U.S.S. STOKES

RIDES THE WAVES

SHIP NAMED FOR STOKES COUNTY LAUNCHED AT WILMINGTON —
MANAGER CONGRATULATES STOKES & SHERIFF JOHN TAYLOR

A beautiful ship now rides the waves, named “Miss Stokes County.”

It was launched at Wilmington by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company last week.

Sheriff John Taylor has received a congratulatory letter from W. S. McMahon, assistant to the company’s manager, congratulating the county on the great honor conferred upon it, and felicitating Sheriff John Taylor for his letter in which history and interesting features of the county had been submitted by the Sheriff as incidents of the launching. Mrs. W. D. Woodall, wife of one of the prominent builders, sponsored the launching, and Mr. McMahon says she did a beautiful job. The salient features of Sheriff Taylor’s contribution were published in the Wilmington Star covering the launching of the U.S.S. Stokes.

Mr. McMahon adds that he is “sure the good wishes of the citizens of Stokes county will help make the Stokes a happy ship,” as the vessel will aid in carrying troops and supplies to our boys overseas.

This event was reported in The Wilmington Morning Star, Wilmington, North Carolina on
 Friday, September 1, 1944

175^TH VESSEL LAUNCHED HERE

The name of another North Carolina county started toward the sea and world ports yesterday as the North Carolina Shipbuilding company launched the U.S.S. Stokes, 175^th vessel to near completion here.

The new AKA combat cargo type ship was sponsored by Mrs. W. D. Woodall, of Wilmington, wife of foreman of the yard’s Boiler and Blacksmith department. Her attendants were Mrs. Milburn M. Amory, of Hampton, Va., and Mrs. Sherrod L. Vaughn, of Newport News, Va.

The vessel is the second AKA type built here to be named in honor of a Tar Heel county. The first was the Tyrrell, which was launched sometime ago.

Formed in 1789 and named in honor of Col. John Stokes, an officer of the Revolutionary war, Stokes County borders the Virginia line and the counties of Surry, Forsyth and Rockingham. The county seat is Danbury. A highly agricultural area, it is one of the greatest tobacco producing counties in the United States. It has several towns, but no cities and the total population is only approximately 30,000. Two former North Carolina governors, the late Robert B. Glenn and Thomas W. Bickett, started their law careers in Stokes.

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