Escapees September-October 2024

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Photos at left: Tobacco Farm Life Museum PHOTOS BY MARILYN JONES

Gardner’s second marriage, to jazz musician and bandleader Artie Shaw, only lasted from 1945 to 1946. Gardner’s third and last marriage was to the iconic singer and actor Frank Sinatra, from 1951 to 1957. She once said that he was the love of her life. However, Sinatra left his wife Nancy for Gardner, and their subse quent marriage made more headlines. Blasted by gossip columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, the Hollywood establishment, the Roman Catholic Church, and his fans for leaving his wife, Gardner helped reignite his career. She used her considerable in fl uence to get Sinatra cast in his Oscar-winning role in “From Here to Eternity,” in 1953. That role and the award revitalized both Sinatra’s acting and singing careers. The museum is excellent. Looking at Gardner’s jewelry, clothing and other personal items, visitors get an idea of the woman and the time frame when she was starring in fi lms. County History When certain Europeans arrived in 1713, the Tuscaro ras, an Iroquoian-speaking tribe, fl ourished in the area. However, defeated in a bloody war with these European colonists, the Tuscaroras fl ed to New York, becoming the sixth nation in the Iroquois confederation. The county was created in 1746 and named in honor of Gabriel Johnston who became, North Carolina’s royal governor. The fi rst European and African settlers arrived there from the Carolina coast and the Virginia and Maryland Tidewater areas. They were primarily subsistence farmers who grew little more than was required to feed and clothe their families. Another signi fi cant chapter in the area’s history is the Civil War. Bentonville Battle fi eld, near Four Oaks, was the last full-scale Civil War action and the largest battle fought in North Carolina. Thebattle fi eld welcome center offers excellent exhibits that help explain the battle and showcase relics from the battle. Tours are available throughout the day of the Harper House used as a hospital for Union and Confederate soldiers. The site includes: In addition, you can pick up an informational map marking all the sites, including highway historical markers and waysides highlighting the battles that took place here. You can also visit the Benson Museum of Local History which offers exhibits dating back to the beginning of the community. The museum features a beautiful, expansive exhibit fl oor including agricultural • A Confederate mass grave • The Harper family cemetery • Union earthworks

If you’ve ever traveled along I-95 in north ern North Carolina, you’ve driven right through Johnston County. Home to sever al historical attractions, its most famous claim to fame is most likely that Ava Gard ner the famous American actress was born and raised there. T he Ava Gardner Museum, in Smith fi eld, chron icles the movie star’s movies, marriages and awards. Paintings, portraits, photos, clothing, jewelry and fi lm posters help to tell the story of her success in fi lm and later television. Born on December 24, 1922, in Grabtown, near Smith fi eld, the actress and singer fi rst signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941. She appeared mainly in minor roles until 1946, when she performed in Robert Siodmak’s fi lm noir “The Killers.” She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Mogambo,” in 1953, and she received best actress for both a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for her performance in “The Night of the Iguana,” in 1964. She was a leading lady during Hollywood’s Golden Age. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Gardner No. 25 on their greatest female screen legends of classic American cinema list. Other 1950s movies she starred in include “Show Boat,” “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman,” “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” “The Barefoot Contessa,” “Bhowani Junction” and “On the Beach.” She continued to act until 1986, four years before her death in 1990. Her personal life drew a lot of attention, too. Soon after Gardner arrived in Los Angeles, she met fellow MGM contract player Mickey Rooney, another Holly wood legend. They married on January 10, 1942. Gardner divorced Rooney in 1943, citing mental cruelty. Privately she blamed his gambling and womanizing. However, she didn’t ruin his on-screen image as the clean-cut judge’s son, Andy Hardy. items, visitors get an idea of the woman and the time frame she was starring in fi lms.” “The museum is excellent. Looking at Gardner’s jewelry, clothing and other personal

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September/October 2024 ESCAPEES Magazine