In northern
Wayne County, near the town of Fremont (then called Nahunta), Charles Brantley Aycock was born on November 1, 1859. From 1901 to 1905 he earned a reputation as North Carolina's "Educational Governor" because of his many contributions to the state's public school system. His parents, Benjamin and Serena Aycock, moved into the home sometime in the 1840s. By 1870 Benjamin had the seventh wealthiest household in the township, with more than one thousand acres. The youngest of ten children, Charles Aycock respected the work of farmers but was more interested in his father's involvement in local politics. After graduating from the
University of North Carolina in 1880, he opened a law practice in
Goldsboro. Aycock had established himself as a skillful orator in college and used that talent to make a name for himself in the Democratic Party.