Williston Long-Standing Families

This is a 1920’s era photo of Elijah M. Willis b Feb.17, 1875 Elijah M. Willis had many business interests here and as far away as New Jersey where he once owned a hotel at Rehoboth Beach. Elijah built several houses, which are still being used in 2005.

One is the Leon Piner home next to Williston’s last post office. Elijah sold this house to his cousin A.T. “Lon” Willis when it was located on the shore of Jarrett Bay . Later that house had its porches and second story removed and it was moved to its present location.

Elijah also built the house, which for many years was owned by James and Verna Lee Lynch on highway 70 in Smyrna. There is a brick house in Beaufort three doors down Pollock from the Front Street corner, which was built and owned by Elijah.

He had several business interests and owned a menhaden boat named the E. M. Willis, which was captained by Sam Darling in 1911.

Elijah was in Williston when the idea of its new post office came along. The question of what to name the community came up. At that time Williston was called Springfield. Legend says Elijah suggested that Springfield begin to be called Williston. His reasoning was that Davis’s Shore became Davis in honor or its first settlers when their post office came. So he thought Springfield should be called Williston in honor of John Williston, the first settler of Springfield.

Elijah H. Willis born 1806 was the first to officially drop the (ton) from the Williston name. After 1820 there were no more children named Williston. It appears that his grandson Elijah M. Willis had the (ton) put back when the community was named in 1906. Elijah M. Willis was buried in Williston church cemetery after his death Nov. 29,1941

Through the years Williston was well known for its boat builders and the boats they produced. One of the earliest boat builders we have records of was Zephaniah “Zeff” Willis. From 1882 to 1911 Zeff and his brothers utilized their boat building skills, the local abundance of pine lumber, and the demand for the boats they could produce to turn out at least ten boats over five gross tons. The proximity of their brother Alonzo ‘s sawmill at Howland’s Point was also very convenient. Abner Willis and William Willis also built a few but Zeff was the big producer of boats built in Williston.

On the opposite page is a list of the boats with their dimensions from the book

“Merchant Vessels of the United States” as shown in Sonny Williamson ‘s book Sailing With Grandpa.” There is no record of the small boats Zeff built because these five tons or more were the only ones recorded at the US Customhouse.

Albert Murphy was the Captain of the SICKLE in much of her menhaden-fishing career. His summers were spent fishing and winters taken up by guiding duck hunters. Albert was a great hunter as well as a great fisherman. This is one of the few photographs of any of the sharpie captains of the boats built by Zeff Willis. The SICKLE was the only sharpie to be fitted with a gasoline engine to compliment her sails for propulsion.

On a later page is a picture of the ALPHONSO which was the last sailboat built by Zeff and his brothers. She was launched in 1911. By that time many of the boats were being fitted with gasoline motors.

John Williston, the founder of Williston had a dozen children among them a son named Daniel. Daniel had a son named Elijah born in 1806. The youngest son of Elijah was William Fletcher Willis born in 1832. William Fletcher had 8 sons the youngest of whom was William Irvin Willis born in 1870. Irvin’s first son was James Carlisle Willis born in 1894.

James Carlisle was 10 years old and in school according to the 1903 census records of Carteret County, Smyrna township. The school at that time was a small one room building located north of where Jack Willis and his wife Eunice lived at that time. She was the one of the teachers along with Lillian Wade.

Military records indicate that Carlisle entered the U. S. Navy in 1917 and was discharged in 1921.

Living memory of his children indicates that Carlisle went to work on his uncle Elijah’s boat “E. M. WILLIS” after his navy time. Starting out as cook Carlisle worked his way quickly to Captain and by the mid 1920’s he went to work for the Hogshire Industries of Norfolk, Va.

His first job was Captain of the DEFIANCE and for the next two decades he ran several of the N.B.C. Line freight boats. N. B. C. Line was the subsidiary company of the Hogshire Industries known as the Norfolk Baltimore and Carolina Line.

At the time of his death in 1948 Capt. Carlisle was still running the EMBLANE from Norfolk to Charleston, S. C.

Wedding Invitations

This wedding invitation was sent to Irvin and Eula Lee Willis because of their family relationship. Irma Earle was the daughter of James T. Willis who was the son of Theresa Piner Willis. Theresa Piner Willis was the sister of Eula Lee Piner Willis. So Irma was sending her grandmother’s sister this invitation. The year of the wedding is not stated but Irma’s great aunt Theresa had a namesake who recalls that it took place in the early 1930’s.

Charlie North Bennett became prominent in the menhaden business up and down the American east coast. A letter written to him in 1953 recently surfaced which indicated that he was the superintendent of the Smith Fish Meal plant in Moss Point, Mississippi at that time. The couple returned to Carteret County in retirement where they dabbled in local real estate deals for several years.

This wedding invitation was found in the toolbox in Irvin Willis’ attic. Dr. Moore was the beloved physician from Marshallberg whose life was a testimony to the basic goodness of some human beings. His daughter Mrs. Dennis Spitsberger tells of her father meeting her mother when Laurie was in medical school. It seems that Carlisle Neal who had become a friend of Laurie Moore had a sister Anne. Carlisle introduced his sister to Laurie Moore and they fell in love and were married as per this invitation in 1933. Irvin Willis and family were invited guests as they were friends and extended family as well.

Dr Moore and his bride of 43 years enjoyed a happy and productive life. Dr. Moore and Anne had also a son Laurie Moore Jr. who is practicing medicine in New Port News, Virginia in 2005.

This wedding invitation shown here came to the sister of the father of the bride. Russell Piner’s sister was Eula Lee Piner Willis who was married to Irvin Willis. Russell Piner was the first postmaster of Williston and he and his wife Laura were faithful members of the Williston Methodist Church all their lives.

This invitation gives the year for the event unlike some of the others. There is a school of thought that says if the wedding is to in the same year that the invitation is sent then there is no need to include the year of the wedding. If it is far enough in advance to be planned for a subsequent year the entire wedding date is included.

The bride and groom enjoyed a long and happy life together having a son Royce and enjoying the pleasures of living in Williston all their lives.