Agriculture, Industry, and Business

Corn Field. Farming has always been an important mainstay of Robeson County 's economy and contributed largely to the general prosperity of Maxton. By the early 1900s farmers were progressive and using most of the modern implements. In addition to corn the Maxton section of the county grew cotton, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, melons and cantaloupes. Captain A.J. “Sandy” McKinnon played a large role in the production of melons and cantaloupes in the county, in 1904 seventy-five railroad cars of them grown. McKinnon planted sixteen acres of cantaloupes in 1904 which netted $2,600 crates and a profit of $3,800; he also experimented with the cultivation of asparagus.