In New Hanover County, North Carolina, there are multiple regions around Cape Fear with intriguing names. Among them, ‘Monkey Junction’ is perhaps the most iconic, situated at the bustling crossroads of Carolina Beach Road and College Road. This unincorporated locale gained its notable name over eighty years ago, thanks to an innovative strategy by a local business.
Dina and Jack Spindle brought live monkeys to their gas station from the late 1930s to mid-1970s, enclosing them in a cage outside their business to draw the attention of customers heading towards Carolina Beach. Their uniquely original strategy worked, boosting not only their clientele but also their sales of peanuts. As bus drivers cruised from Carolina Beach, they would announce to passengers they were approaching ‘Monkey Junction’, and so the nickname was firmly cemented.
Fast forward to the present day, the area, once remote and sparsely populated, is thriving with a growing number of homes and businesses. However, the moniker ‘Monkey Junction’ is being used less frequently as more residents encourage a return to the area’s original name, Myrtle Grove. This push is grounded in the argument that the Myrtle Grove name, given during the Civil War era, predates ‘Monkey Junction’.
Nevertheless, whether referred to as ‘Monkey Junction’ or Myrtle Grove, the rich, local history remains unchanged. Thousands of individuals recall a period when a beach journey would take them past a unique, unforgettable sight that even today is often recalled.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (”Hud’) not only shares weather updates each morning on WWAY but also indulges his passion for history by sharing intriguing historical segments each Thursday on WWAY’s website. You can explore other ‘History with Hud’ episodes by clicking here.
