Carteret County, North Carolina

History

The first male of English parents born in the current area of North Carolina was John Fulford. He was born in 1629 in what is now Carteret County. He settled in this area and died in 1729. An article dated September 18, 1893, in The New Bern Daily Journal, identified Fulford's grave in a cemetery outside the county seat of Beaufort, in an area called the Straits. It was described as "bricked up with English brick." In 1971 a survey by the Carteret County Historical Society found such a grave in the Fulford Cemetery off Piper Lane in Gloucester. The unmarked, bricked-up grave matching this description survives today.

One of the more prominent families from Carteret County was the Dennis family. William Dennis Sr. (b.1720 - d.1800) was an extremely colorful landowner, Revolutionary War officer, and defender of the county. In 1747, he assisted with the successful defense of the county during the War of Jenkins' Ear (fighting against Spanish pirates). During the Revolutionary War he served as a 2nd Major in the Carteret County Regiment of the North Carolina militia. In 1782, he fought alongside Lieutenant Colonel John Easton to drive the British from Carteret County. Dennis once owned the Hammock House, which became well known as the house owned by the pirate Blackbeard. His son, William Dennis Junior was a captain in the 8th North Carolina Regiment (1777-1778), was present at Valley Forge and also fought in the Carteret County Regiment (1781-1782). In the 1790 U.S. census, Dennis was one of the largest land owners in the county. Branches of the Dennis family include the Bells, Watsons and Pelletiers, many of whom continued to live in the area for many years. In a typical pattern of following the availability of new lands in the Deep South, some branches of this family later migrated to Mississippi and Texas in the 19th century.

In 2024, real estate developers in Cedar Point disturbed the site of an ancient Native American settlement. The discovery led to controversy over the continuance of the housing development and calls for new regulations to protect historical sites. Several state lawmakers pushed for construction to resume, with one legislator receiving campaign contributions from the project's developers in 2022.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1330.41 sqmi, of which 507.60 sqmi is land and 822.81 sqmi (61.85%) is water. It is the third-largest county in North Carolina by total area.

National protected areas/sites

• Cape Lookout Lighthouse
• Cape Lookout National Seashore
• Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge
• Croatan National Forest (part)
• Pocosin Wilderness (part)

State and local protected areas/sites

• Carteret County Game Land
• Croatan Game Land (part)
• Fort Macon State Park
• North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
• North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort
• Rachel Carson Reserve
• Theodore Roosevelt State Natural Area

Outstanding water sources and protected areas:

• Back Bay Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
• Back Sound Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
• Back Sound Outstanding Resource Water
• Bardens Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary
• Bear Island Area Outstanding Resource Water (part)
• Bogue Sound Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
• Bogue Sound Outstanding Resource Water
• Core Sound, Neuse River Basin Outstanding Resource Water
• Core Sound, White Oak River Basin Outstanding Resource Water
• Drum Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary
• Neuse-Southeast Pamlico Sound Area Outstanding Resource Water (part)
• Newport River Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
• North Bay Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
• North River Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
• Ocracoke Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary (part)
• Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
• The Straits Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
• White Oak River Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area (part)

Major water bodies

• Adams Creek
• Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)
• Back Sound
• Barden Inlet
• Barry Bay
• Beaufort Inlet
• Bogue Sound
• Calico Bay
• Cedar Island Bay
• Core Sound
• Drum Inlet
• Harlowe Creek
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Jarrett Bay
• Long Bay
• Nelson Bay
• Newport River
• Neuse River
• North River
• Ocracoke Inlet
• Onslow Bay
• Pamlico Sound
• Raleigh Bay
• South River
• Taylor's Creek
• Thorofare Bay
• Turnagain Bay
• West Bay
• West Thorofare Bay
• White Oak River

Adjacent counties

• Jones County – north
• Craven County – north
• Pamlico County – north
• Hyde County – northeast
• Onslow County – west

Major highways

Major infrastructure

• Amtrak Thruway (Morehead City)
• Carteret County Speedway
• Cedar Island–Ocracoke Ferry (to Hyde County)
• Michael J. Smith Field
• Ferries to the uninhabited islands in Cape Lookout National Seashore
• Port of Morehead City

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had 67,686 people, 30,112 households, and 18,292 families residing within it. The median age was 50.6 years, with 17.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 26.4% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 86.1% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.1% from some other race, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.6% of the population.

69.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 30.6% lived in rural areas.

Of the county's 30,112 households, 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Married-couple households comprised 49.6% of all households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 50,846 housing units, of which 40.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.9% were owner-occupied and 26.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 59,383 people, 25,204 households, and 17,365 families residing in the county. The population density was 114 /mi2. There were 40,947 housing units at an average density of 79 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 90.28% White, 6.99% Black or African American, 0.54% Asian, 0.43% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 25,204 households, out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.70% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 28.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94 males.

The median income for a household in Carteret County in 2009 was $49,711, and the median income for a family was $45,499. Males had a median income of $31,365 versus $22,126 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,260. About 8.00% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Carteret County is a member of the regional Eastern Carolina Council of Governments. It includes 16 of North Carolina's townships.

Carteret County operates under a council–manager form of government. The county manager is Sharon Griffin.

A voting machine malfunction in the county resulted in the loss of 4,438 ballots cast during early voting for the November 2, 2004, general election. Since the number of lost ballots exceeded the lead held (by Steve Troxler over Britt Cobb) in the statewide race for agriculture commissioner, the State Board of Elections decided to hold a special election on January 11, 2005, open only to the 18,500 voters in the county who either failed to vote or whose votes were lost. Both candidates filed legal challenges contesting the format of the new election. On February 4, 2005, Cobb conceded the race.

Education

Primary and secondary education

The county is served by the Carteret County Public Schools. Carteret County Public Schools has 16 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. Those 16 schools are separated into three high schools, four middle schools, and nine elementary schools.

In addition the county is home to a public charter school and three private schools:

• Tiller School is a grade K-5 public charter school in Beaufort
• Saint Egbert School is a grade K-5 Catholic school in Morehead City
• Grace Christian School is a grade K-8 school in Newport
• Gramercy Christian School is a grade K-12 school in Newport

Higher learning

• Carteret Community College (CCC)
• UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences (UNC-IMS)
• NCSU Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST)
• Duke University Marine Laboratory

Media

Carteret County News-Times The Carteret County News-Times is a community newspaper based in Morehead City that serves Carteret County and nearby areas. Its predecessors were The Beaufort News, a newspaper founded in 1912, and the Twin City Daily Times, a newspaper founded in 1936. The Phillips family purchased and merged the two newspapers together to form Carteret County News-Times. The Carteret County News-Timess earliest printing was on May 18, 1948. Beginning in 1981, the newspaper has published three editions a week: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. According to the 2010 book North Carolina's Central Coast and New Bern, the newspaper is "a good source of information for vacationers who want to know the schedules of tours, festivals, kids' programs, seminars, exhibits and events of all types within the county and the surrounding area".

Military

Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue is located in the western section of Carteret County along Bogue Sound. It comprises an 875 acre landing field located on Bogue Sound that serves as the Marine Corps’ only East Coast site for Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP).

Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic is a training field in Atlantic. The USMC manages the Navy's Dumpling Creek Transmission Station in Merrimon. BT-11 Piney Island in Davis and Cat Island in Bogue Sound are former Marine Corps bombing ranges.

The Marine Corps also has a facility in Beaufort, at the southern tip of Radio Island (between the NC State Port in Morehead City, and the marine science laboratories on Pivers Island in Beaufort). It is military property, but is only manned during military port operations.

The US Navy has a Port Control Office and the US Army has a Reserve Center, both in the eastern part of Morehead City. The NC National Guard has an Armory in Morehead City.

The US Coast Guard operates a Sector Office at Fort Macon, as well as a USCG Station at Emerald Isle and Morehead City.

Communities

Cities

• Morehead City (largest community)

Towns

• Atlantic Beach
• Beaufort (county seat)
• Bogue
• Cape Carteret
• Cedar Point
• Emerald Isle
• Indian Beach
• Newport
• Peletier
• Pine Knoll Shores

Townships

• Atlantic
• Beaufort
• Cedar Island
• Davis
• Harkers Island
• Harlowe
• Marshallberg
• Merrimon
• Morehead
• Newport
• Portsmouth
• Sea Level
• Smyrna
• Stacy
• Straits
• White Oak

Census-designated places

• Atlantic
• Brandywine Bay
• Broad Creek
• Davis
• Gloucester
• Harkers Island
• Marshallberg

Unincorporated communities

• Bettie
• Cape Lookout
• Cedar Island
• Core Creek
• Gales Creek
• Harlowe
• Lola
• Merrimon
• Mill Creek
• North River
• Ocean
• Otway
• Salter Path
• Sea Gate
• Sea Level
• Smyrna
• South River
• Stacy
• Stella
• Straits
• Wildwood
• Williston
• Wiregrass

References

References

1. "NC Pronunciation Guide". WRAL.
2. [https://library.unc.edu/wilson/ncc/talk-like-a-tar-heel/ Talk Like a Tarheel] {{Webarchive. link. (June 22, 2013 , from the North Carolina Collection website at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]. Retrieved August 16, 2023.)
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. (2009). "North Carolina: Individual County Chronologies". The Newberry Library.
5. North Carolina, Division of Archives and History, ''The Correspondence of William Tryon and Other Selected Papers, Volume II, 1768-1818'', p. 549
6. Lewis, J.D.. "Captain William Dennis, Jr.".
7. Lewis, J.D.. "Carteret County Regiment".
8. Doran, Will. (June 11, 2024). "NC builders unearth major archeological find. Lawmakers want to help them build over it".
9. (August 23, 2022). "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
10. "NCWRC Game Lands".
11. "NC Game lands – Croatan National Forest and Game Land".
12. "Rachel Carson Reserve".
13. (September 8, 2021). "List of Tier 3 Waters for the PGP (Outstanding National Resource Waters)".
14. "ArcGIS Web Application".
15. "Maps for Current Rules".
16. "Home".
17. "Barry Bay Fishing near Harkers Island, North Carolina {{!}} HookandBullet.com".
18. "Summary Report: Beaufort Inlet". [[Geographic Names Information System]].
19. Advertising, Balefire Marketing +. "Cedar Island Bay - Full Hookup, Back In RV Site".
20. Nickens, T. Edward. (March 30, 2021). "Safe Passage for Dreams".
21. Sharp, Michael. (September 15, 2020). "Jarrett Bay Near Davis And Williston NC {{!}} Discussions And Information".
22. "Long Bay".
23. Sharp, Michael. (September 22, 2020). "Nelson Bay And Down East NC Discussions".
24. Sharp, Michael. (July 28, 2019). "Taylor's Creek Near The Rachel Carson Reserve {{!}} Tourism".
25. Sharp, Michael. (October 18, 2020). "Thorofare Bay NC Discussions In Carteret County".
26. (June 1, 2013). "Descriptive Boundaries for Costal-Joint-Inland Waters".
27. "Fishing reports, best baits and forecast for fishing in West Thorofare Bay".
28. (2022). "Carteret County Speedway".
29. Isl, Mailing Address: 131 Charles St Harkers. "List of Authorized Ferry Services - Cape Lookout National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)".
30. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
31. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
32. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
33. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
34. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
35. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
36. "QuickFacts: Carteret County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
37. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Carteret County, North Carolina". [[United States Census Bureau]].
38. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Carteret County, North Carolina".
39. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Carteret County, North Carolina".
40. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
41. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
42. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
43. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
44. "Administration".
45. (November 5, 2004). "More than 4,500 North Carolina votes lost because of mistake in voting machine capacity". [[USA Today]].
46. "E-voting Woes Force New Election in N.C. County". [[Computerworld]].
47. "New Ag Commissioner Election To Be Held In Carteret County". [[WRAL-TV]].
48. "Lawyers For Both State Ag Candidates Head To Court Over Special Election". [[WRAL-TV]].
49. "Cobb Concedes Ag Commissioner Race To Troxler". [[WRAL-TV]].
50. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
51. "Carteret County Public Schools". North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
52. "Home".
53. "St. Egbert Catholic School".
54. "Explore Grace Christian School".
55. "Home".
56. Starkey, Jackie. (June 15, 2019). "News-Times moves print production to Greenville". Carteret County News-Times.
57. (1959). "The ESC Quarterly, Volumes 14-17". Employment Security Commission of North Carolina.
58. Smith, J.J.. (June 18, 2019). "Support local journalism or find yourself in a news desert". The Carteret County News-Times.
59. (2010). "North Carolina's Central Coast and New Bern". [[Globe Pequot Press]].
60. [[Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue]]
61. Jimenez, Lance Cpl. Jason. (July 9, 2015). "PINEY ISLAND REPLENISHES LIVE-FIRE TARGETS".
62. Anne V. Stokes, Travis Fulk, Brenda Swann, Bryan Harrell, Debra J. Wells, Bruce J. Larson, & Carmen Lombardo. (Oct 2008). "Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point - Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan - FY 2008 – 2013".
63. "Morehead City".