Tyrrell Times 2018 takes a look back to 1918 and what life was like in Tyrrell County that year.

Inside, you’ll find articles on World War I, the Spanish Flu epidemic, and the lumber industry, the latter being responsible for much of the prosperity that had come to the county.

While the article on World War I focuses on the men from the county who served, it should be noted that at least one Tyrrell woman — Sabre Elizabeth Sykes — was on active duty as a yeoman in the U.S. Naval Reserve. There’s a brief profile of her life.

There’s also a sketch, with contemporary photos, about the wartime service of James Silas Davenport

You’ll read a history of the Spanish Flu epidemic, how hard it hit Tyrrell County, taking the lives of 23 residents, and how local citizens fought the disease.

For a long time, the trees in the swamps and forests of Tyrrell County played a big role in helping local men earn money.  In the late 1800s, there were others who saw that opportunity and came to the area to harvest timber. In Bill Barber’s article on the timber industry in the county, you’ll read about the changes, both good and bad, that came to Tyrrell in the years leading up to 1918.

Also included are photographs of buildings and landmarks from that year, most of which were built before then, but were a part of life for those who lived in the county.

In March 1918 Congress created time zones for the country and also enacted Daylight Savings Time to conserve energy vital to the war effort. Germany and its allies had established it two years earlier for that same reason.

Tyrrell Times 2018 will be available in the Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society’s booth during the Scuppernong River Festival in Columbia on October 13.