Talking spirits from the grave, especially it’s the ghost who is telling their stories. Elizabeth City is alive with ghost, not the haunting kind, but the friendly ghost. Sorry Casper, he’s not the only one.

The first stop was The North Carolina Building, if people don’t know the North Carolina on Main Street, it’s the Attorney at Law, William T Davis.  The building was a Wedding Chapel and once they have got married, they could have a hair cut right next

door as their honeymoon.  I wondered how many weddings they performed until 1987. I should have married my high school sweetheart in 1985. Still single, I wonder if they can do it today. I remember the barber shop when I was young. My dad used to take me there when I was small to cut my hair, ever since it was almost 35 years ago. Now today we have hair salons.

Next to my stop was the William J Woodley House, it’s a big house from the outside with many rooms and a big tall roof. Built in 1897 for William James Woodley, the wrap around front porch was built during 1910’s and 1920’s. Great porch for those summer days, just sit back relax and read the newspaper.

Robert Bulliner reminisce about Oxena Newsstand and sandwich shop, he talked about the famous Oxabuger, it was good back then in the early 1980’s, I was there too. The burger was great, it was better than the Big Mac. The Calories was not good, I had to slim down quickly. I had the Richard Simmons exercise video tape, so I quickly lose the pounds.

Next on the walking tour was the Ward – Randolph  House. The Queen Anne style, two story frame house built in 1891 for attorney George Warren Ward  (1862 – 1918)  and his wife  Emma Philson (Greene) Ward (1859 – 1924). Ward was the Superior Court Judge from 1904 – 1911, resigned due to health problems. His widow left the property to Ward’s law partner. In 1942, the house was sold to James Woodson Randolph and his wife Lydia who remained here until 1976.

Lucy Vaughn talked about her days as a Broadway actress. She was married three times. Cussed like a sailor and was the pioneer to bring culture to Elizabeth City and she did. She was great lady. I had the privilege of working with her during one of her production in 1980’s. She didn’t live a glamorous life, even though she was flatted footed she wouldn’t climb up the stairs of the house we were in last night. She lived on the Herrington road. I wondered during her speech I swear I heard her singing in that house. Creepy.

Walter Cronkite visited to Elizabeth City, NC, where he rode out Hurricane Grace in 1999.  It was his stop before he continued his journey to Wilmington. He stopped by and told the most descriptive moment in history when JKF was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, TX. He still get’s choked up when telling his story. He was first news anchor to enable to show emotion on screen when describing the death of John F Kennedy. Ever since he retired from CBS evening news, he narrates documentaries for certain news program. He died in August 2009.

So that’s the way it is, October 2, 2010. Good night.