A Deaf Newspaperman is remembered

Bill Keziah was a deaf newspaperman in the 1930s and 40s.

Indian Trail ancient oak tree at Keziah Memorial Park

Bill Keziah conducted his interviews through sign language and a paper tablet he carried. Keziah was working as an editor of “The News Reporter” in Whiteville, North Carolina, in 1928 when he decided to move 60 miles east to the coast and launch a newspaper himself—the “State Port Pilot.” The new publication was printed in Whiteville with the “The News Reporter” printing press and then trucked into Southport each day. After several years, when Keziah couldn’t make the payments for the printing service, the owners of “The News Reporter” took over the Southport publication and appointed a new editor. He rehired Kenziah because he was an excellent reporter, just not very good at running a business. Kenziah then led the paper along with the editor’s wife while the editor served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. Kenziah continued to work for the newspaper until his death in the 1950s. The community of Southport still remembers Kenziah through a park named after him. The "Keziah Memorial Park" is best known for its Indian Trail ancient oak tree, estimated to be 800 years old. Tradition says the tree was a trail marker used by the Cape Fear Indians, members of the Siouan Nation.