By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – Wilmington developer Gene Merritt says he's willing to open his wallet to keep the H.G. Wright's paddlewheel in Wilmington.
Merritt says he felt like he had to do something to keep the 125-year-old wheel in Wilmington after reading a newspaper article about it being moved to the state's Transportation Museum.
I was kind of shocked and disappointed that no one had discussed this at all in the community, and I was hoping that they would have, you know, try work it out in some other way.
The paddlewheel has been sitting outside Wilmington's Cape Fear Museum for years. Director Ruth Haas says the wheel was going to be shipped out of Wilmington this week, but Merritt's offer has postponed the move.
She says she excited that people care enough about the paddle wheel to try to keep it in Wilmington.
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