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Beaufort NC History

The portion of the North Carolina coast now known as the Southern Outer Banks was first settled in the early 1700's.  Early settlers here found an abundance of seafood, timber, wild game, and fresh water.  The arrangement of the inlets, sounds, and barrier islands was also a relatively safe place to anchor ships and provided shelter from storms.  The native occupants of this area were Coree, Hatteras and Neuse Indians.  The settlers quickly came to view the natives as competition for food and resources.

 The English had been battling pirates in the Bahamas, and they gradually came north to this area.  The same sounds and bays which had attracted the original settlers were not only perfect hiding places for pirates, but also convenient for restocking their ships with needed provisions.  They harrassed and robbed both passing ships and local settlements.  The most famous of north carolina pirates was of course the legendary Blackbeard.  Local Legend tells that Blackbeard often stayed in the Hammock House, then noted on maps as the "White House."

 Robert Turner held the original land grant on which the town of Beaufort now lies.  The streets names reflect the original names given them by him.  The town was named Beaufort after his friend, Henry Somerset, the Duke of Beaufort.  His efforts in the promotion of Beaufort and sale of lots were not very successful, and he eventually relinquished his 780 odd acres to Richard Rustull.  Richard Rustull sold the lots for thirty shillings each, twenty  shillings of which was paid to him, and the other ten shillings went to purchasing great guns to fortify the town.

 In 1722 Beaufort was appointed as a port with a customs office.  A year later the town was incorporated when the colonial legislature of North Carolina voted to establish a “Port of Beaufort” in 1723. The town's growth was less than robust, but eventually people began to settle in the area.  Self-sustaining plantations sprouted along the sounds and banks of the small rivers, and owners of these built second homes in Beaufort to reside in and conduct their shipping and trading business.

 Beaufort was very active in the American Revolution.  The port bustled with ships carrying needed supplies.  A  salt works was erected by it's residents to supply the colonies with the salt that formerly had been imported.  British ships entered the port of Beaufort in 1782.  They met opposition there, and were unable to obtain needed supplies, so they moved on to Charlestowne, South Carolina. In the post-revolution era, Beaufort expanded dramatically.  Most of the local population were shipbuilders, fishermen, farmers, andlumber processors.  The products of their labors were shipped to other areas via the port. Clubfoot Canal was dug between the  Neuse and the Newport Rivers, and it and later the The Core Creek Canal made it easier to ship these products inland.

 During the Civil War, the siege at Fort Macon was visible to many residents, either from the shore or from their porches. Federal troops captured Fort Macon in that seige and then invaded Beaufort.  A military government to be established under General Ambrose Burnside.  Federal troops remained in Beaufort during the war and for the next 12 years after the war ended.  About this time it was discovered that the waters surrounding Beaufort held abundant stocks of menhaden.  An important industry developed for processing these fish commercially for oils and fertilizers.  The factories put out a very distinct odor when processing the oily fish.  Many locals used to say it "smells like money" when the plants were operating.

 A railroad connection between Morehead City and Beaufort was completed in 1908.  Because there was no depot or way to turn a train around, the trains would actually back into Beaufort.  In 1926 the first highway bridge was completed connecting the two towns.

 Throughout our countries history, Beaufort was affected directly by and took part in many of the major events.  In spite of this, due to it's location Beaufort was very isolated from much of the rest of the country.  This isolation has proven allowed the town to maintain it's historic appearance.  Many of the houses in Beaufort are over two hundred years old.  The town of 1800 can easily be seen within the town of today.