MAXTON — When Wyvie Jones waded into the Lumber River on Friday afternoon, he was reminded of his childhood years spent swimming with friends and family members in the cool, dark water.
It had been 40 years since Jones, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, had been in the river. He moved away when he was 19 to join the military and later lived in Omaha, Nebraska.
“It makes you feel like the water’s your blood,” said Jones, 59. “I got baptized in this river, and a lot of our people feel the same. It’s here, it’s fresh, and it’s running through us. It’s like a religious thing to refresh yourself.”
Dozens of other people also took a dip near Maxton on Friday as part of the grand opening of the renovated Wire Pasture access point in Lumber River State Park.
Located along U.S. 74 in Maxton, the new access is roughly halfway between the park’s two existing public river accesses — Princess Ann in Orrum and Chalk Banks in Wagram. It is also minutes from the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
The $7.5 million project includes a 3,000-square-foot visitor center with exhibits, a classroom and office space, as well as picnic areas, a pavilion, parking and a short hiking trail.
The visitor center exhibits highlight North Carolina’s eight recognized tribes and four Urban Indian Organizations, along with the natural and cultural history of the Lumber River and surrounding area. The visitor center, exhibit space and picnic pavilion also incorporate designs that pay homage to the Lumbee Tribe, whose ancestral homelands include the state park.
The visitor center features more than a dozen works by Lumbee artists and craftspeople, including pieces on loan from the Museum of the Southeast American Indian.
Among the artists featured is Cindy Locklear, who has been weaving baskets for more than 30 years.
Locklear said her great-great-grandfather wove baskets, and she is carrying on the tradition. She soaks dried oak splints in water to create handbags, many of which she was selling at Friday’s grand opening.
“Being able to leave my mark is the coolest thing ever,” she said. “I’m excited there’s a space dedicated to these things. People might have opportunities to learn and share their work, and other artists or craftsmen can share their knowledge and make things.”
Visitors can also launch kayaks and canoes from the new access, which sits along a scenic bend of the Lumber River. The section is federally designated as a National Wild and Scenic River and is designated by the state as a North Carolina Natural and Scenic River because of its scenic qualities.
Brian Strong, director of N.C. State Parks, said the Wire Pasture project is the first part of a long-term effort to improve Lumber River State Park, which stretches nearly 13,700 acres from Hoke County to near Mullins, South Carolina.
The state’s 2020 master plan calls for improvements to the river accesses at Chalk Banks in Scotland County and Princess Ann in Robeson County as well.
Strong said the Wire Pasture project can help build momentum for future improvements, given the community’s response to the new access.
“This area will help to educate people more than before,” he said. “We know a lot of people were here before this. This is the Lumbee Nation, and we want to provide the community a way to connect with their heritage and land.”
The development of the Wire Pasture access is part of the Connect N.C. Bond program, with supplemental funding provided through the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.
The project was designed by Native American Design Services, with Driven Contractors serving as general contractor.
The property was allocated to N.C. State Parks pursuant to Session Law 2013-186. The area was closed for several years while the state conducted site assessments, including archaeological surveys. Construction began with a groundbreaking in November 2024.
The Wire Pasture area closed in 2020 after the state cited extensive illegal activity occurring on private property accessed through the park.
The Lumber River has deep cultural and historical ties to the Lumbee Tribe, whose members are often referred to as the “People of the Dark Water.” The river’s dark appearance comes from natural vegetation and tannins in the water.
The river has also faced environmental challenges over the years, including pollution associated with landfills, wastewater treatment plants and manufacturing facilities, according to the environmental nonprofit American Rivers.
For Jones, however, Friday’s return to the river was about reconnecting with a place that had remained part of his memory despite decades away.
Jones, who moved back to Robeson County a few years ago, was thrilled to be back in the Lumber River.
“A lot of people here today have swam at this spot way before this was all here,” he said.