Merrick marker unveiled

Feb. 25—John Merrick took his rightful place in Sampson County's seat this week, a tribute was held in downtown Clinton to honor a native county son who passed away more than a century ago, but whose impact is still felt today and whose memory will now live on for the decades to come.

A historical marker to Merrick was dedicated in Vance Street Park, a homecoming of sorts to honor the Sampson native, who overcame slavery to make a profound impact on North Carolina.

Merrick was born near Clinton in 1859 and cut his teeth in Raleigh before making an indelible mark in Durham, where he moved in 1880. In 1898, he founded the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, which became the nation's largest Black-owned business.

"We are here to honor a longtime best-kept secret in Sampson County, the birthplace of Mr. John Merrick," said Larry Sutton, whose quest for a tangible way of honoring Merrick dates back to September 2010.

Sutton, who taught at Clinton High School for more than three decades and currently serves as Sampson's NAACP branch president, saw his efforts bolstered by a fundraising campaign launched in 2021 by the North Carolina A&T State University Alumni Association's Sampson County chapter, of which Sutton is a part.

At the behest of Sutton, the Clinton City Council approved last year that the marker to be installed in the downtown. On Thursday, following the short dedication ceremony, Sutton and Merrick's great-grandson James Samson unveiled the marker to Merrick.

"This is a wonderful occasion," said Samson, who thanked city and county leaders. "On behalf of all the descendants who are scattered amongst this whole nation, we have a debt of gratitude. This type of effort, although maybe delayed Mr. Sutton would probably think, it wasn't denied. And that's very important. This marker is always an educational opportunity so hopefully when you have citizens and people who visit the City of Clinton, they can visit here and you can tell the story of John Merrick."

"He was very instrumental in the uplift of his people at a time where there were barriers," said Samson.

In 1871, at the age of 12, Merrick "began his quest to find opportunities," said Sutton.

That quest took him first to Chapel Hill, then to Raleigh, and ultimately to Durham, making a name for himself not only as a businessman, but as a community leader and philanthropist.

"Today, we are assembling here to pay homage, respect — it seems to me we are bringing John Merrick back home," Sutton stated to the crowd gathered at Vance Street Park. "He left in 1871 as a 12-year-old youngster, and today, we are bringing John Merrick back home. Thank you for being a part of this homecoming for John Merrick. We are so pleased to have you here to enjoy this occasion as we honor our own John Merrick."

Clinton Mayor Lew Starling said there was only one problem.

Merrick was born about 12 miles south of Clinton, in the Taylors Bridge Township. So, Starling held an impromptu vote amongst the City Council members in attendance, unanimously approving Merrick as an official citizen of Clinton.

"I think everybody would agree this is our most prominent area of the city — what a beautiful area it is," said Starling. "We all love to come here. We're going to place the monument there for him, but this is not officially home because he's not a resident of Clinton. But we're going to solve that. I think we have the entire City Council here, so I'm going to ask for a motion from Rev. (Marcus) Becton ... to make Mr. Merrick an official resident of Clinton, North Carolina, in this very spot. Do I have an amen?"

The crowd responded with an "amen."

Merrick "made an impact on all lives, in particular African Americans who were not given a fair shot," Starling attested.

"We need to honor him continuously with this moment," said Starling, "I urge this to be a landmark for everyone. To the family and friends who are here, I thank you for allowing us to share his legacy here in Clinton at our most beautiful spot, that we will allow him to claim here. Bring your family, bring your friends, and let the world know that Clinton recognizes the good things that occur and we will continue to think about positive things that move the city forward and try to get out of this mess that the world is in."

Sampson County Commissioner Lethia Lee, representative of District 4 and the first Black female ever elected to the county board, offered words of tribute to Merrick, saying his memory lives on through the marker but also through the many who now carry the torch of Black leadership.

"John Merrick really helped people of color in North Carolina, and we're so grateful for him," said Lee, who compared Merrick to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., offering an excerpt from his "I have a dream" speech to illustrate the point.

"He said 'I have been to the mountaintop and I have seen the promise land,'" said Lee. "You know what? I believe that promise land he was talking about was he saw John Merrick, he saw Barack Obama, he saw Michelle Obama. Back here in Clinton, he saw Thaddeus Godwin, he saw Dr. (Ted) Thomas, he saw Reverend Becton, he saw Representative Raymond Smith, and yes, he saw little old me, a county commissioner, the first Black woman to be a county commissioner in Sampson County. I thank all of you for coming to share in this great occasion with us."

Clinton Planning and Development director Mary Rose thanked the mayor and Council members for permitting the marker to be placed in the downtown. She mentioned the unveiling of a similar marker last year at Clinton's Newkirk Park honoring George W. Herring, who established a school to educate the young African-American populous at the turn of the century.

Rose said she continues to learn about the struggles of those who came well before her or anybody else in attendance at Thursday's ceremony.

"We continue to see challenges today," said Rose, who reiterated the importance of that history, just as she did at the Herring ceremony. "Just because we are not aware of the history, doesn't mean the history does not exist. I would also like to congratulate Mr, Larry Sutton, a longtime educator in this community. For years, Mr. Sutton has worked tirelessly to bring this to fruition."

Rose said she recently attended a book-signing by Dr. Bertha Boykin Todd, who wrote about the Wilmington Massacre of 1898. Just as 1898 Memorial Park came on the heels of her efforts, Sutton worked tirelessly to see a tangible tribute to Merrick realized.

"We need to know these stories, we need to hear about them and we need to pass them on to our children," said Rose. "Mr. Sutton, I thank you so much for not giving up."

Merrick received no formal schooling, but learned to read and write in a Reconstruction school. By hard work and simple faith, Merrick rose in the world to organize the largest insurance company owned an operated entirely by African-Americans. When Merrick was 12, he and his family relocated to Chapel Hill where he got a job in a brickyard providing support for his family. At the age of 18, Merrick moved to Raleigh, where he became a brick mason and worked on the construction of Shaw University.

"He helped to build the buildings that went up on that young campus in the 1870s in Raleigh," said Sutton.

While in Raleigh, he became a bootblack in a barbershop, and in this same shop he learned the barber's trade.

"However, great, great fortunes awaited Mr. Merrick in Durham," Sutton stated. "There, he, you might say, struck gold. That's where he began to create and produce for the Black community in Durham."

In 1880, his friend John Wright asked Merrick to join him in relocating to Durham to start a new barbershop business. After six months, Merrick bought shares in the barbershop and it was renamed Wright and Merrick. In 1892, Wright sold his shares to Merrick making him sole proprietor.

Eventually, Merrick owned eight barbershops in Durham. Responding to the prevailing racial segregation patterns, Merrick owned shops that catered exclusively to Black and white customers. As his business flourished, Merrick began to buy land and build rental houses, possessing a special talent for organizing and promoting business enterprises, and leading community ventures.

"Perhaps, no one person has ever had a greater commitment to serving his community than John Merrick," Sutton has said. "After moving to Durham and using profits from his barbershop businesses, Merrick began to buy land and invest in real estate, building affordable houses for rent. As he became more successful in his own personal business ventures, Merrick became a leader in civic affairs with the Black community in Durham, a match made in heaven."

Merrick is most remembered, however, as one of the founders of the North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company, which eventually became the largest Black-owned insurance company in the United States.

Concerned with more than the economic vitality of Durham, Merrick also participated in efforts to improve the health of Durham's Black population. In 1901, he served as the first President of the Board of Trustees for the Lincoln Hospital, the first freestanding Black hospital in Durham. Merrick was credited with obtaining the necessary funding from the wealthy Duke family to build the hospital. Merrick had built relationships with the Duke brothers who regularly patronized his barbershop. The hospital housed a nursing school that was critical in serving the Black population during the Influenza epidemic in 1918.

Said James B. Duke about Merrick: "The name of Merrick deserves to live and be a constant call to others to seek success and to use success for the good of mankind."

In 1907, Merrick and others established the Mechanics and Farmers Bank, the first African-American bank in Durham and one of a few to be found in the state. Many white banks refused to loan money to Blacks; therefore, a bank for Blacks was essential for Black business growth. During the early to mid-twentieth century, Black banks existed in every Southern city with a successful middle-class black population.

In 1908, no drug stores were conveniently located near Durham's African-American neighborhoods or businesses. To better meet the pharmaceutical needs of a growing Black population, John Merrick and five others founded the Bull City Drug Company, which included two stores.

In addition to his duties at North Carolina Mutual Life, Merrick also helped solve numerous problems within the Black community of Durham. As African-Americans acquired property in Durham, many wanted to purchase property insurance, yet, insurance regulations prevented North Carolina Mutual Life from offering real estate insurance.

Merrick persuaded his business partners, A.M. Moore and C.C. Spaulding, to join him in forming a company that offered such a product in Durham. On Dec. 8, 1910, the Merrick-Moore-Spaulding Real Estate Company was incorporated. Together these three men participated in numerous local ventures, and were often referred to as "The Triangle" throughout the business community.

The education of Black children and young adults was a priority for Merrick. In addition to supporting rural schools and the College for Blacks in Durham (now known as North Carolina Central), Merrick's philanthropy helped open a public library intended to serve the needs of Black children of the community.

Merrick died in August of 1919 at the age of 60.

"Most of the time, he was relegated to the footnotes of history," genealogy researcher Stan Best stated at Thursday's ceremony, "but today, we have resolved that he be included in the standard histories. I would like to thank everyone who was connected and collaborated to help bring these event to fruition."

"I can't give my thanks enough," Samson concurred. "It's great to see the (N.C. A&T) Aggie Pride. I am a Howard graduate but I also love the Aggies."

Jamaal Hayes, president of the Sampson County chapter of N.C. A&T Alumni, thanked everyone involved in the effort and those who donated to see the marker installed honoring John Merrick.

"There is a great connection that Mr. John Merrick had to A&T," Sutton stated. "He offered scholarships to A&T students in the early 1900s, and I am sure that part of his love for A&T came from his son Edward Richard Merrick was an A&T graduate in 1908. I feel that pride. I feel that Aggie Pride. Today, we are honoring a very true A&T connection."

N.C. A&T graduate Phillip Williamson called it a "momentous" and "historical" occasion.

"Once again, we have the opportunity to recognize one of Sampson County's own, who made great contributions to the betterment of the citizens in our state and in our nation," he said.

Editor Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2587.