Echoes of the Sandhills

Series 4: Echoes in Action: Lives That Shaped the Sandhills and the World

Echo 4: Laura Brinkley Stinson (1835–1924)

In the quiet months after the Civil War, newly freed communities across North Carolina were building more than homes—they were building institutions that would carry their hopes for generations. Among those who helped shape Manchester’s early African American community was Laura Brinkley Stinson, a woman whose life bridged bondage and leadership, domestic labor and financial stewardship, family ties and civic engagement.

Laura was born November 15, 1835, the daughter of Essex (or Esseck) and Bella Brinkley. Her early years unfolded in the Sandhills region of Cumberland County, in a world dominated by pine forests, turpentine camps, and the rigid hierarchies of antebellum life. By the end of the Civil War, Laura had entered a new era, one that offered freedom but demanded courage, skill, and vision.

In January or February 1870, she married Lemuel Stinson, joining two families whose roots would remain intertwined in Manchester for generations. Just five years later, Laura appears in the pages of The Educator (April 24, 1875), not merely as a resident but as a leader in the life of her community. She was listed as Treasurer of the women’s division of the “Union Band, Sons and Daughters of Zion”, a mutual aid society tied to Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church.

The Union Band was more than a society—it was a lifeline. Members paid dues, supported each other through sickness and loss, and strengthened the church. Within its ranks, the women were formidable: as the newspaper noted, they were $52.35 stronger than the brothers, a small but telling measure of their dedication and organizational power. Laura’s husband, Lemuel, served as treasurer for the men’s division, reflecting a shared family commitment to stewardship. Other members included Frederick Jackson, Thomas Lucas, Catharine Monroe, Isabella Brinkley, George Elliott, and Jane Lucas, suggesting that the Brinkley and Stinson families formed a core of leadership in the postwar congregation.

Although the historical record does not fully credit her, oral tradition and sparse church histories suggest that Laura played a key role in securing the land for Bethel A.M.E. Zion’s first church building. Her position as treasurer, her reputation for responsibility, and her connection to the broader church community would have made her a natural intermediary between her neighbors and prominent landowners such as Daniel McDiarmid.

Laura’s life extended well beyond her early leadership. In 1921, she appeared in the Fayetteville Observer in connection with 45 acres of land to be sold for back taxes, evidence that she had acquired property and managed her affairs independently—a remarkable achievement for a Black woman born in 1835. She passed away on January 21, 1924, leaving behind a legacy not only of family and property but of service, stewardship, and community building.

Today, her memory echoes in the landscape she once walked. Along Vass Road on what is now Fort Bragg land lies Stinson Cemetery, likely connected to her family’s holdings. Through the leadership of women like Laura Brinkley Stinson, Manchester’s African American community of the late 19th century found its voice, its structure, and its sacred ground.

In the story of Bethel A.M.E. Zion, in the dues of the Union Band, in the quiet persistence of a woman managing a treasury, we hear her echo still.

Echoes of the Sandhills

Series 4: Echoes in Action: Lives That Shaped the Sandhills and the World

Echo 3: Sippio Burton - The Man, the Shop, and the Community

In the Sandhills tradition, certain places become more than buildings, they become anchors for the life of a community. For Manchester and later Fayetteville, one such place was Sippio Burton’s barbershop.

Inside that shop, the steady rhythm of clippers mixed with conversation, laughter, debate, and planning. News was shared. Concerns were voiced. Ideas were tested. Meetings were often held there, and community direction sometimes took shape between haircuts. It was widely said that anyone running for office had better know Sippio Burton, a testament to the respect he earned and the influence he carried.

Born in Fayetteville around 1915 or 1916 to Sippio Burton and Sallie Hodges, Burton grew into a man whose life reflected service in every sense of the word. He served his country in the United States Army at Fort Bragg in 1942 and that same year married Sadie McLean, beginning a partnership that would anchor his life and work.

As a barber, Burton built more than a business, he built trust. But his service extended far beyond the barber chair. He was a community activist and civic leader who worked to improve conditions for African Americans in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. As president of the local NAACP, he spoke out for justice and accountability, including public commentary in March 1968 following the police killing of an African American soldier from Fort Bragg. In 1981, he joined others in challenging North Carolina’s redistricting plans, continuing his long commitment to fair representation.

His leadership was also evident in the everyday life of the community. A January 23, 1960 article in The Carolina Times noted that he gave his cousin away in marriage, a role reflecting the esteem in which he was held within his family. In 1957, as president of the Barbers Club, he crowned the queen at the Fayetteville Beauticians’ Cabaret Ball, highlighting his connection to the network of Black business and professional life that sustained the community.

Faith was central to Burton’s life. He served as an Elder at Spout Springs Presbyterian Church, where his strength and leadership mirrored the role he played in the wider community.

Barber. Husband. Son. Cousin. Veteran. Activist. Church leader. Community pillar.

Sippio Burton did it all.

But perhaps his greatest legacy lives in the space he created. His barbershop was a gathering place where voices mattered, where leadership was shaped, and where the life of the community was strengthened one conversation at a time. In the Sandhills, his chair was more than a seat, it was a place where community happened.

Echoes of The Sandhills

Series 4: Echoes in Action: Lives That Shaped the Sandhills and the World

Echo 2: Adam Martin “A.M.” Barrett

Some lives echo not because they were loud, but because they were faithful, steadfast in purpose, enduring in impact. Adam Martin “A.M.” Barrett is one such life. Born into slavery in Moore County, North Carolina, on February 7, 1844, Barrett emerged from bondage into a calling that would shape churches, schools, and communities across the Sandhills and beyond.

Barrett’s life spanned one of the most consequential periods in American history. Enslaved at birth, he witnessed the collapse of slavery and the uncertain promise of freedom. Like many African Americans of his generation, his response to freedom was not retreat, but responsibility, helping to build the institutions that freedom required.

By January 1870, just five years after the end of the Civil War, Barrett appears in the Monthly Report of Freedmen’s Schools, State of North Carolina as Rev. Adam Barrett, listed as the teacher of Mt. Olive School in Carthage, Moore County. The school was commissioned by the African Methodist Episcopal Society. The use of the title Reverend at this early date reflects that Barrett was already serving in ministry while also teaching, embodying the close relationship between education and the church during Reconstruction. Teaching in a Freedmen’s School was more than instruction; it was an act of resistance against the illiteracy imposed by slavery and a declaration of hope for future generations.[Freedmen’s School report]

Barrett’s influence soon extended beyond the classroom into the pulpit and the broader leadership of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. A December 4, 1873 article in the Wilmington Morning Star lists his appointment for the 1873–1874 conference year as Presiding Elder of the Manchester District and as pastor of the Manchester church. That congregation would later become known as Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church, a name that continues to carry deep significance within the community.

Articles from The Educator newspaper in Fayetteville frequently reference Barrett’s leadership as Presiding Elder of the Manchester District and his close affiliation with Bethel. He was instrumental in the construction of the church’s first edifice, transforming faith into something visible and enduring. In a time when African American congregations often worshiped in borrowed or temporary spaces, the establishment of a permanent house of worship was both a spiritual and social milestone.

Barrett’s leadership extended across districts and conferences. He presided over multiple A.M.E. Zion conferences, guiding clergy and congregations during a period of growth and transition for the denomination. One such gathering—the Quarterly Conference held on February 13, 1875, at Jonesboro Chapel in Jonesboro (present-day Sanford), North Carolina, was reported in The Educator, underscoring his role as a trusted and respected leader.

By 1877, Barrett was serving as Presiding Elder of the Fayetteville District, further expanding his influence across central North Carolina. His work reflected a rare combination of pastoral care, administrative leadership, and institutional vision, qualities essential for sustaining Black churches and communities in the post-Reconstruction South.

Education remained a cornerstone of Barrett’s legacy. Later in life, he founded Barrett College in Anson County, extending his commitment to learning beyond elementary instruction. At a time when opportunities for African American students were limited by law and custom, the establishment of a school represented both courage and foresight, a belief in the power of education to shape future leaders.

Throughout his ministry and educational work, Barrett was supported by his wife, Catharine. While historical records often focus on ministers and public leaders, Catharine’s life was intertwined with the demanding travel, leadership responsibilities, and community commitments that defined Barrett’s calling. Her presence reminds us that these legacies were often sustained through partnership and shared sacrifice.

Barrett’s long and faithful service did not go unnoticed. In a December 10, 1886 article in the Star of Zion, the paper observed:

“Rev. A.M. Barrett, we believe has traveled as Presiding Elder longer than any man in the conference. He is still popular and makes his influence known wherever he goes.”

Adam Martin Barrett died on May 25, 1926, in Lilesville, Anson County, North Carolina. His life bridged slavery and freedom, hardship and hope. Through education, church leadership, and institution-building, Barrett left echoes that continue to shape communities today.

His story reminds us that freedom is not only claimed, it is constructed, lesson by lesson, sermon by sermon, log by log.