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Just saw these cool pictures on the N&O website of "The Peanut" man in downtown Raleigh. I was wondering if any Raleigh natives have stories about this guy you would like to share. Seems like an interesting character!
Peanut Man was Bernace Jenks.
The Peanut Man always occupied a spot in the square at the head of Fayetteville Street, dispensing his wares from a silver-colored charcoal-fired roaster, and surrounded by flocks of pigeons. Kids loved him! Back then pigeons pretty much had the run of the place, roosting all along building parapets, soiling statues and the like. The state later initiated a crackdown in the mid 1970s to get rid of them, and the first thing to go was the Peanut Man.
This is a perpetual discussion on the Facebook books about growing up in Raleigh. I barely remember him, personally, but yes, he was an "institution".
Then there was the "other" Peanut Man, the one who dressed up like a Peanut and would be dancing around on S. Saunders St just outside town, in front of what used to be a Planters Peanuts store. Everyone remembers seeing him on the way to the beach.
I remember the peanut man at the State Capital in the early 1980's. Although I grew up in Cary, my family is from Raleigh. My grandparents lived down on Halifax Street. My Grandma worked at the train station and my Grandpa worked for the Revenue Dept. My Grandparents moved to Cary in the late 70's, but Raleigh was in their heart. My Grandpa would go downtown every weekend, I would go with him most of the time. We'd people watch and feed the pigeons at the Capital. My grandpa would chat with the peanut man while I played around the Capital. I bet my mom has some good stories. I'll ask her.
i didnt grow up in Raleigh, but my grandparents were in Historic Oakwood and we used to spend summers in Raleigh and I recall buying hot roasted peanuts from a man near the governors mansion. we fed the pigeons. i wonder if it was the same guy???? what a great memory. thanks.
I spent most of my Saturdays growing up in downtown Raleigh. My day starting early in the morning at the Ambassador Theater, and always ended on Capitol Square feeding peanuts to the squirrels and pigeons. I never knew his real name. He was simply known as the Peanut Man to all of us growing up here in the 50's and 60's. I don't know how long he had been there before my time, and my guess is that he left sometime in the early to mid 70's I assumed it to be because of his health.
I grew up in Raleigh in the 70'2 and 80's (near downtown/NCSU) and honestly don't remember ever seeing him. I'm guessing at the age I was, I just wasn't really paying attention.
I also grew up in Raleigh in the 70s and I do remember seeing him and then I remember being disappointed when he was gone. We always thought he might have some connection to the "feed the birds" lady in Mary Poppins. I graduated from high school in 83, and I'm pretty sure he was gone by the time I started high school in 80 if not earlier... so I'd go with the PP who said he wasn't there after the mid-70s.
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I assumed it to be because of his health.
