Eddie Ellis Leads Off This Year’s Offerings
It has been many months since we were able to attend live presentations and have a casual discussion with the presenter afterward. The New Bern Historical Society brings us back to lively learning and conversation with Eddie Ellis on Thursday, August 12 at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6) at the Cullman Performance Hall at the North Carolina History Center. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Tickets are available at starting July 15 at NewBernHistorical.org/tickets or by calling 252-638-8558.
Ellis will present Whispers of the Long Departed, from his book of the same name. Ellis, the author of New Bern History 101 explains, “New Bern is such a bright historical sun it’s tended to blot out all the other stars in the sky around it.” In his new book, he shines light upon the south shore of the Neuse River. Whispers of the Long Departed is the previously unreported tale of the land and people from the Trent River to Adams Creek from the earliest days of settlement to the end of the Great Depressions. Highlights detail how the thriving biracial society of southern Craven County was radically transformed by both the Civil War and the arrival of MCAS Cherry Point.
Edward Ellis was born in New Bern in 1950 and raised in New Bern and Havelock. In his early twenties, he began a career in the newspaper business with many publications that included roles as a reporter, editor, and managing editor of the Havelock (NC) Progress, managing editor of the Garner (NC) News, and editor of the North Carolina Farmer. In 1985, under the banner of Ellis Publishing Company, he became the publisher of The Windsock, the official newspaper of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and in 1986 founded the Havelock News.
Eddie began his research on the history of Havelock and southern Craven County in his early teens and was named Official Historian of the City of Havelock in 1984. He has written and spoken about the area’s heritage for decades.
You’ll have a second opportunity to hear this dynamic speaker on Friday, August 13 as Tryon Palace will host Ellis as he shares little known information about the opening salvos of the March 1862 Battle of New Bern. Find the details at www.tryonpalace.org.
The mission of the New Bern Historical Society is to celebrate and promote New Bern and its heritage through events and education. Offices are located in the historic Attmore-Oliver House at 511 Broad Street in New Bern. For more information, call 252-638-8558 or go NewBernHistorical.org or Facebook.com/NewBernHistoricalSociety.
Submitted by Kathy Morrison on behalf of Mickey Miller