Memories of visiting Sampson County, North Carolina

Daddy took me from Richmond to Faison on the train when I was around 7 or 8 (1946?).  I had lived my entire life in the country but only 12 miles from Richmond.  He never let me forget that when I stepped down from the train in metropolitan Faison, I asked, "Where's the town?"

I believed we stayed at Inez's [Aunt Inez Oates Hines].  I remember a house in the country and one of the older girls making doughnuts.  It must have been Gwen I played with.  She had older sisters primping to go out on dates.

I also remember visiting relatives who lived in a newer, smaller house.  I'm sending a picture of two girls and a boy standing beside that house.

Daddy took me to White Lake on several occasions and we probably visited relatives then.  I have a picture of Ruth and her husband John in their cucumber field (around 1950).  Also one of a young man in the same field.  I'm sending those pictures, also.   Daddy took me on a tour of the pickle factory in Mt. Olive.

The last trip I remember going to Faison with Daddy was in the spring of 1956.  Leon paid for material to build a fence around the Oates Cemetery and Daddy did the work.  Just the two of us drove down pulling a trailer containing materials.  I'd just gotten my driver's license and thought it pretty cool that Daddy let me drive and pull the trailer.

Loretta Oates Davis
December 4, 2001

Memoir from Loretta Oates Davis requested by Ron Oates (webmaster)