By Miles Layton

HYDE COUNTY — Day after Christmas, I went traveling – mission statement: to get a breakfast biscuit at Fairfield Gas Bar, then maybe explore old farmhouses and take photos of the shrimping fleet in Engelhard. A gallery of photos appears at the end of this story.

There are a few notes sprinkled throughout this travel story, including happenings in Hyde County: a meeting at the Mattamuskeet Lodge and a memorial service for A.B. Swindell IV, a state senator. There will be a graveside service to honor his memory at 1:30 p.m. Monday, December 29, at Soule Cemetery.  

For those folks who’ve just moved to Eastern NC, Hyde County is the second least populated county in the Tarheel State – maybe around 4,500 souls. Though there is a flashing streetlight in Fairfield, there is no stoplight in the entire county – no chain grocery store or fast-food restaurant either. A coastal county that includes Ocracoke Island, Hyde’s economy is mostly in farming and commercial fishing. 

There’s no massive multi-unit housing development planned, so by God’s grace, Hyde will maintain its character, unlike other counties that have caught the eye of property developers intent on destroying the rural character of northeast NC – places like Camden and Pasquotank counties, where the invasive scourge is intent on spreading southward from Virginia to farmland between South Mills and Edenton. Camden’s Dave Chick is gathering signatures for his campaign for the county commission to preserve the county’s rural landscape. And he’s not the only one watching carpetbagger developers with a weary eye.  

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Back to Hyde County – they know their neighbors, say the blessing at dinner, go to church on Sunday, and watch the Christmas parade on Main Street in places like Fairfield, Swan Quarter and Engelhard.

Forgot to mention this — Reminder — back in November, Hyde County Commission voted to place a resolution for a one-quarter cent (¼¢) local sales and use tax on the March 3, 2026, ballot — primary election. To read more, click here.  Commissioners approved a resolution to move forward with a voter referendum for an additional local sales and use tax, per Article 46 of the N.C. General Statutes. This initiative is designed to reduce reliance on property taxes and diversify the county’s funding streams. To read the Ocracoke Observer’s story about the matter — click here.

To get to Hyde County, travel to Columbia and take a right onto NC 94 at the stoplight after the bridge over the Scuppernong River — maybe 30 miles to Fairfield. Forgot where that photo was taken below.

Bordered by farms and wetlands, NC 94 bisects Tyrrell County until you cross the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway – high enough above the water that a sailboat can pass underneath. 

A close-knit community of more than 200 people, Fairfield has a gas station with top-notch food – Fairfield Gas Bar. When you step inside the store, you can smell a small piece of heaven – country ham on the grill. 

I was lucky – Nora Hill was behind the grill, filling in to help a friend, making my ham-and-egg biscuit and my wife’s sausage-and-egg biscuit.

Nora is a longtime employee — Nutrition Manager — at Hyde County Schools – her warm welcome made my day. Nora – thanks for your kindness at Mattamuskeet. 

Many hunters, school employees, and community members know about Fairfield Gas Bar, so I encourage everyone passing through Fairfield for the first time to stop by.

Tasty biscuits! 

We continued our journey along NC 94, crossing Lake Mattamuskeet, the largest natural lake in NC. I’ve been kayaking on that lake – I’m told to watch for alligators the next time I venture out that way. On two separate occasions, I’ve seen an otter crossing NC 94, moving from one lake to the other. The last time around, I stopped to see the otter – those suckers can swim like a torpedo speeding through the water.  

Interesting note – I think Hyde Schools’ Paige Smith, a lifelong resident of Hyde County, told me this once – the lake is not that deep, maybe about four feet deep.

Nicole and I passed by Mattamuskeet Refuge – that’s the place with the lodge that’s undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation and restoration. I can’t wait to see the lodge when it’s complete – it’ll be used as an event and educational center. 

Per Margie Brooks, the Mattamuskeet Lodge Society will hold another open house on January 17. They are using the America 250 NC theme. For more information, contact Debbie Daughtry — debbiecdaughtry@gmail.com 

Another interesting note – the wetlands leading up to the lodge are a popular stopover for Tundra Swans, among other migratory birds. We didn’t see many swans on Friday, but it’s early for that; usually the prime time is January, certainly February. That said, we did see swans resting in a few “wet” farm fields that were still draining after the recent rains.  

Speaking of birds, I saw signs for the upcoming Waterfowl Festival in mid-January – I should’ve stopped to take a picture of the sign with the festival’s date, but there was a car behind me, so I didn’t stop; worried that I would create a traffic jam…  

We passed Mattamuskeet School – workers were hard at work building the new state-of-the-art school, a $36 million project.  

After passing Calvary Presbyterian Church, our next stop was to check out a house for sale on Quarter Road – good roof, needs some work but manageable with some elbow grease, circa 1935, 2.9 acres, a nice bit of land. 

A short hop to Swan Quarter — we traveled there, took a few photos, including one of Swan Quarter Christian Church.  

GPS next took us along US 264 toward Engelhard. Along the way, we made a stopover in Middletown. If I remember correctly, a Mattamuskeet student – his nickname is “Tank” – told/taught me that Middletown would’ve been the county seat way back when.

According to legend, Tank said, someone stole/moved the county records, taking them to Swan Quarter, which became the county seat in 1836. Tank is a smart kid who knows a lot of local history and lore. Good writer too.  

Fast forward to Friday – Middletown – the few old, very old buildings on White Plains Road by Middletown Creek are deserted. I would love to restore one of them, where I could live, or locate the Hyde “bureau” office of the Albemarle Observer. Very neat place – that row of buildings, two of them bearing marks of being a post office – is a part of Hyde County’s history. Creek leads to the Pamlico Sound, so maybe I’ll bring the kayak to launch there someday.   

Yes, speaking of history, I’m aware that Middletown has a long history, particularly during the Civil Rights era. Fascinating.   

Civil Rights organizer Golden Frinks of Edenton visited Hyde County from time to time in the late 1960s. But that’s a story for another day. Lot can be said there.  

Worth noting, the Hyde County NAACP Breakfast is on MLK Day, Monday, Jan 19, at the Lake Comfort Sub Station. For more information, contact Mike Adams at aadams3@embarqmail.com 

On the other side of the bridge over Middletown Creek is a Confederate Memorial. Nearby is a memorial to the men from Hyde County who served in Company F 33rd Regiment – the Dixie Invincibles. I did not know that Hyde County played a role in the Civil War. Wow! There’s a lot of history – that too will be revisited later. 

Next stop was Nebraska – yeah, we figured with a name like that, we should see what that place was all about. Saw a church and the Olde Store.  

During our trip to Engelhard, we took a few photos of a two-story white farmhouse we’d dreamed of restoring on White Plains Road. Love this house!

Saw the Great Ditch along Great Ditch Road, yes, it is a great ditch.  

When we arrived in Engelhard, we took the obligatory photo of the house on slats, then moved onto explore town.  

We stopped at the Ethco store – a hub for folks who need gas, a restroom, pizza, lottery tickets, beer and a friendly conversation while waiting in line about the cloudy weather, maybe a chance for rain. 

I took photos of the shrimping fleet – I did this because I strongly suspect I’ll need these photos again because Raleigh won’t learn anything from its defeat in Shrimpgate – a popular uprising that united folks against the General Assembly’s attempts to ban shrimping in local waters. 

Getting late, so we doubled back to Fairfield – took a photo of Fairfield Methodist Church – then traveled home. 

More news from Hyde from Margie Brooks – about AB Swindell IV: 

Albin B. Swindell IV, whose life and legacy were deeply rooted in Hyde County and Eastern North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Oct. 23, 2025. He was 80.

Born on a Sunday morning, Oct. 14, 1945, in Lumberton, Swindell was the youngest of three children born to Martha Lottie Easterling and Russell Atkinson Swindell. Though his life would take him across the state in education and public service, Hyde County remained the place that shaped him most profoundly.

Swindell was raised on a dairy farm in Hyde County, where long days of hard work instilled the values that would guide him for the rest of his life. The routines of farm life, coupled with the tight-knit nature of the Hyde County community, fostered his belief that service to others was not optional but essential. Those early lessons never left him.

A lifelong outdoorsman, Swindell’s identity was closely tied to Hyde County’s land and water. He often said he did not choose duck hunting — duck hunting chose him. In the late 1960s, he became one of the last Lake Mattamuskeet hunting guides, a role that placed him at the center of one of Hyde County’s most storied traditions. The marshes and waters of Lake Mattamuskeet were where he honed not only his hunting skills but also his gift for storytelling, entertaining clients and friends alike with humor, insight and a deep appreciation for the outdoors.

Those experiences helped shape Swindell’s personality and his ability to connect with people from all walks of life. The friendships formed through hunting and outdoor life would later translate seamlessly into his work as an educator and public servant. Many of those relationships were nurtured over the years at his Lone Goose Lodge, a gathering place that reflected his love for Hyde County culture and camaraderie.

Swindell was a proud graduate of Cary High School and North Carolina State University, and he served as an Army veteran. He was also a true Southern gentleman, spending 50 years as a Mason and later serving as Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge. Yet despite statewide recognition, he never lost the sensibilities rooted in his Hyde County upbringing.

In 1971, Swindell began a 12-year career at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford, where he worked as a teacher and wrestling coach. His dedication to students earned him recognition as Teacher of the Year, and his respect for educators would later become a hallmark of his legislative career. His commitment to education echoed the values learned growing up in a rural county where schools served as community anchors.

Public service was a family calling. Swindell’s earliest memories of politics included riding the mailboat to Ocracoke at the age of four to campaign with his father, an experience that reflected Hyde County’s unique geography and close political traditions. That early exposure left a lasting impression and set the stage for decades of service.

After serving on the Oxford City Council from 1981 to 1985, Swindell worked from 1983 to 1995 as administrative assistant to U.S. Rep. Tim Valentine. In 2001, he was elected to the North Carolina State Senate, an achievement he considered the highest honor of his life. For a decade, he represented Nash, Edgecombe, Franklin, Halifax, Vance, Wilson and Hyde counties, proudly including the county that raised him.

While in the Senate, Swindell founded the N.C. Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and served on the Peace University Board of Trustees. He co-chaired the Education and Higher Education Committee and the Appropriations Base Budget Committee, among many others. He was known for pragmatic leadership, tireless advocacy for Eastern North Carolina, and for never missing a vote.

For his wife, Diane, Swindell was absolutely perfect. Their life together was built on laughter, love and shared hard work. They were not vacation people, he often said — they were working people — a philosophy shaped decades earlier on a Hyde County farm.

Through his devotion to land, people and public service, Albin B. Swindell IV leaves behind a legacy inseparable from Hyde County and the values it instilled in him.

A memorial service was held at Nashville Methodist Church on Saturday, November 8. 

A gallery of photos from Hyde County