My Thoughts
My photo this month took me back to where this magazine’s storytelling began 25 years ago
BY Pat Bradford
From late 2000 to early 2003, I spent a great deal of time in the North Carolina room conducting research for stories and looking at photographs. I spent many quarters back then on copying documents. This was before the digital age blossomed.
You’ll notice from the photo credits that many of our archival photos that illustrate our history stories come from the New Hanover County Library system.
This month we take a deep dive into the history of Greenfields plantation from the 1750s forward. Dr. Green, a physician who also owned a nearby plantation called Green Hill, built the original dam on Greenfield Creek that created Greenfield Pond, which became known as Greenfield Lake by 1911.
I cannot help but wonder if those who walk there realize that its history includes a rice plantation and sawmill encompassing 170-180 acres of ricefields and 300 acres of upland. Later it was home to a whiskey distillery. It is a rich history.
The rich natural diversity of this community is on display in our story of 24 years of the Salvation Army golf tournaments raising funds to help the community. This year’s proceeds will go toward the building of a center to house those in need on 22 acres off the MLK Parkway slated to be complete by midyear 2025.
Also in its 24th year is the Wrightsville Beach Spearfishing Tournament, which is open to free divers and tank divers for inshore and offshore spearfishing.
For those who like to drop a hook, we have Robert Rehder’s firsthand story of chasing redfish on Lea Island.
In setting out to photograph local bread for our Savor feature on sourdough I found a new favorite place, Little Loaf Bakery and Schoolhouse, a business on Wrightsville Avenue that not only makes fabulous sourdough bread but also teaches classes on how to make it. And while proprietor Julia Castellano makes fabulous old-world-style breads and delectable treats, quite special to me she also offers gluten-free.
Spoiler alert: we are only halfway through hurricane season, which officially ends November 30 each year.
Enjoy.
— Pat Bradford, Senior Editor/Publisher