. In early 1910, the Free Will Baptists purchased a lot, built a church, and moved their congregation from Mays’ Chapel to Arthur. B. F. Crawford also donated a lot in Arthur to the Disciples Church and they too built and moved their congregation from Smiths’ Schoolhouse. It is remembered that the Free Will Baptists would have large baptisms at Blue Banks on the Tar River. In December 1910 a firm known as Joyner and Wilson at Arthur advertised that they had dissolved their co-partnership. The town was formally incorporated under the name Arthur on March 6, 1911, with the following officers: J. R. Nichols, mayor; J. W. Crawford, R. J. Tugwell, and B. V. Crawford, commissioners. The town consisted of only 38 people. C. D. Smith ran the saw and planing mill, and J. R. Nichols ran a blacksmith shop. The merchants in town were J. A. Matthews, H. B. Turner, J. S. Fulford, J. R. Strickland, and Bob Willoughby. In 1914 Arthur had a population of 81, Wilkerson and White had a store, and S. M. Faulkner was the Arthur agent for the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. Some time after incorporation, Arthur had a town jail. It stood under a large oak tree and was said to be no more than six feet by six feet in diameter. When not occupied by some offender, the doors remained unlocked, which seemed to suit a local drunk just fine. When he was on a binge, he would go the jail and, if it wasn’t occupied, he would go in and sleep it off. Another story is told about the time a prisoner used his pocket knife to whittle his way to freedom. Another got out somehow and as a prank put the mayor’s dog inside the jail to finish his unexpired term. In 1915 Arthur got some unwanted notoriety across the state in the person called “Gar Gar Edwards,” a three-year-old boy who smoked cigars. The son of Mrs. E. S. Edwards, the child curiously began smoking cigars after a stroke of paralysis when it was one year old. It was said the child had to have his cigars every day to keep him quiet. In January 1918 the new Arthur public school opened, being the first consolidated school in Pitt County and described as the best rural school building in the state at the time. In 1920 the population of Arthur was 104 and by 1930 the number had risen to 131. On April 15, 1932, practically the entire business district of Arthur was destroyed by fire. Five of the six stores in town burned down and the sixth was badly damaged. The stores destroyed were R. S. Willoughby’s, Mack Smith’s, and John Hemby’s. Two of the stores were not in operation. Also destroyed was the post office which was located in Mack Smith’s store. On May 3, 1933, the town of Arthur was reincorporated and the name was changed to “Bell Arthur.” There are several stories why the name was changed, but the accepted version is that Joe Joyner who had a mill in Arthur had a pretty wife named Carabelle and they named the town for her. In the late 1930s there was a music club which had monthly meetings in the Bell Arthur area. Members included Mrs. Bruce Strickland (teacher), Olive May, Edith Tyson, Janie Gray Hemby, Beulah Rasberry, Bettie Stancill, Mary Elizabeth Worthington, Mrs. W. B. Crawford, and Myrtle and Lillian Harris. In 1940 the population of Bell Arthur was 181. By 1946 the railroad station had been done away with and moved. In 1956 the town lost its charter, and a few years later the school closed. In 1964 there were about 240 people living in the village of Bell Arthur. There were three stores in town run by Raymond Webb, D. E. Baker, and D. L. Baker. The volunteer fire department (which began in 1962) had two engines and 20 registered volunteer firemen under Chief Raymond Webb. Mrs. Raymond Webb was postmistress and the town had several active church and social organizations. —Roger Kammerer Greenville Times July 16, 1997