Today we started at the Poplar Grove Plantation, just 4 miles from the campground. www.poplargrove.com/
This was a peanut plantation in its heyday. The Foy family had 65 slaves before the war, but had such a good relationship with them that after the Emancipation Proclamation 64 of the former slaves stayed on the property. Some of these workers were artisan craftsmen. The family allowed the slaves to work off the property and keep a portion of what they earned. One year, the family did not have enough money to pay their taxes until the crops came in. Their slaves loaned them the money and were later repaid.
Everything used in building the house was found on the property. The Foy’s were very frugal.
Sharecroppers lived in small houses on the property until the 1940’s. 
A descendant gave the sharecroppers their own land in the 1960’s. The plantation stayed in the Foy family until 1971 when 16 acres, including the house, were sold, then renovated and opened to the public in 1980 under the guidance of the non-profit Poplar Grove Foundation. Oprah once filmed a movie in the home and repapered the walls of two rooms in early 1900-style paper.
The yard hosts weaving, basket-making, and blacksmith shops. The artisans are very well-informed about their crafts and love telling vistors all about what they are doing!
We left the plantation and traveled into town to see the Cape Fear Museum. www.capefearmuseum.com/ This showed the history of the area from the native inhabitants through WWII and a little into the Viet Nam era. Many hands-on displays were exhibited, providing good information for young and old alike. Three trash barrels had “lift and see” examples of what might be found in a trash can. 
This is an opossum. Next to it were a rat and a raccoon. Definite “yuck” factor! A display on the school system shows all what schools were like in Wilmington. 
Larry is getting great ideas for the LaCygne Historical Society Museum! Easy day, today. We came back and enjoyed the warm weather by reading outside for awhile.
larryandjeanettetravel 