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.