“I ordered my first car from Sears & Roebuck.”
Tom and Nannie Wiggins had a big gathering of their family, neighbors and church family several times each year. These dinners were held in the yard of the Wiggins home at Pender’s Crossroads and referred to as “dinner on the grounds.” Nannie cooked large amounts of food every day. She even cooked large pans of cornbread for Tom’s twenty to thirty Fox Hounds. The old barn or “pack house” was where barrels of flour, sugar, molasses and liquor made right there on the farm were stored. The storage pack house had two barrels of corn meal. One barrel was marked as “dog meal.” She had a white tablecloth that covered her large dining room table. Underneath that cloth you would find biscuits, cornbread, preserves, jellies, apple jacks, sweet potatoes, vinegar, pies, cakes, molasses, ham, sausages, an assortment of pickles, cookies and more. There was always food for any children, family or farm worker who came to her door.
Gladys was the only child left at the Wiggins home in 1912 as her older sister, Mattie, had married Richard Greene and moved out of the home. She learned from her mother to prepare food for large groups, to knit, sew and crochet and to make quilts. She was an energetic young girl and seemed to have endless capacity for learning to take care of whatever duties were before her. Although she mastered these domestic tasks, she was happiest when she accompanied her father around the farm. She had horses and was an accomplished rider. She liked to occasionally go fox hunting with her dad. She learned to clean, load, unload and shoot guns. Most young girls of that time did not go fox hunting but Gladys was no ordinary young girl. She wanted to do it all and she did. She was the “apple of her daddy’s eye.”
The Reo car had been delivered to the Elm City Depot accompanied by a representative who delivered the car to the Wiggins home at Pender’s Crossroads. The Reo automobile representative was to remain with the car until the new owner was schooled on driving and maintenance. During the few days of training Gladys was leaning over from the back seat watching and listening to every word.
Tom had some tobacco on the floor of the Planters Tobacco Warehouse in Wilson so the Reo representative and Tom drove to Wilson to see his tobacco sold. This Reo trainer had never seen a tobacco auction and was mesmerized by the aroma of the cured tobacco and the excitement of this tobacco sale. The tobacco warehouse seemed to have a life of its own with laughter and activity from wall to wall. The buyers gave signals or verbal competitive bids and the auctioneers were chanting the bids in a voice that was musical. The farmers watched closely as the bids were made. Some farmers brought their children to the auction and the child would sit on the pile of tobacco to draw the attention of the buyers. The Reo representative talked to everyone from the farmers to the warehouse owners and to the tobacco buyers and auctioneers. He talked with the janitors and the warehouse laborers. The excitement of the auctioneers and buyers, the aroma, the moving of huge piles of tobacco and the colorful language endeared him to the whole tobacco culture. He met some of Tom’s many colorful friends and was entertained by their stories. He was caught up in the story telling, the laughter, backslapping, sipping on some stump hole liquor, smoking, chewing and dipping tobacco and he seemed to forget about the Reo. He watched as the checks were handed to the tobacco farmers and he saw the smiles on their faces and the spring in their step as they left the warehouse. Wilson merchants were standing ready to assist these farmers with purchases of supplies, school clothes for the children, Christmas gifts and for some of them that trip to the liquor house or their favorite bootlegger. The streets of tobacco towns were alive with shoppers. At the end of the day the Reo representative had accepted a job offer with Lorillard Tobacco Company. Late in the evening when the tobacco sale was over and the stories were told, Tom left the Reo representative at Planters Tobacco Warehouse to pursue his new job in the tobacco industry. Tom drove his new car back to Pender’s Crossroads. He made numerous trips to Little Washington, Columbia, Mann’s Harbor, Morehead City, Manteo, Wanchese, Stumpy Point and more. His first horse and buggy had been a wedding gift from Keron Pender in 1889. His first motor car was that Reo.
Soon after the Reo representative left the area to pursue his career with Lorillard Tobacco Company the Wiggins family was invited to a big dinner at a friend’s home in Pinetops. Tom, Nannie and Gladys took off on the new automobile. The roads were dirt and had deep ruts made by wagons and buggies. Tom maneuvered around the deepest ruts and hit a few. Wiggins later said, “Many of the roads were not much more than a buggy path.” Luckily the roads were relatively dry so there was not much chance of sliding into a ditch that day. When they arrived at the friend’s yard it was lined with several horses and buggies. The noise of the Reo motor spooked the horses and the guests had to come out and get the horses settled down. After dinner the grownups were visiting and talking, rocking, dipping and chewing and smoking cigars while the children went outside. All was quiet until they heard the noise of the Reo motor. They looked outside and saw that Gladys had loaded the car with children and was taking them for a spin. The parents were telling Tom to “stop her”. It was too late. The car was almost out of sight. Tom assured the parents that Gladys could drive as well as he could.
Gladys’s first automobile joy ride was on that Reo in 1912. I knew my Aunt Gladys as an older woman and I believe she didn’t change much from the young girl who took those kids for a spin on one of the first “motor cars” at Penders Crossroads.
Montress Greene
Email: montressg@gmail.com
Website: Montressgreene.com
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