My favorite great-niece was turning eleven in April so my daughter Becca and I headed down to Myrtle Beach to help her celebrate. On our way, we came upon the small town (population 90) of Tar Heel, NC in Bladen County. As a diehard UNC fan who was Tar Heel bred and the mother of two people who are Tar Heel born AND bred, our state nickname is near and dear to my heart so it was a thrill to get to spend a few minutes in a town called Tar Heel. There may only be 90 residents but they are proud to proclaim their town name!

Bladen County is known to me mostly through stories from a treasured former co-worker, Scott, whose wife Jen grew up in Bladen. It’s a primarily rural county and Scott and Jen often joked that, whenever I took my quest to Bladen County, the only thing I might find of interest there is the world’s tallest tire. Imagine my delighted surprise when, at an intersection in Bladenboro, we came face to face with the famous tire! Between the tire and the town of Tar Heel, we discovered a couple of real treats in Bladen County.

Traveling into Columbus County, we came upon another tire-related surprise when we drove past a tire and automotive shop with a familiar name.

Just south of Bladen, Columbus County is sparsely populated and primarily rural. In the 1950s, Columbus County was the site of notorious acts of racism and inspiring acts of courage. The Ku Klux Klan initiated a reign of terror in 1950, assaulting and abducting Black Columbus County residents. Two local newspaper editors, Horace Carter of the Tabor City Tribune, and Willard Cole of the Whiteville News Reporter, took spirited stands against the KKK’s actions, eventually bringing in FBI involvement that ended with the arrest of Klan leaders. With the victory against Hitler still fresh in the minds of Americans, Carter called out the Klan as “the personification of Fascism and Nazism.” In recognition of Cole and Carter’s courage, the two men were awarded the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. In a time when our democratic ideals are in peril, driving through Tabor City was a happy reminder that, whether in small towns or large cities, individual acts of bravery can shift the course of history.

April 10 – April 11, 2025 – Counties #61 and 62 – Bladen and Columbus