Page 10 - Robeson Living Spring 2019

Dark Waters of the

Lumber River Bring

Pleasure

By
Blake Tyner

This early 20th postcard shows the beauty of the Lumber River with its
tree lined banks.
The dark swift waters that wind through southern North store keeper would draw a pint of whiskey and then grab a
Carolina like a black velvet ribbon have gone by many handful of sugar to mellow the liquor.
names – Lumbee, Drowning Creek and the Lumber River.
It travels from Scotland and Hoke counties into Robeson Fishing
and Columbus counties before merging into the Pee Dee The banks and waters of the Lumber River have called out
River. as a siren luring young and old to come to the dark waters,
fishing pole in hand, so that they might bring out the boun-
At one time, the Lumber River served as one of the main ty of fish the river has to offer.
thoroughfares for those living along its shores. It also served
as a source of commerce and entertainment for generations. The Fayetteville News June 9, 1868, issue notes a letter
The Robesonian’s 1951 historic issue tells us that except for that the reporter received from his brother in Lumberton
the courthouse, all of the early Lumberton buildings were giving glowing accounts of fishing in the river. He was
along what is now known as Water Street, which was in the able to fish just a few feet from the door of his store and
early days of the town known as the Wharf. There was a ho- was catching hundreds of yellow perch weighing from 16
tel, warehouses and a few stores that sold everything from to 24 ounces. The reporter stated if he had known of a store
silk to whiskey. Older folks told that in most any store you like that that was up for rent, he would have rented it for
could find a whiskey barrel alongside the sugar barrel. The the term of his natural life at any price.

Page 10 Robeson Living ~ Spring 2019