The Aug. 28 meeting of the Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society will feature guest speaker Phil McMullan, who will give a presentation, “Development of the Blacklands Over 200 Years.” This presentation will cover the history of farming the rich soil that’s found in the area of northeastern North Carolina,

roughly bounded by the Albemarle Sound and Pamlico River. McMullan will more specifically address the overall Tyrrell County area, beginning with Somerset Place and ending with First Colony Farms.

McMullan attended Edenton High School and Virginia Episcopal School. He holds a degree in engineering from Duke University and an MBA from the Wharton School. After retiring from the Research Triangle Institute (RTI International), he returned to the Albemarle to direct Northeastern North Carolina Tomorrow, Inc. He then became an Associate Professor of History at the College of the Albemarle while attending NCSU and wrote the 50-year history of the college.

In December 2010, McMullan received a Master of Arts in History from North Carolina State University. His thesis, “Beechland and the Lost Colony,” and his more recent publication “North Carolina’s Blacklands Treasure” are published by the Pamlico and Albemarle Publishing Company of Nags Head and co-written with Cy Rich, Joe Landino and Steve Barnes with photographs by Ken Cherry. McMullan will have copies of the book with him.

The meeting will be held Sunday, Aug. 28, at 2:30 p.m., at the Senior Citizen’s Center in Columbia. The meetings are free to the public, and anyone planning to attend is welcome to bring a friend.