In 1853, a writer traveling through the area from Weldon
to Wilmington on the railroad, described what he saw along
the way.
"...on a recent trip from Weldon, on the northern
boundary of the state, to Wilmington, a distance
of one hundred and sixty two miles, we were
struck with the unchangeableness of the scene.
There was little to relieve the monotony of
the interminable pine forests and cypress swamps
except an occasional log cabin with its rude
inmates, or an occasional collection of huts
with a water tank, collectively dignified with
the high-sounding name of Washington, Warsaw,
or some other euphonious title. This immense
tract, however, furnishes the staple commodities
of the State, viz., tar, pitch, turpentine and
lumber."