Founded about 1899, the community was named for Wm. M. Pumphrey (1849-1937), an early settler and deacon of the Baptist Church who on weekends put his organ in a wagon and took it, his wife, and 11 children to attend services in Wingate. As the settlement grew, a one-room frame school called New Hope was built in 1900 to embody the citizens' aspirations. The community later had a post office from 1901 to 1912, several stores, and 2 churches, and it withstood tragedy in 1906 when 4 men were killed by lightning, leaving more than 20 children orphans.