W. F. REDDING

(William Frank)

February 8, 1865—August 4, 1948

William Frank Redding was born “The year of the Surrender” as he was fond of saying, or 1865 on the farm of his Great, Great Grandfather, Joseph Redding, son of William Redding. Joseph was born in the Weeksville area of Pasquotank County, January 13, 1744. He died in Randolph County in 1815, and his wife, Jane Needham, who was born in Pasquotank County Ca. 1750 and died September 18, 1827. He represented Pasquotank County in the Colonial Assembly in 1773 and 1775 at New Bern, and The First Provincial Congress at New Bern in 1774 and again at Hillsboro in 1776. Although the date of his death on his tombstone is November 29, 1812, his will was written in 1815 and probated November 9, 1815.

Joseph Redding and several of his neighbors, knowing that in the mountains people did not have yellow fever, explored the then new Randolph County and decided to move there.

He was listed in the Hillsboro District of Randolph County, in the 1790 census. He settled in 1791 two miles west of Asheboro on

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the Salisbury Road at the foot of Back Creek Mountain, believed to be named for Back Creek in Bath, N. C.

His first 412 acres was granted to him December 20, 1791, by the state of North Carolina for 10 pounds. This tract of land could have been purchased for 2 pounds 10 shillings in 1779.

John, son of Joseph and Jane Needham Redding, was born Ca. 1778 in Pasquotank County, and died in Randolph County between 1.850 and 1860. He had three brothers and three sisters, lie married Martha Jane Swain.

Thomas, son of John and Martha Jane Swain Redding, `was born  December 2, 1819, and died July 23, 1907. He married Eliza Steed May 11, 1848. She was born May 14, 1824 and died August 1906. Thomas, being too old for the Army, served in the “Home Guard” in The War Between the States.

William Frank Redding, the only son of Thomas and Eliza. had four sisters, Martha, Sally, Jennie and Harriet.

W. F. Redding (also known as Frank or “Big” Frank) was six feet, nine inches tall. He married Cora A. Bulla (born November

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13, 1865--died December 16, 1892), who was the daughter of Dr. Archibald Castlerlagh Bulla and Milicent Octavia Rush Bulla. They had one daughter, Cora (born December 7, 1892——died March 16, 1938). On December 28, 1898, Frank Redding and Margueriet Ida Hammer (born December 5, 1873—-died July 21, 1972) were married in High Point, NC. She was the daughter of Rev. William Clark Hammer, a Methodist Protestant Minister (born December 13, 1836——died September 6, 1909) and Hannah J. Burrow (born October 26, 1839—— died May 1, 1884) and reared by her father and step—mother, Sarah (born September 16, 1840——died January 6, 1919). Four children were born to Frank and Ida: William Frank, Jr., (born November 7, 1901—-died July 5, 1961), an infant daughter (born and died January 3, 1906), Thomas Stanley (born June 19, 1911--died July 20, 1968), and John Fulton (born August 3, 1917). At 12 years of age, W. F. Redding's first job was to walk five miles to a saw mill and have the boiler steamed up ready for the mill to begin operating at day light. He also hauled, by wagon,

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lumber from trees that he and his father cut and sawed by hand as well as mill sawed lumber to High Point and sold it to Henry A. Millis at the Snow Lumber Co.  

After the railroad was built from High Point to Asheboro in 1888, W. F. Redding was hired by Mr. Millis to set up and operate the Snow Lumber Co.'s lumber buying operation in Asheboro. He next went into the furniture business with 0. R. Cox, J. S. Lewis and Pass H. Morris, setting up the Asheboro Furniture Co. to manufacture bedroom furniture. They sold out to G. G. Hendricks in 1897. In 1897 he was appointed High Sheriff to fill the unexpired term of C. C. Hendrix, serving until 1899. Following E. C. Lassiter's one year term, he was elected again in 1901 and served through 1902.

The Board of County Commissioners seemed to act as a Board of Directors with the Sheriff as chief executive reporting to them. There was no county manager. The Sheriff was responsible for collecting taxes, hiring and paying all county employees including the teachers, letting contracts for building roads and bridges, and

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On November 19, 1907, Directors, J. S. Lewis, W. F. Redding, Chisholm C. Cranford, Sam T. Ewing, C. C. Hendricks and C. J. Cox certified that of the capital stock of $25,000.00, $12,500.00 was paid in cash. The bank was ready for business. Certification was notarized by W. J. Armfield, Jr., cashier of The Bank of Randolph. J. S. Lewis was elected President, C. J. Cox was elected Vice President (who owned the first automobile in Asheboro), and John M. Neely was appointed cashier. On December 4, 1907 the bank opened for business.

On Tuesday, January 14, 1908, the first annual stockholders meeting was held. John M. Neely, Cashier, reported that all of the $25,000.00 capital stock authorized had been paid in and the total assets were $48,343.12. On January 11, 1921, at the annual directors meeting, W. F. Redding was elected Vice President. He held the office of Vice President the remainder of his life. He and C. C. Cranford were the last surviving members of the original stockholders.

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On January 20, 1904, W. D. Steadman and W. F. Redding founded the Asheboro Bobbin Co. with C. A. Pamplin as superintendent. Things went well until Mr. Pamplin died. His death, along with the textile depression, brought on by the financial panic of 1907, dried up sales. They were broke. They gave the company to C. C. Cranford, who assumed the corporate debts.

W. F. Redding had three sisters, but no brothers. However, he had several first and second cousins who were successful in business. Some of those were Jonathan Harris Redding, John Oscar Redding, Thomas Henry Redding, Charles William Redding, Joseph Arlendo Redding, John Troy Redding, Dr. Alexander Hamilton Redding, and Benjamin Redding.

For a humble farm boy whose work experiences began when he was 12 years old, W. F. Redding was involved in the economic, social, political and industrial life of Randolph County that enriched our heritage.

John F. Redding May 10, 1993

Received from his daughter,Carol, in about 2000. Scanned to Computer 5695 on 08/18/2004   Page 9