My Hometown...
How much do you know about your hometown? For those that were born and raised in New York or L.A. or some place like that it may not be much of a challenge to come up with a little paragraph or two. A lot of us grew up in small towns though. My hometown is Tarboro, N.C., with a population somewhere close to 10,000 people. Tarboro takes a lot of pride in its Town Common. For those that don't know, a Common is an area designated for animals to graze within town limits. Tarboro is only one of two communities that retains its original town common. The other is Boston, MA. OK, not riveting enough for you?
Tarboro has 24 blocks that is designated "Historic Tarboro" because the houses in those areas are primarily historic homes that have been renovated to resemble original homes built as early as 1808. The street is lined with Magnolia and Dogwood trees. You can't get much more Southern than that. Several of the area churches date back to before the civil war with cemetaries surrounded by wrought iron fences. But then again...I lived in Tarboro most of my life. The fact the town is old never really impressed me.
Sports always impressed me...What does Tarboro have to offer in sports. We have a history of good baseball in Tarboro. Former Major League pitcher Mike Caldwell spent 13 years in the bigs and finished second in the AL Cy Young balloting in 1978 behind Yankee great Ron Guidry. We also play football. The Tarboro High School Vikings won the State 3-A championship in 1984 and have sent many good players on to the college ranks. Our best was Kelvin Bryant, who was the USFL player of the year in 1983. After the USFL disbanned, Bryant played a few season for the Washington Redskins and was part of the Championship team from Super Bowl XXII. A few years back, Bryant returned to Tarboro and made a sizable contribution to help the High School renovate the football stadium. The new concession stand was actually named in his honor..."The Kelvin Bryant Snackhouse." (Yeah, I know there is someone laughing at that right now.)
Tarboro is also known for its military heritage. Tarboro resident Confederate Maj. General William Dorsey Pender was killed at Gettysburg and in among those buried in the Calvary Episcopal Churchyard. Tarboro was a southern stronghold during the Civil War until it was raided by Union General Edward Potter's forces in 1863. In 1904, the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a Monument to the fallen Confederate soldiers that stands on the southern end of the Common. Perhaps our most distiguished military hero is General Hugh Shelton who served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Bill Clinton's second term.
Tarboro has 24 blocks that is designated "Historic Tarboro" because the houses in those areas are primarily historic homes that have been renovated to resemble original homes built as early as 1808. The street is lined with Magnolia and Dogwood trees. You can't get much more Southern than that. Several of the area churches date back to before the civil war with cemetaries surrounded by wrought iron fences. But then again...I lived in Tarboro most of my life. The fact the town is old never really impressed me.
Sports always impressed me...What does Tarboro have to offer in sports. We have a history of good baseball in Tarboro. Former Major League pitcher Mike Caldwell spent 13 years in the bigs and finished second in the AL Cy Young balloting in 1978 behind Yankee great Ron Guidry. We also play football. The Tarboro High School Vikings won the State 3-A championship in 1984 and have sent many good players on to the college ranks. Our best was Kelvin Bryant, who was the USFL player of the year in 1983. After the USFL disbanned, Bryant played a few season for the Washington Redskins and was part of the Championship team from Super Bowl XXII. A few years back, Bryant returned to Tarboro and made a sizable contribution to help the High School renovate the football stadium. The new concession stand was actually named in his honor..."The Kelvin Bryant Snackhouse." (Yeah, I know there is someone laughing at that right now.)
Tarboro is also known for its military heritage. Tarboro resident Confederate Maj. General William Dorsey Pender was killed at Gettysburg and in among those buried in the Calvary Episcopal Churchyard. Tarboro was a southern stronghold during the Civil War until it was raided by Union General Edward Potter's forces in 1863. In 1904, the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a Monument to the fallen Confederate soldiers that stands on the southern end of the Common. Perhaps our most distiguished military hero is General Hugh Shelton who served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Bill Clinton's second term.