Yesterday, I took a trip up to Rocky Mount, and on the way back home to Wilson. This was definitely a “spur of the moment” decision based solely on finding a library book sale at “North Carolina Wesleyan University” in Rocky Mount listed online. *I see that “Wesleyan University” is in Middletown, Connecticut.
I found the few details of the book sale on the Pearsall Library Facebook site.
There were a number of miscues, on my part, in getting to this book sale, and I was also under a time limit. You see above that the Saturday book sale ended at 11 am, and I had less than two hours to shower and drive up to Rocky Mount, NC. I looked online and saw that the trip would only take one hour and twenty-four minutes. I thought this was optimistic since I thought that it would take a couple of hours to get to Wilson. But no, I showered quickly and drove like a demon along I95. I guess having an end goal and time requirement fueled some inner race car driver. I kept up with or passed many vehicles, in the fast lane of the Interstate on this journey.
I’ll leave my first miscue until later, but my second being: I did an “OK Google” search on my phone for directions to Pearsall Library in Rocky Mount, NC, and got a map and Start button on my phone. I pressed it and I was on my way. As I said, I was exceptionally speedy for most of my time on I95 and arrived at my library destination about 10:24 am. This would give me plenty of time to peruse the books on sale, if they were categorized by author, or at least as “crime fiction.
As I pulled into the library parking lot I saw a couple of black persons sitting beside an outside wall. I thought they might be students, or just members of the local community. But I wasn’t satisfied that I was at the library entrance, so I backed out of the parking lot and drove around the building. This wasn’t an easy task since there were “one way” streets that offered minor obstacles. I did a circuitous route as close to the library as I could noting that everyone that I saw were African American, or at least black. And the thought came to me that I didn’t know that Wesleyan University was a black institution (like FSU). Still having worked at FSU for 24 years, and then retiring, I had no problem with entering a black or mostly black institution.
After driving around the neighborhood I ended up on the same side of the library as I had originally been, but in a separate parking lot, adjacent to the first, but I don’t think they were connected. The two persons were still sitting beside the outside wall but I now saw the library entrance/exit. I walked through the doors, past another black person, a woman who did not appear to be of student age or ilk, and through a separate inside door. I was now in the library and saw a young black student sitting behind a counter.
I walked up to the library staffer and asked if the library was having a book sale today. He quickly responded that it wasn’t. I then made a comment that I must have the wrong date. I asked if the sale was scheduled for the next week. He responded negatively again. I asked when the next book sale was scheduled and he said he didn’t know but it would probably be at least a couple of months. *I said I knew I had seen the dates (or at least June 15th, a Saturday) in an online advertisement. The day matching the exact date seemed for me to be proof that the year was correct, 2024, Saturday, June 15th.
I then began to question if I was in the right library. I’m not sure if I recalled the library name as “Pearsall” but the student focused on his computer monitor and was looking for another library that might have a similar or same name. After about a minute, I tapped the counter and said, “I’ll search for myself,” as I turned and headed out of the library.
This first library I visited is apparently the main library in Rocky Mount. I thought this was on a campus, but it is not, and it is Braswell Memorial Library. I thought I had seen a sign near this library that said it was named for a woman with Pearsall in her name, but I do not see that from anything online now.
In the car, I checked for the library name and now saw there was another Pearsall Library at Wesleyan University and it was several miles across town. Still doable, but getting into that last 15 minutes of perusal time before my 11 am deadline. And, once again “one way” streets added to my minor obstacles. Finally, I was on a straightaway and heading down long blocks through green traffic lights.
I had found the online Facebook advertisement and had put the specific street address, “3400 N. Wesleyan Boulevard,” into my phone for directions. I turned at a light and saw athletic fields on my right. Nothing on my left, undeveloped real estate. I turned to my right again, as directed by my phone. And then another right and I saw a small building beside the athletic field. As I drove up to the building I realized it was an administrative building for the athletic department, not the library I was looking for. I cursed, or more than likely cursed, and looked at the phone again. I then thought, “how difficult could it be to find a library on a small college campus,” so I dropped the phone and started through the rest of campus. The buildings were labeled, but I finally stopped and called out to a couple of women, both black women, and one heard me. I asked if there was a library on campus, and she quickly pointed across to a nearby building stating that was the library. I thanked her and whipped the car over through the parking area.
And this is where I parked. It looks like a library entrance, but if it was the entrance, it wasn’t the entrance this morning. I walked to one door and it said, go to the next one, and that said go to the next one and I think there was one more door before I turned the corner (a Bistro) which had two doors, and neither of those were “the door.” But finally my door options had dwindled and I found the right entrance.
I walked in the library and saw two persons, a man and a woman, both white behind a counter. I think my first words were, “I know there is only about 15 minutes left, but is there a book sale today.” The man replied in the affirmative and started walking away from the counter and around to where the books were. And then it happened. There were plenty of books, but this wasn’t just any books sale. This sale was mostly of old tomes specifically written about political science or economics. No current fiction or popular novels here. No Connelly, or Coben, or any other popular New York Times Best Sellers. What a sense of disappointment, but still I walked up and down looking at titles on a table and then “in the stacks.” Nothing, but I did find an old, large cook book and I did buy that. I think it cost $1.
I walked back to my car with my purchase. Later I looked at the online ad (see above) and it didn’t reveal the nature of this book sale. I’m thinking I had see the wording about “popular titles” and “categorized by author” from the ad or ads for other book sales, and had just transposed that onto what I wanted this book sale to be. I then got on my phone and looked for a used book store and found one that was a few miles away, “Pequod Used Books.” It was only after purchasing several books at Pequod, and coming back to my car that I asked myself if “Pequod” didn’t have something to do with Moby Dick. I think I just did a verbal search (OK Google) and sure enough the Pequod was the whaling vessel of Capt. Ahab.
I had a pleasant experience in Pequod, talking to the owner at length.
*I am rushing off to breakfast and hopefully will get back in the writing mode to finish this as there is much more with a visit to City Lake, and driving about downtown Rocky Mount taking a myriad of digital pictures and then on to Wilson, NC and the “Wayback Burger” and a trip around the old Wilson Mall (partially abandoned, J.C. Penny, etc.).
After Pequod Used Books, I headed toward downtown Rocky Mount, but got sidetracked as I went past “the old Power Plant” and next door, the City Lake and park.
I parked in the shade and read some of “The Poet” and slept a little. I then had to find my way around the “One Way” drive around the Lake, but finally did. I then went for a ride in a “posh” nearby neighborhood. The homes seemed to be “old money” from probably the 1960s and I wondered what jobs these families did in order to afford these nice homes.
I had been downtown a couple of years before, and had even taken a short video of a train coming past this building. I misplaced this video, but not too long ago came across it, but don’t recall where I found it.
After I was through driving around downtown and taking a bunch of pictures, I headed toward Wilson, NC on Hwy. 301. But I caught the following out of the corner of my eye, and turned around to go through this narrow tunnel (actually two narrow tunnels). And from the pictures I took, one of the tunnels goes under a railroad track and the other is a street (where a truck was going overhead).
When I got to Wilson, I was hungry and went looking for What-a-Burger, but the actual name was “Wayback Burger.” I had been here once before maybe while I was still working at FSU. I knew they had a delicious hamburger. I had even driven up a year or more later, after my first visit on a Monday (I think.) and they had a “Closed” sign on their door. Some special training or event that day, so I came away without having a second good hamburger. *They were open yesterday, and I ordered a classic hamburger with a fry combo, which includes a drink, and I think the total price was a little over $12.
The only customers at first, besides myself were a family, a little boy and his parents. Later an older couple came in, ordered and sat next to my table to eat. A few more customers came in and had “take out” orders. The burger, and the fries were delicious again. I used a lot of ketchup and even most of a small cup of Ranch dressing.
Unlike my first visit, the sun continued to shine from the time I entered and after I left. The first visit, the sun was shining when I first went in, but it had started to storm and rain hard before I left, and finally when I walked to my car, my whole clothing was drenched. I was so wet that I took my shirt off to drive home.
After I finished eating, I drove over to the Wilson Mall. The Mall was vibrant at one time, but for quite a few years most of the original stores were no longer in business. There are signs of water damage and many of what were probably large glass windows have been boarded up. This is a depressing place that makes me melancholy. The movie theater still is open, and I think Roses may have opened near the theater. Not sure if Roses was there originally, or if they took over an empty space. Still the other end, where J. C. Penney’s was is boarded up.
If you compare the aerial view of this area with the new football stadium, there have been major changes.
I may have driven around the football stadium at Barton College before I went to eat, but after eating I also went back to downtown Wilson and tried to drive around the Whirly Gig Park. But, several of the roads had been closed and appeared to have been dug up. Not sure if they are going to re-route traffic around here, or what. One street appeared to be temporarily closed, with a yellow tape running across, taped to several orange pylons. I think they may have had some event planned for later in the day.
The football stadium looks great! I noted some additional features that had been added. I think it is now Truist Stadium.
Several years ago the bank building demolition was televised and was very entertaining. Seems like I may have driven down there, but don’t recall exactly. One of the center structures, perhaps an elevator well/tower did not fall at first was was brought down with some traditional wrecking ball work. I do recall driving by this street, so I don’t know if I watched the demolition online and then drove there the next day. Hmmm, possible?
I think they have built a new library YMCA and a nice multi-story apartment complex at the old bank location.
Bill Gibson, II 