William E. Dunstan, Elizabeth City native and author, will discuss The Woeful Story of Nell Cropsey and Jim Wilcox. Young Nell Cropsey disappeared from her Riverside home in Elizabeth City on a raw moonlit night in November 1901. Within days, her mysterious disappearance becomes a national sensation. As local mobs point angry fingers at Jim Wilcox, her former sweetheart, the town teeters on hysteria, but does another person cleverly cover an unthinkable sin? This true story forms a secret-ridden world brimming with Southern romance, murder, and intrigue.
Guests can view the lobby exhibit, Nell Cropsey Returns. Across the country, every small town has its secrets. See if you can solve the 120-year mysterious disappearance and death of nineteen-year-old Elizabeth City resident Nell Cropsey.
Dr. Dunstan writes and conducts research as a visiting scholar at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina.
The lecture will be in-person only.
Dr. Dunstan's books are available in the Museum Gift Shop.