THE WAGON
This wagon has been
preserved through the interest and good offices of five successive generations
in the Centre community, three of which lived in the same "Stanley
Homeplace." The wagon has now come to the Historic Jamestown Society as a gift
from Joshua Edgar Murrow, deceased in 1980, and his wife, Hazel Richardson
Murrow, and their three children, Joshua Edgar Murrow, Jr., of Lawndale, N. C;
Mary Murrow Hamilton of Atlanta, Ga., and Gertrude Murrow Sillman of
Greensboro, N. C.
If the wagon could talk, it would tell of many exciting and sometimes
perilous events. Not the least of these stories would be the ones telling of
several trips to Ohio with a load of runaway slaves. The "trains"
crossed into free territory at Wheeling, West Virginia, and continued on to a
Friend's home in Ohio. The drivers were two young men, selected because they
were eager for adventure and because no one would be likely to suspect such
young men of "slave-running." The two youths were Andrew Murrow (1820-1908)
and Isaac Stanley (1832-1927), who grew up in the home of their foster parents,
Joshua and Abigail Stanley, after they had been orphaned. Actually Isaac was a
nephew of Joshua Stanley. Andrew Murrow was the grandfather of Joshua Edgar
Murrow (1892-1980) who reveled in hearing his grandfather tell of these
dangerous and exciting journeys to Ohio.
This historic wagon came to the Historic Jamestown Society through the
good offices of Stacey and Ruth Hockett of Pleasant Garden, close and lifelong
friends of Joshua Edgar Murrow, Sr., who had received it as a much valued gift
from Abigail Stanley Hodgin, daughter of Isaac Stanley Edgar fully intended to
re-build the aging vehicle but never got around to it. He gave special
instructions to the Hocketts to care for it, and it was from their barn that
the wagon finally came to us.
Cecil E. Haworth was instrumental in obtaining the Wagon for the Historic
Jamestown Society. The above information was taken from the brochure
"Precious Cargo" written by him. The rest of the brochure may be read
by clicking on "More on Wagon.”
Mendenhall
Plantation - 603 W
Main St - Jamestown, NC 27282