Cape Fear Unearthed

The second episode of "Unearthing 1898" explores Wilmington on Nov. 10, 1898 from Wilmington on Nov. 10, 1898, from sunup to sundown, discussing how the white supremacists carried out the massacre and coup that shocked and forever changed the city.

In the first episode of "Unearthing 1898," host Hunter Ingram and guests look at Wilmington from the end of the Civil War through the Election of 1898, setting the stage for the massacre and coup that would erupt in the city on Nov. 10, 1898.

Lula's Pub is a downtown Wilmington bar beloved for its underground aesthetic, its low-key atmosphere and its ghost story, which tells of a former slave killed on the property who now greets guests in mirrors or dark corners. It's just one of the many historic buildings tied to haunted tales in Wilmington.

Lizzie Turlington's murder was famous in 1886, but it was made infamous by the Oakdale Cemetery gravestone in Wilmington that features the names of both the young woman buried beneath it and the man who killer her.

Five presidents – Washington, Monroe, Polk, Fillmore and Taft – all visited Wilmington for short trips between 1791 and 1909, drawing huge crowds and making history in the Port City. For the latest episode of the podcast, we revisit each of those stops into Wilmington for a little presidential history in an ever-important election year.

Frying Pan Tower was once the first light of the Cape Fear, serving as a light tower 32 miles off the coast of Southeastern North Carolina to warn mariners of the dangers of Frying Pan Shoals. Today, it has been retired by the U.S. Coast Guard and is well past its prime, but a group of owners and volunteers are working against rust and time to preserve and restore it for the future.

For many, the antebellum era in Wilmington is defined by the Bellamy Mansion. This week, we look at home built for John D. Bellamy and his large family at the outset of the Civil War and why it has become a essential historic site in understanding Wilmington's racial and political history.

In August 2020, the country will celebrate 100 years since the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote. The movement to bring out that revolutionary moment was a hard-fought battle that came down to just a few states debating the issue, including an infamous last stand in North Carolina in 1920.

Southport, one of North Carolina's most desired summer destinations, actually has it's roots in the colonial Fort Johnston, which was intended to serve as the Cape Fear's most intimidating defender, although it never was. From it, Smithville and Southport were eventually born, first as a fishing village and then as a sought-after vacation spot still in touch with its historic heritage.

After two downtown Wilmington monuments to the Confederacy were removed in June 2020, we look at the history of who the statues were honoring, including George Davis, and how the United Daughters of the Confederacy fought to ensure their prominent places in the city.

The Stamp Act Rebellion in the 1760s was a pivotal first step toward revolution in the Colonies and nowhere was it more important than in the Cape Fear.

When Althea Gibson became the first Black person to win Wimbledon in 1957, she had come a long way from the streets of Harlem and a backyard tennis court in Wilmington to take on the world stage. This week we look at her life and legacy, from street to world champion.

The Burgwin-Wright House in the heart of downtown Wilmington was a colonial architectural masterpiece with a foundation built on the bones of the city's first jail. As the house turns 250 years old, we look at it's unique history that can be traced through every major event of the last two centuries.

In a special episode timed to the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, we discuss the legendary warship production in Wilmington on the Cape Fear River and the brave story of the WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots) at Camp Davis.

In its 50th episode, Cape Fear Unearthed ventures into the fascinating origin stories of the region's historic cemeteries and graveyards.