How Did Moore's Creek National Battlefield Become a National Battlefield?

Let Us Never Forget 911

We tend to forget so many things, yet it’s ingrained in our minds where we were when we learned the tragic news of 9/11. It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. In observance of this year’s Patriot Day, we gathered 20 facts about the devastating attacks in hopes of healing, remembrance, and reflection.

1. Aside from the two planes flown into the World Trade Center buildings, a third plane hit the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

2. Cleanup for the 1.8 million tons of debris took 3.1 million hours. It was finally finished on May 30, 2002.

3. The ages of the nearly 3,000 victims ranged from two to 85 years old. About 75-80% of the victims were men.

4. It is estimated that it cost $500,000 for operatives to carry out the 9/11 tragedy.

5. Only 12 survivors were pulled from the rubble after the collapse of the towers.

6. To take over the planes, the hijackers smuggled box-cutters and knives through security.

7. 9/11 was not the first attack on the World Trade Center. In 1993, there was a bombing that killed 6 people and injured over 1,000.

8. After the attacks, it took firefighters 100 days to extinguish all the fires around Ground Zero.

9. $100 million worth of art was lost in the collapse of the towers, including a memorial piece for the victims of the ’93 bombing and paintings by Pablo Picasso.

10. During the destruction, a guide dog named Roselle led her blind owner down 78 flights of stairs to the safe home of a friend.

11. On a normal day at the towers, up to 50,000 employees worked in the buildings and an extra 40,000 passed through.

12. After the tragedy, there was a three-day flight ban over the United States.

13. When the National Guard went after Flight 93, the two pilots who took to the air didn’t have time to properly arm their jets. The pilots knew that if they intercepted a hijacked plane, they would have to fly their jets into the aircraft with no guarantee of their own ejection.

14. The 9/11 attack is the largest loss of life in a foreign attack on American soil, higher than even Pearl Harbor.

15. More than 1,100 people who worked or lived near the World Trade Centers during 9/11 have been diagnosed with cancer due to exposure to toxins from the site.

16. September 11, 2001, was Ben Sliney’s first day on the job as FAA National Operations Manager. Sliney ordered every plane in the air over the United States to land, approximately 4,200 planes.

17. Upon the first plane striking Tower 1, people in Tower 2 tried to evacuate but were urged to stay at their desks by an announcement. Some tried to leave anyway, but security turned them back.

18. Canada took in 255 diverted flights from the United States on 9/11. Upon receiving them, the Canadians fed the stranded passengers.

19. Over 100 search and rescue dogs were deployed to help find survivors in the rubble of the towers.

20. While workers were going through the debris, they found 65,000 items, including 437 watches and 144 wedding rings.

The above 9/11 information comes from the AOP's educational blog, where they share history facts, lesson plans, and teaching resources for families. If you are looking to formally credit or cite them for the article, you can reference them as Alpha Omega Publications.

Celebrataing 250 Years - People, Places, & Themes

 

"This program is in honor of the 250th anniversary of Our Nation. It is provided by the Brunswick Town Chapter of NSDAR and is open to the public. We hope you can attend during the visit to this area."

May 15, 2026 Lord Craven Meeting.

 

Guest Speaker Jennifer Finlay and Lord Craven Librarian Martha Blacher

Colonial Dames Chapter Learns About Local History Resources

The Lord Craven Chapter of Colonial Dames held its May meeting on May 15, 2026, at the Northeast Regional Branch of the New Hanover Public Library System, where members learned about valuable resources available for local history and genealogy research.

Guest speaker Jennifer Finlay of the New Hanover County Library System presented a program on the Local History Room in the new downtown library. The collection focuses on the Lower Cape Fear Region of North Carolina and includes resources for those researching family history and genealogy. Finlay’s presentation, titled “Planting Your Family Tree,” featured an informative slideshow highlighting the importance of preserving local history and helping individuals trace their ancestral roots.

During the meeting, Martha Blacher, librarian for the Lord Craven Chapter, presented Finlay with five volumes of Royal Ancestry and three copies of The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants. The books were purchased by the chapter to support the library’s genealogy resources and to make them available to the public.

The books were also a memorial to 4 members who had recently passed. Cynthia Reed Avent 3/13/2024; Laura Leigh Spence 3/26/2024; Ann Marie Nickerson 8/16/2024; and Frances Kay Sanderlin 2/8/2026. Another book by Carol Jutte was donated to the Local History Room at the NEW main New Hanover County Public Library, located at 230 Grace Street.

Kay Sanderlin of Wilmington, NC will be missed!

It is with deep sadness that our Colonial Dames group says farewell to Frances “Kay” Register Sanderlin of Wilmington, North Carolina, who passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, February 8, 2026, after a prolonged illness. 

Kay was a member of the Stamp Defiance Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also a member of the Lord Craven Colonial Dames Chapter. She will be missed.

 Chaplain Waydell Bicking

                                            Frances "Kay" Sanderline

The State Port Pilot Published an Article on How to Purchase Paving Stones...

 

Memorial Day

 

Cape Fear Scottish Immigration Memorial Dedication held at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson in Winabow

 

February 21st Lord Craven Colonial Dames Meeting - Photos of the Scottish Immigration Memorial

Catherine Fort is the president of the Scottish Society of Wilmington. Bob McLeod, the president of the CF Scottish Immigration Memorial Fund, was presented with a $2,000 check for the purchase of a paver with the inscription "In Memory of Our Colonial Ancestors The Lord Craven Chapter Wilmington, North Carolina The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century." This paver has been placed around the the cairn that the two gentlemen below are leaning againt. 

A cairn is a human-made pile or stack of stones, often used as a memorial. Cairns have been used throughout history in many cultures and can be found in various locations around the world. They serve a practical purpose, like guiding travelers or marking a significant spot, but can also have a symbolic or ceremonial meaning. They are common in areas where there aren't obvious paths to help people find their way.

Information provided by the Brunswick Town website.

 

The memorial is placed at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, overlooking the lower Cape Fear River and the docks the Scottish landed on.

This photo shows some Colonial Dames and 1812 members who attended the November 14, 2025, Cape Fear Scottish Immigration Memorial Dedication at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson in Winnabow, NC.

Wreaths Across America Attended by Lord Craven Colonial Dames Members December 13, 2025.

Front row: Judy Caison, Rebecca DeSilva, Carole Weiss, Paula De Silva, and Caron Myers.

Back row: Carol Jutte, Rebecca Chipman, Pam Gordon, and Phyllis Wilson

 

 

                                           

This is the truck that brought all of the wreaths to Wilmington National Cemetery. Unfortunately, the large truck could not enter the cemetery.  So extra trucks and men were needed to help load them and bring all the wreaths to the cemetery by 12:30, so the wreath-laying ceremony would still be on time.

People are just beginning to lay the wreaths on the graves.

Carol Jutte at Wreaths Across America before everyone started to lay all the wreaths. Fortunately, all 5,172 wreaths were placed on the graves of Veterans, unless a Star of David is on the tombstone.

This is a photo of Carol Jutte in 2017 at Wreaths Across America. Look how beautiful the cemetery is with all the wreaths placed on the graves.

             Phyllis Wilson, WAA manager of four sponsorship groups. The Brunswick Town DAR Chapter, The US Daughters of 1812, The Lord Craven Colonial Dames Chapter, and The Daughters of Colonial America

Thank you, Alan P. Curtner, Webmaster & Road Captain CMA Knights of the Light, Wilmington, NC, for sharing some photos for our blog. Thank you, Caron Myers, Rebecca Chapman, and Keidra Koenig, 1812 member, for your photos. Other photos taken by blog manager Phyllis Wilson.