Echoes of the Sandhills

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

Echo 6: Anthony Walter Moore (1820–1932)

Anthony Walter Moore was born in 1820 in the vicinity of Fayetteville, North Carolina. According to family accounts, he was born into slavery and was initially owned by a man named Daniel McQueen, who worked him as a field hand. At some point, he was sold to another enslaver bearing the surname Moore, from whom he later took his name. Both plantations were located in the Fayetteville area.

Over time, Anthony’s role changed. He was brought into the household and, according to these accounts, was afforded certain privileges. He was permitted access to books, learned to read and write, and is said to have shared that knowledge by teaching others.

Following emancipation, Anthony remained for a period with the Moore household. Eventually, after a disagreement, he chose to leave and begin a new chapter of his life.

During this time, he married his first wife, Mary Ann, and maintained close ties to his family, including his sister, Mary McQueen.

Anthony later relocated to the Lillington area of Harnett County, in Upper Little River Township, where he was employed in the naval stores industry, pulling turpentine boxes from pine trees. This labor—common in the Sandhills region—is supported by historical documentation; a Freedmen’s Bureau record notes a dispute involving Anthony W. Moore regarding nonpayment for work associated with cutting turpentine boxes.

After approximately a year of work, during which he saved his earnings, Anthony returned to the Seventy-First area, where his wife Mary Ann and their children were living. He then brought his wife, their five children, and his niece, Bell McKellar, back to Harnett County, where they settled in Upper Little River Township.

Through determination and resourcefulness, Anthony acquired approximately nine hundred acres of land. Homes were built for their families about one-fourth mile from the present Mount Olive Methodist Church, a congregation later founded by his niece, Bell McKellar.

The first year was marked by hardship. The land had to be cleared by cutting trees, removing shrubbery, and digging out stumps. Leaves were gathered into piles in the fall, and a mixture of lye and water was poured over them to create fertilizer. By the following spring, the fertilizer was ready for use. In the second year, the crops yielded abundantly, and from that point forward, Anthony and his family began to prosper.

They raised livestock, including sheep, goats, hogs, and cattle, as well as poultry such as chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. They cultivated collard greens, corn, peas, and other vegetables, preserving food for the winter months alongside cured meats. Anthony also grew sugarcane for syrup and, in later years, cultivated cotton and peanuts.

As his holdings expanded, Anthony entered into business. He established his first store, known as “Old Hundred,” on land near the site of the old Norrington A.M.E. Zion Church. He later sold that parcel to Neill A. Mason and built another store near his home site by Mount Olive Church.

During this period, his first wife, Mary Ann, passed away. Together, they had fifteen children. He later married Judy McNeill Ross (identified as Julia in census records), the widow of Mack Ross, and to this union were born additional children. In total, Anthony was the father of twenty-seven children, though several died in infancy and their names were not recorded.

Over the years, Anthony developed substantial wealth and property. He owned mules, fine homes, and well-crafted buggies, and in later years was among the first in the area to own an automobile, a Buick. He owned and operated a cane mill, grist mill, and sawmill, later partnering with his son Neill in these enterprises.

His landholdings extended beyond Harnett County to Fayetteville, Sanford, and Clinton, though he eventually sold portions of these properties. He also acquired additional land and town lots in Shawtown near Lillington.

From his original estate, he sold parcels of land to his sons—Hardie, Baptiste, Neill Archie, and Duncan—as well as to his daughter Margaret. He also sold land to others in the community, including William Steele, Nathan Black, and additional relatives and neighbors.

Desiring a change in location for his family, Anthony sold the remaining acreage of his estate to a man from Benson, North Carolina, and relocated to Shawtown. There, he built another home and store, operated a peanut farm, and continued his business activities until the end of his life.

Anthony was a long-standing member of Norrington A.M.E. Zion Church, where he served as a trustee. He was also a member of the local school board for many years and a Past Master in the Masonic Fraternal Order.

He departed this life at his home on Monday, August 22, 1932. According to available records, he reached an extraordinary age. Following his passing, his estate in Shawtown was divided among his children.

Anthony Walter Moore, along with his wives and his niece Bell McKellar, is remembered as a pioneer of this community, one whose labor, land, and leadership laid a foundation upon which generations have continued to build.