Arguably the oldest named farm community in Lenoir County, NC, Bucklesberry is nestled along the north side of the Neuse River, a few miles south of the town of La Grange. Its geographic location has remained the same over time, but its boundaries have modified and county affiliation has varied as North Carolina's counties were formed and renamed during the last half of the eighteenth century.

With this article, Neuse News begins a new column, "Bucklesberry, Back in the Day," which focuses on the rich history, happenings, and people of Bucklesberry, first named and referenced in land patents dating back to the early 1700s. The articles will be a continuation of the same-named series of 343 articles published from 2016 to 2023 in The Weekly Gazette, former newspaper for the town of La Grange, NC.

Archived at https://www.olddobbers.net/sutton/gazette1.html, some of the articles have centered on local church histories and brief biographies of Bucklesberrians whose lives were remarkably impactful. Other articles were topical in nature. A sampling of previous article titles follows:

● Farming at its Best ● BBQ and Chicken Pie ● Strong Women ● Forgotten Cemeteries ● Animal Stories ● Politics and Plows ● Playtime Places ● Country Crimes ● School's Out ● Trouble in Paradise ● Early Patriarchs ● Cotton Comeback ● First Matriarchs ● Social Frills ● Expert Farmers ● Prize Porkers ● Primitive Worship ● River Lifeline ● Loving Adoption ● Homeplace Houses ● Tenth Generation ● Death Diseases ● Healing Business ● War Heroes ● Glimpse in Time ● Basics of Life ● Fight for Freedom ● Small Business ● Medicine Men ● Twins Aplenty ● Postcard Messages ● Family Squabble ● Accidents Happen ● Great Hurricane 1883 ● What Mean These Trees? ● Buying and Selling ● Crimes and Campaigns ● Ninth Spring ● Death and Drinking ● Social Scuffle ● Fourth Time's a Beauty ● Tuberculosis,Typhoid 1920 ● Dog Days ● Bumper Crop 1902 ● Harper's Landing ● Agriculture 1927 ● Match Made in Heaven ● Educated Farmers ● Hefty Hogs ● Extreme Animals ● The Sick and the Dead

A true accounting of history demands verifiable facts and documentation, free of unsubstantiated information incorrectly drawn from scant data or legend that rests on no evidence at all. This is the goal of the articles in this column, which resumes with a focus on "Early Beginnings" in the next article.

Dr. Joe Sutton is a local author and columnist for Neuse News. A native and resident of the Bucklesberry community, La Grange, NC, Joe holds a PhD degree from The University of Virginia in special education/mild-moderate disabilities. Formerly a college professor, school superintendent, educational diagnostician, and teacher, Joe enjoys researching Bucklesberry where he was reared. He can be reached at jpsutton56@gmail.com.