Turkey proves it’s more than just a small town with an unusual name

When Dora Alcorta and her family moved to Turkey in 1976, they discovered they were the first Hispanic residents in the town. The family of 12 came to the town as migrant workers and a gospel group sharing their faith.

When the family first arrived in the town of 270 people, they were a community anomaly. Alcorta says most of the town’s residents had never seen a Spanish-Christian gospel group. “We had to learn how to do our gospel in English by visiting churches and listening to the radio,” Alcorta laughs. “We got by on word of mouth and did a few performances here and there. Eventually word got out, and now the group has to keep a calendar because the schedule gets booked.”

Despite being the minority in the town, Alcorta says they were accepted with open arms. “It was the respect that was shown to us that made me want to stay here,” Alcorta says. “What got our attention were the people who opened their doors to us.”

After having moved from state to state doing migrant farm work, the Alcortas were told about the little town in Sampson County by an uncle who lived near Turkey. He told them there was a lot of work in the area and encouraged them to go to the town. Alcorta says her mother described the town as peaceful and said this was where they would call home.

The sense of community is what Turkey’s mayor, Tim Clifton, appreciates about the town, too. “I think the atmosphere and the friendliness of the people stand out in our town,” he says. “It’s a small place, but we get things done together.”

The idea of getting things done as a community is what sparked the idea of orchestrating the town’s first community cleanup project.

“It’s really part of a statewide clean sweep, but we picked a day to do ours and appointed a committee chair. The committee chair picked team captains, and they will organize cleaning up the town on the designated Saturday,” Clifton says. “We planned it to be about a month before our annual Turkey Day.”

The annual Turkey Day and Turkey Parade is a staple of the town. “It’s a celebration of the town and has been around since 1987,” town resident Frances Butler says. Her husband, Wilson Butler, was mayor when the first parade made its way down the main strip.

“Turkey Day is a fundraiser for our fire department. The parade ends at the fire department where there is a celebration,” says Clifton. “The fire department cooks barbecue plates and sells them as part of the fundraiser, and vendors can set up booths.”

Alcorta and her family stay active in the small community and will be participating in the community cleanup and in Turkey Day festivities with their business, Baskets of Plenty.

It was Alcorta’s roots in migrant labor and her dedication to her faith that prompted her to start Baskets of Plenty, a nonprofit thrift store and boutique that operates as part of her migrant ministry. “It’s hard for a lot of the migrant families, and we opened this store so that anyone can come in and get what they need affordably.”

The store offers everything from household items, clothes and toiletries to unique gifts and toys at affordable prices, but often opens its doors to people in need who can’t afford to pay for the essentials. “If someone’s home burns, we just open the doors and let them in and give them what they need.”

“It feels good to know we can be there to give back to the community that gave us a home,” Alcorta reflects. “We do what we can to foot the bills, but we know that God will reward us one day.”

Clifton says there are not many businesses in the small town, but he’s proud of what they have. There’s a filling station and convenience store, a small engine shop, a beauty shop, a day care and several churches—all the necessities a small town needs.

Born and raised in Turkey, Butler has a long history with the town. She moved away during her childhood but visited each week to see family and eventually moved back to take care of an ailing aunt.

As one of the three oldest residents in Turkey, Butler knows the history of the town backward and forward. She can tell you what purpose each building has served over its lifetime, the history of places and people long gone and the stories of each of the families that once called this little town home. She even has an idea of how the town might have gotten its name.

“The way I understood it, years ago there were a bunch of wild turkeys here,” she says. “I’ve heard there are still a few around, but I think most of them are gone now.”

Despite the town’s name, it’s not known for its production of turkeys, but rather for its produce. “In a little town like this, the main business is farming, and for Turkey it was produce,” Butler says. “Turkey used to be one of the largest produce providers in the state.”

Butler fondly remembers the small town full of friendly faces of her childhood. “This road here,” she says, pointing to the paved road that runs beside her house, “used to be a dirt road. There was only one bike in the town of Turkey, and we rode that bike up and down that road so much we tore that bike up.”

“On Christmas night, we would stay up all night long and go from house to house,” Butler recalls. “Everyone was like family.”

Clifton agrees. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and I can’t think of growing up anywhere else.”