“A River Runs Through It” If there were a novel titled A River Runs Through It, I am sure many Kinstonians would take pleasure in reading it or perhaps see the movie. When the last pages were read or the credits appear on the screen, they would probably stretch and say “I really enjoyed that.” Actually there is a book titled A River Runs Through It and it is a significant book about Kinston and Lenior County - one which includes many hours of research and valuable information. Several years ago, interested citizens and local officials met for days brainstorming ideas for one of Kinston’s greatest assets - the narrow, twisting river that curls through Kinston’s downtown district. Colonial Kinston was settled on the banks of the Neuse River because our founding fathers realized the great benefits the Neuse could provide. Flat boats and eventually steamboats navigated the Neuse dropping off and picking up precious cargo at the foot of Caswell and King Streets in downtown Kinston. Seeds, fertilizers, house wares, etc., came in and farm produce was shipped out. Over time, however, the once beautiful, clean and mighty Neuse became dirty and no longer navigable because of neglect and lack of interest. In Kinston, untold numbers of historic properties have been neglected to the point of dilapidation. Consequently they have been ordered demolished, thus destroying much of the architectural heritage of this county and city. The Neuse River and the lands surrounding it are rich with fragments of history as evidenced by the recovery of the CSS Neuse gunboat in the early 1960s. Some local historians even claim that an old (1800s) steamboat lies buried in the sandbar across the Neuse at the foot of Caswell Street. The effort to save the CSS Neuse was successful because people worked together to salvage the old ironclad. In fact, the gunboat was nearly intact when it was first lifted from its watery grave just below Kinston. Over the years, due to a lack of interest by the bureaucrats in Raleigh, much of the original structure has either floated away or rotted. Last year, the bureaucrats finally responded and had what was left of the old ironclad pulled from its cradle in the swamp and deposited under a crude barn-like structure. Visitors, hearing the high pitched squeals emanating from doomed pigs at the meat packing plant next door, could easily be fooled into believing that the ugly barn really does house pigs. The old survivor of the war between the states deserves more than something that looks like an animal shelter, and Kinston could certainly benefit from a properly located and designed Civil War museum. Just as people once rallied to raise the gunboat from the bottom of the Neuse - they could unite again to demand that the state appropriate much deserved funds to return the gunboat back to its downtown base - a project that would mark a new beginning to revitalize Kinston’s river front. It is the duty of Kinston and Lenoir County officials to show their support, enthusiasm and leadership for such a project which would make a positive impact on our ailing local economy. Civic organizations could support the effort by helping landscape designated areas and planting azaleas or other flowering shrubs and bushes along the banks of the Neuse. If our community works together, it will be a contribution of beauty and enjoyment for ourselves and future generations. We must move forward with the projected plans for “A River Runs Through It.” Let’s work together to again ignite our community pride, commitment and vision.
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