Ray Midgett, Author at Washington Daily News

Columns

President Grover Cleveland drops in on Washington

In the pre-dawn hours of May 19, 1894, the tranquil town of Washington, N.C., nestled along the banks of the Pamlico River, received an unexpected ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Friday, January 26, 2024 7:40 am

Columns

A chance meeting and the destiny of Abraham Lincoln

Note: This is a reprint of a past article about a chance meeting between a prominent Washington businessman and a famous actor and the fateful ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Wednesday, December 27, 2023 1:40 pm

Columns

A few things you might not know about Washington

As a change of pace, here are a few short tidbits of history about the Port of Washington. Cup of Joe It is rumored that ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Friday, January 13, 2023 4:31 pm

Columns

When the “Big Chill” hit Eastern NC

Do you think the “polar vortexes” of late have made it unusually cold in eastern North Carolina? Granted, we know it’s been cold enough the ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Friday, December 30, 2022 10:38 am

Columns

Above and beyond the call to duty

In recognition of Veterans Day, I want to honor a Union soldier, Corporal Wilson Smith, who was a member of the occupying force in Washington ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Thursday, November 10, 2022 4:16 pm

Columns

Flashback 1941: 8-foot shark netted in Pamlico River

Early on August 9, 1941, when it was still legal to use nets in the Pamlico River to harvest fish, Rion Day, a local fish ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Friday, September 16, 2022 4:50 pm

Columns

Washington’s Historic Storm Warning Tower

Over one hundred years ago, when coastal shipping was a primary method of moving goods to market, the Federal government realized that a system was ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Friday, August 12, 2022 11:04 am

Columns

Remembering John Respess McClaud

My friend Stephen Ferrell, the Reference Specialist/Genealogist at Brown Library, recently shared news clippings about John Respess McClaud, a street vendor born of formerly enslaved ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Monday, July 25, 2022 5:02 pm

Columns

Fallen Heroes

This past Memorial Day was a solemn time for all of us as we honor those who have died while serving in the United States ... Read more

by Ray Midgett, Friday, June 3, 2022 1:27 pm

Columns

Captain Alpheous Styron, Entrepreneur

The article in the Washington Daily News earlier this week concerning the feasibility study of a passenger ferry between Washington and Ocracoke caught my eye. ... Read more