The Museum of the Albemarle will host William E. Dunstan, Elizabeth City native and author on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 11 a.m. Dr. Dunstan will discuss The Woeful Story of Nell Cropsey & Jim Wilcox.
Young Nell Cropsey disappears 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 comes from 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 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The lecture will be in-person only. Dr. Dunstan’s books are available in the Museum Gift Shop.