(The following exerpts are reprinted from articles written by Judy Harkin in the October 1999 and November 1999, Trent Woods Times.)In the beginning... It all looked very different in 1948. there were tall pines, thick brush, a winding river, small creeks, and a few farms growing corn, soybeans and tobacco. When George R. Scott, Sr., built his home at the apex of the Trent River and Wilson Creek, he was looking for '"peace and quiet. The next thing I knew I was surrounded by civilization." Others have found the lovely area and the adjacent 9-hole golf course and country club an irresistible draw. There were no paved roads at that time, "not even at the Country Club" and if the Scott's wanted to visit friends on the other side of Wilson Creek, they had to use a boat--the old wooden bridge had rotted and disappeared. As the residential development known as Country Club Hills and the surrounding area grew more populous, Scott, the late Congressman Graham A. Barden, and others foresaw the need for land use planning."We wanted some say on how the property was developed out here," states Scott, "to protect the people who owned the land and were doing the building." Scott remembers that the decision process was a community effort from the very beginning. Several public meetings were held at Garber United Methodist Church where property owners expressed their opinions: incorporating as a town was considered the best solution. The year was 1959.Petitions were circulated and when a canvas of the population of 400 was completed, the charter applications and petitions were presented to the elected representatives in Raleigh, who then introduced them in both the House and Senate. The ladies of the community had suggested that as the southern boundary was the Trent River with its beautiful wooded shore line, the new town should be called Trent Woods. On June 19, 1959, the charter was approved. Trent Woods was now a town. The Town Grows: When the residents of what is now Trent Woods first began the process of forming a new town in 1959, there were approximately 400 people living here. By 1973, the population had grown to 1193. With the annexation of the Fox Hollow subdivision and other lands in August of 1990, approximately 1,300 people were added to Trent Woods' population--an increase in the population and tax base by 65%! Today's population is 4,262 and growing. Law and Order Prevails: The Trent Woods Police Department was organized in September 1972, under the direction of the Craven County Sheriff's Department, and was funded by the North Carolina Governor's Commission on Law and Order at virtually no expense to the town. Law enforcement officers changed from Craven County Sheriff's Deputies to Trent Woods Policemen on September 1, 1977. This allowed the town to qualify for state administered federal Law Enforcement Assistance (LEA) grants.. In November 1973 Mayor George R. Scott, Sr. testified before a Senate Hearing Committee. He would report that Trent Woods now provided its population of 1,193 people with fire protection; a police department; had erected street signs and installed street lights at most intersections; had acquired a tract of land adjacent to the fire department for the purpose of building a town hall; had established a Planning Board and adopted zoning and subdivision codes; and had developed a building permit system. (As a result of this hearing, the town charter remained intact and Trent Woods was a town in every respect.) In a questionnaire distributed in 1975, citizens' responses to the following question "What does the town need?" were a water and sewer system, garbage pickup, and a public park with recreational facilities. Three of these have been accomplished and a sewer system is under proposal at the present time. Trent Woods continues to grow and prosper. It's a good place to raise children, enjoy your retirement, and all the in-between years. Trent Woods is a great place to call home.
