By SABRINA BERNDT

Washington Daily News

Considered the father of Historic Bath and a “speaker of wide renown,” Edmund Harding put Beaufort County on the map before his death in 1970.

Harding will be recognized for his lifetime achievements with a N.C. Highway Historical Marker on July 10 at 1 p.m. Located on the corner of West Main and South Washington streets, the unveiling ceremony will feature several notable speakers and refreshments.

“That spot was chosen by the state because that’s the closest spot to his actual home, which was located on Short Drive, which is just a little drive right behind Main Street on the Tar River,” said Brownie Futrell, the master of ceremonies for the dedication.

Harding began his career as a salesman after graduating from Trinity School in Chocowinity. Selling mules, fertilizer and insurance until 1940, he was known for his humor and speaking skills, according to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. He later capitalized on these skills, becoming a professional storyteller and humorist in the United States, Canada and Mexico and giving 4,999 speeches in his lifetime.

Despite his travels, Harding never forgot his home — he helped with the creation the Washington Rotary Club in 1920 and served as Rotary District Governor from 1936 to 1937, according to the press release. He was also elected chairman of the Historic Bath Commission when it was created in 1955, and was appointed “Ambassador of Goodwill” in North Carolina by seven consecutive governors.

“My original idea was to have the marker in Bath, primarily because if it were not for Harding, we would not have the Historic Bath State Site in Bath,” Futrell said. “It was his idea to create a historic site.”

Although Harding was eligible for a historical marker in 1995, nothing had been done until Futrell’s recent marker application to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. According to Futrell, most applications with merit take multiple attempts before being accepted, but Harding’s marker was approved shortly after the application was submitted.

The ceremony on July 10 will include remarks from the 2002 Rotary District Governor, Tom Payne, as well as the current chairman of the Historic Bath Commission, Rusty Duke. Afterward, Bartow Houston will be performing Harding’s song, “Wash, wash, wash in Washington,” and Futrell will be performing Harding’s “Horace the Mule,” a story that was traditionally published in local newspapers every Christmas Eve.

“The ceremony is going to be a pretty formal ceremony, until we get towards the end,” said Futrell. “Edmund Harding, I remember him from when I was a child. He would have been very honored to have this marker, but he would not have wanted us to have a staid and traditional ceremony. He would have liked to bring in some of his humor.”

Along with the historical marker, Washington Mayor Mac Hodges will sign a proclamation Friday naming July 10 Edmund Harding Day.

“He was an institution for Washington and Beaufort County and the Pamlico area,” Futrell said. “It’s important for us to not only remember him, but remember his stories and his contributions and try to keep them alive for future generations here in Washington.”