Saturday, September 12, 2026
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Pilot Mills in Raleigh, 1908 Betterment Association is Formed (Etta White Ratcliff & Sabrina White)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/78455985/
| Pilot Mills in 1896 |
When the mill closed in 1982, the village was destroyed and the homes were razed. For the next twenty years, the area was desolate, plagued by drug deals, shootings and gang war within the neighboring Capitol Park community.
Photo from Mike Legeros at Hidden Raleigh.
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Photo by Mike Legeros at Hidden Raleigh |
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Photo by Mike Legeros at Hidden Raleigh |
Saturday, September 5, 2026
William White and Ellen Langford Wedding Portrait
Name / Occupation / Address
White, Wm O; wks Pilot Mills; r 4 Pilot Mills (cotton mill weaver)
Langford, Ellen Miss; wks Pilot Mills; r 22 Pilot Mills (cotton mill weaver)
They were married in the Midway Baptist Church, which was on the corner of Spring Forest and Falls of Neuse Roads.
The Raleigh Times (Raleigh, North Carolina) · Fri, Jun 29, 1900
White-Ratcliffe - Marriage in the Pilot Baptist Church Last Evening (Dec 20, 1900)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/64554930/
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Joseph A. Langford (March 29, 1883)
Father of Ellen Langford (wife of William Owen White)
Image provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC
Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92073906/1883-03-29/ed-1/seq-2/
"North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VH6X-GT1 : 8 March 2021), Jos A Langford, 1883; citing Warren, North Carolina, United States, State Archives, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 2,294,987.
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Sherwood White, The progressive farmer. [volume], August 30, 1898
f Believing in the justice of the princi
ples of the People's party, and that the
evils under which this country labors
will never be remedied until such' de
manda are enacted into law, we main
tain tnat these righteous principles
should never be sacrificed for office
alone, for the benefit of a few. There
fore in order that we, aa a party, may
maintain our integrity and preserve
the autonomy of our party, we issue
thia call, and appeal to all Populists in
Wake'county who avor maintaining
the principles of our party, to meet at
the court house in Raleigh, on Satur
doy, the 3rd day of September, 1898,
for the purpose of nominating a straight
Populist ticket for the county.
(Signed) R N. Wynne,
C. E. Kc . ullees,
Jno C. Fort,
C. R Debnam,
J. R. Ecarboro,
D. M. DiZi.R,
G. A. BCARBORO,
O. C Dunn,
W. G. Pearson,
Nob ah Wall,
W. E. MOwULLERS,
N B. Penny,
R J. BUFFALOE,
A. C. Green,
B. B. Buff aloe,
V W. D. Goodwin,
M. W. Buffaloe,
Sherwood White j
? W. O. Buffaloe.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92073049/1898-08-30/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1777&index=1&rows=20&words=Buffaloe+Sherwood&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1963&proxtext=buffaloe+sherwood&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Thursday, May 19, 2022
100 Acres, Sherwood White, SALE OF LAND FOR ASSETS. The news & observer December 12, 1901
SALE OF LAND FOR ASSETS.
By virtue of a decree of the Superior Court of
Wake County, made in the case of M. S. Buffaloe,
administratrix. of Sherwood White, deceased, vs.
Joseph J. White, et als., I will, on Monday, Jan
uary 6th, 1902. sell for cash, by auction at the
Court House door of Wake County, the lands of
the late Sherwood White, deceased, consisting of
100 acres, situated in Little River township,
Wake county, on the waters of Simms’ branch
ind hounded by the lands of John Broughton and
others, being the lands conveyed to Sherwood
White by James and Martha Young by deed,
which is* recorded in Book 40 on page 523 in Reg
ister of Deeds’ office for Wake countv.
J. H. FLEMING,
Commissioner.
December 6, 1901.
The news & observer. [volume], December 12, 1901, Page 6, Image 6
About The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current
Saturday, May 14, 2022
POPULIST BOLT GROWS BIGGER Middle-of-the-Roaders - The news & observer. - August 24, 1898 - Sherwood White
GROWS BIGGER
Middle-of-the-Roaders Will
Hold a Convention.
NAME STRAIGHT TICKET THE FORMAL (ALL HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, IS THE DAY
Delegates to the Wilson Convention Last Saturday Declare They will Not Ab de by its Action-Some of the Best farmers in the County Among Bolters.
Those interesting themselves in the matter propose to hold their convention in the court house next Saturday week (September 3) and nominate a straight Populist ticket for the county. That the meeting will be a lively one is a foregone conclusion; that some straight loir, stuff will be dealt out is indicated bv the announcement in the petition that the signers there of "maintain that the righteous principles of the Populist party should never be sacrificed for office alone or for the benefit of a few.” The formal call for the convention is as follows:
Believing in the justice of the principles of the People’s party, and that
the evils under which this country labors will never he remedied until
such demands are enacted into law, we maintain that these righteous principles should never fa* sacrificed
for office alone, for the benefit of a few. Therefore, in order that wc,as a party, may maintain our integrity and preserve the autonomy of our party, we issue this call, and appeal to all Populists in Wake county who favor maintaining the principles of our party, to meet at the court house in Raleigh, on Saturday, the 3rd day of September. ISOS, for the purpose of nominating a straight
Populist ticket for the county.
(Signed)
R. N. WYNNE.
('. E. MV ELLERS,
.TNG. <\ FORT.
(’. It. DEB NAM.
.L R. SCAR BORO,
D. M. DIZAR,
G. A. S('AItBORO,
A. C. DUNN.
W. (J. PEARSON,
NOAII WALL,
\V. E. M'CULLERS,
N. B. PENNY.
It. J. BUFFALOE,
A. C. GREEN,
Ft. It. BUFFALOE,
W. AY. GOODWIN.
M. W. BUFFALOE.
SHERWOOD WHITE,
W. C. BUFFALOE.
“We are not Democrats.” they said, "any more than we are Republicans.
We are Populists, that and nothing more. AVo believe in the principles of that party and we do not think the time has come when we are compelled to desert them or choose another political organization. AA’hen it docs if will be time enough for its to choose new associations. But enemies within our own ranks are seeking to deliver us over to the Republican party.
We don't propose just at this time to be delivered that is all there is of it. Our cal! for a convention is simply a protest against being traded like cattle to the Republican party by Otho Wilson.”
Other epressions to the same effect have been heard within tin* past few days. There can be no doubt that the bolt is a serious one—much more serious than was at first believed by the managers of last Saturday’s convention.
The news & observer. [volume], August 24, 1898, Page 6, Image 6
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
WRAL: Millbrook Village: Abandoned 150+ year old mill hidden in Raleigh

People who've lived in Raleigh since before the 1970s may recall a time when the area known as 'North Raleigh' was still called Millbrook Village. The little white post office was still standing and the enormous mill standing by Falls Lake hadn't yet been turned into apartments.

Today, very few remnants of the Millbrook community still remains. Some abandoned homesteads can be found near Falls Lake – ruins from another civilization, another era. Two of the community's original churches, which originally met in brush arbors, still congregate today, holding memories from the bygone time.
And many locals would be surprised to discover that 150+ year old remains of an old, abandoned mill still stands, nearly unrecognizable from its former life, on the banks of Marsh Creek.
In fact, this stone relic is believed to be the original 'mill brook,' from which the entire Millbrook community – and modern day Millbrook Road – takes its name.

The hidden history of Millbrook Village
The remains of the Millbrook community have slowly faded over the years after being annexed by Raleigh. I grew up in Millbrook in the 1980s and went to Millbrook Elementary – but by then the area was just called 'North Raleigh.'
However, those who have lived in Millbrook Village long enough can share stories from a time before the area belonged to Raleigh.
"In the early 1860s a community developed along US-1, six miles north of downtown Raleigh near an important gristmill situated on Marsh Creek," wrote Dr. Phil Ashburn of Millbrook United Methodist Church, one of the community's earliest church congregations.
The churches know about the secret mill remains very well, with oral histories passed down by older church members that this stone structure is indeed the original 'Mill Brook.'
According to Ashburn, the Millbrook community formed in the early 1860s, developing along US-1 around six miles north of downtown Raleigh near "an important gristmill situated on Marsh Creek."
"The well-hidden stone foundation is rumored to remain," he writes.
The Mill Brook community grew around the Raleigh-Gaston Railroad, which built a station in the village in 1860, according to Asburn.Both the Millbrook United Methodist congregation and the Millbrook Baptist Church congregation originally met outdoors, gathering in 'brush arbors,' which were slightly sheltered by overhanging leaves and encircling bushes. In fact, the Harris Teeter at North Ridge Shopping Center, near the Millbrook Exchange Park, is built very close to the original brush arbor for a Millbrook church congregation.
"Most of the farms ranged from 50 to several hundred acres, so the families did not live close to one another. The main crops were corn, cotton, wheat and vegetables. Each family owned cows, chickens and hogs. Before the area had churches, the people assembled at a brush arbor for corporate worship to seek God’s blessings," according to the history of Millbrook Baptist Church.
While most Raleighites and historians have only recently 'discovered' the mill's remains, residents of the neighborhoods around the old granite mill have long known about the structure. However, many of them did not realize it was a mill, nor did they know exactly how historically important the structure was.

Many historians who have examined or studied the mill have theorized this structure is the original 'Mill Brook' for which Millbrook Village and Millbrook Road took their names.
Other roads in the surrounding area include Grist Mill Road, Old Forge Road, Harps Mill Road and Hunting Ridge Road. What old foundations and historic places might these road names recall?
The WRAL Hidden Historian took viewers on a live exploration of the remains of this abandoned historic relic on WRAL's Facebook. Tune in then to see the live exploration, and more history of the lost legacy of Mill Brook Village and its neighboring community of Six Forks.
Friday, August 7, 2020
George White Oteen Hospital Pictures


From North Carolina County War Records, WWI 2, WWI Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Margaret Ayers White
Margaret Ayers White, 92, passed away Monday, July 17, 2017. She was born in Washington, NC on March 10, 1925 to the late Edwin W. and Laura Stedman Ayers. Margaret grew up in Raleigh and proudly attended Hugh Morrison High School.
After graduating, she and several of her friends went to work for Western Union - a job which enabled her to work and travel during the war. On June 15, 1947, she married William "Bill" Albert White and from that union had five children.
Margaret eventually left the banking industry and began a new career with the US Postal Service, from which she retired in 1986. Post-retirement, she and Bill spent many years traveling in their motor home, often loading up half the family for week-long getaways.
Although Margaret was an active member of the Eastern Star, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the First Families of North Carolina, she was most active at being "Mema" to her six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was a lively, spirited woman whose memory will be cherished forever.
Margaret is survived by her loving children Barbara Shand and husband, Kevin; Patricia Lewis and husband, Todd; John White and wife, Sherry; and Billy White. She leaves behind grandchildren Jennifer Dew, Mark Aubut, Steven White, Robert Haynes, Amy Lewis, and Eric White, and great-grandchildren Heather and Shelby Dew, Ellie White, Samantha Aubut, and Robert "Bo" Haynes. She is also survived by her dear brother James Cordon Ayers of Columbus, Ohio.
The family requests no flowers, but please honor their mother and remember their sister, Peggy Adams, by making donations to Rex Healthcare Foundation's Peggy Adams Scholarship Fund. Checks should be sent to Rex Healthcare at 2500 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607.
Arrangements under the direction of Mitchell Funeral Home at Raleigh Memorial Park, Raleigh, NC.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Sunday, August 21, 2016
William "Willie" Owen White Timeline
William Owen White was born in October of 1873 to James and Sabrina Peebles White. From the 1880 census, he lived in the Little River district of Raleigh. His grandparents, Sherwood and Susan White, lived next door where they took care of the family farm.
1880
Census - Age: 7
Little River, Wake County, North Carolina
James White, Age: 35 (Farmer)
Sabrina White, Age: 28 (Keeping House)
Joseph White, Age: 9
William White, Age: 6
Zora White, Age: 4
Elizabeth White, Age: 2
James Williams, Age: 16 (Servant)
1900
1900 Census - Age: 27 Raleigh Township
At 26, William Owen White, shows up working at Pilot Mills with his future wife, Ellen Langford (18) who were married on June 27th, 1900 at Midway Baptist Church.
Raleigh 1899-1900 City Directory.
Name / Occupation / Address
White, Wm O; wks Pilot Mills; r 4 Pilot Mills (cotton mill weaver)
Langford, Ellen Miss; wks Pilot Mills; r 22 Pilot Mills (cotton mill weaver)
Wedding portrait of William Owen White and Ellen Langford.
Midway Baptist Church was located at the corner of Spring Forest and Falls of Neuse Roads.

Census - Age: 37
Barton Creek, Wake, North Carolina
Death - Sept 26, 1912
View all Census Records.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
William Ratcliffe and Etta Rebecca White early 1900s
Portrait of William Ratcliffe and Etta White from about 1900. William and Etta worked at Pilot Mills in Raleigh, NC and are listed in the 1899-1900 City Directory.
Name / Occupation / Address
William Ratcliff; wks Pilot Mills; r 4 Pilot Mills (cotton mill line inspector?)
Miss Etta R White; wks Pilot Mills; r 4 Pilot Mills (cotton mill weaver)
From the 1900 Census, they live next door to each other.
| Photo via Flickr @ Ashe Etta White |
"By day, the angel guards the grave of Etta Ratcliffe, who died in 1918 after a sickness that dragged on for five months. Stern-faced, unsmiling, the angel doesn’t gaze so much as glower into the distance – a fitting monument to a mother of five dead at 37."
Read more "here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/21/2429070/shaffer-graveyard-angel-glares.html#storylink=cpy
[The angel] came to Raleigh from Italy, ordered by Etta Ratcliffe’s husband and knitting-factory magnate, William. But her ship foundered and sunk off the coast of Wilmington, and the marble angel spent years underwater before a tender-hearted seaman plucked her out of the ocean.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Mary Ratcliffe 1922 Raleigh High School Picture
Mary's parents are Etta Rebecca White and William Ratcliffe. She was born in 1904 and was George White's cousin.
http://library.digitalnc.org/digitalnc/bookreader/bookreader.php?coll=/yearbooks&id=14200#page/64/mode/1up




























