Cape Fear Unearthed

We talk with longtime Wilmington resident Elaine Henson about what shopping downtown in the 1950s and '60s was like: Where the department stores were, who had the most magical display windows, where the toys could be found, and where you might see Santa Claus.

Wilmington filmmaker Kent Chatfield played a starring role in "Wilmington on Fire," Christopher Everett's documentary film about Wilmington's deadly 1898 coup and massacre, the only successful insurrection on American soil in history. Now, Chatfield has directed his own documentary, "McKinley's Guns," which premiered at Thalian Hall in September and will be available for streaming online Nov. 10. In the film, Chatfield reveals research that proves involvement from military officers and U.S. government officials at a higher level than has previously been revealed.

For this week's episode, we talk with Margaret M. Mulrooney, author of the book "Race, Place and Memory: Deep Currents in Wilmington, North Carolina," a comprehensive deep dive into Wilmington's long and troubled racial history that looks at how decades of inequality have shaped, and often warped, life in the Port City. Mulrooney is professor of history at James Madison University in Virginia, and a former visiting professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The tourists who stay there might not know, but the Holiday Inn at Wrightsville Beach, recently rebranded as Lumina on Wrightsville Beach, a Holiday Inn Resort, sits on the former site of Moore's Inlet. With Ray McAllister, author of "Wrightsville Beach, the Luminous Island," we take a look back at the days when Wrightsville's north end, Shell Island, was actually an island, and when some developers tried to develop a beach for African-Americans during the days of Southern segregation.

We talk to Wilmington native and North Carolina jazz historian Larry Reni Thomas about The Barn, a club that shone brightly during the days of segregation in the 1940s and early '50s, hosting such legendary players as Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and many more.

From the early days of rice plantations to its time as an industrial zone for Wilmington's naval stores industry, Eagles Island, which with Point Peter makes up the "west bank" of the Cape Fear River across from downtown, has nearly three centuries of history that parallel that of the Port City. As Wilmington decides whether to bring development back to the west bank, we take a look at the history of the area, including its dark associations with slavery.

Before the rise of chain grocery and convenience stores, dozens of mom-and-pop stores run by independent merchants could be found in nearly every Wilmington neighborhood, most of them downtown. We take a look back at where some of these stores were, why they went away and where their last vestiges remain.

We talk with retired StarNews sports reporter Chuck Carree about Jordan's days in the '70s and '80s playing high school basketball in Wilmington, and about whether more should be done to recognize the legendary player's ties to Southeastern North Carolina.

We talk with Mark W. Koenig, the former director of the Wilmington Railroad Museum. In January, his first book, "The Wilmington, Brunswick and Southern Railroad," was published by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press. In it, he uncovers the history of the long-forgotten railroad line. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton.

We talk with StarNews investigative reporter Matthew Prensky about a 1983 study commissioned by the city of Wilmington that documented more than 100 historic sites and structures of significance to the Black community. The study was shelved, and more than two dozen of those structures have since been demolished.

This week, we take a deep dive into more than 15,000 historic Wilmington photographs the Cape Fear Museum recently made available to the public on its website. Some photos date back to the 1860s, and together, they help tell the story of Wilmington -- the good, the bad and the ugly -- in a way words never could. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Chandler Hoefle.

Built in 1876 at Fourth and Market streets, Wilmington's Temple of Israel is believed to be the oldest synagogue in North Carolina and the 10th oldest in the United States in continuous use. We talk with longtime Temple members Glen and Beverly Tetterton about the history of the Temple, the history of Jewish people in Wilmington and about the ongoing campaign to raise money to fix the historic building. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Chandler Hoefle

The tale of the Christmas flounder has captured the imagination of Wilmingtonians ever since the story began running in the StarNews every Christmas Eve back in the early 1980s. We look into the Christmas flounder's rather murky origin story. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish.

We talk to the folks at Legacy Architectural Salvage, an offshoot of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, about their work in preserving old building materials for future home renovation and construction projects. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish.

This week, we talk to Jim Downey and Tim Pinnick of the New Hanover County Community Remembrance Project, who are involved with some of the efforts to commemorate the events of 1898, in part by finding the descendants of those who were killed. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish.

In this week's episode, we take a look at the history of bridges in New Hanover County, both the bridges that exist today, and the bridges that preceded them. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish.

Let’s talk a little bit of Wilmington film history, history that took place in an unlikely location in the northern wilds of New Hanover County. The massive, shut-down Ideal Cement plant near Castle Hayne has been the site of a dozen or more major film productions over the decades, some of them with very famous names: “The Crow,” “Super Mario Bros.” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," just to name three. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish.

100 years is a long time. Almost no one even lives that long. But as we look back on the history of Wilmington, there are a handful of businesses that have stood the test of time and, through multiple generations, survived, and even thrived, for 100 years or more. With guest Wilbur Jones, a historian and native Wilmingtonian. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish. The show is sponsored by Northchase Family Dentistry, Tidewater Heating & Air Conditioning, and Cape Fear Pharmacy.

Let's take a look back at the many Wilmington movie theaters and drive-ins from yesteryear! Wilmington native Ann Hutteman saw movies at many of these locations, and she shares her memories with us. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish. The show is sponsored by Northchase Family Dentistry, Tidewater Heating & Air Conditioning, and Cape Fear Pharmacy.

Founded in 1966, the Historic Wilmington Foundation, which has saved dozens if not hundreds of prominent structures in downtown Wilmington, has made its name on preserving the past for future generations. We talk with new executive director Travis Gilbert and HWF staffer Isabelle Shepherd about how the group is adapting to meet present-day challenges. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by John Staton. Additional editing by Adam Fish. The show is sponsored by Northchase Family Dentistry, Tidewater Heating & Air Conditioning, and Cape Fear Pharmacy.