The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The town of Bear Grass, located in the southern part of Martin County, was named for a type of yucca (Yucca flaccida) that grows less than two feet in height and is found abundantly in the region. One of the first settlers to the area was John Swinson, who received a large tract of land from the Earl of Granville, the last Lord Proprietor, in 1761. Bear Grass Swamp was a part of this property and was mentioned in Swinson's deed. Many of the early settlers were farmers whose principal crops of cotton and corn were sold in towns along the Tar and Roanoke rivers. Sheep, cattle, and hogs were also raised in large numbers, and farmers often supplemented their income with shingle making, woodcrafts, and the production of tar and turpentine from the area's abundant forests.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Bear Grass’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bear Grass’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Bear Grass
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Bear Grass, decade by decade
2000
2 historic places in Bear Grass
Bear Grass has 2 listings on the National Register, and they protect 9 historic buildings, because Bear Grass School alone counts 8.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.