History of

Craven County, NC

New! 64 Page Illustrated Booklet

Early days in Craven County, North Carolina, are recalled in this new 64-page spiral-bound booklet, comprised of excerpts from several vintage books. These source materials include John Hill Wheeler's Historical Sketches of North Carolina (1851); Sketches of Prominent Living North Carolinians by Jerome Dowd (1888), North Carolina, A Guide to the Old North State (1939), a product of the WPA; A New Geography of North Carolina (1954-65).

The tri-color front cover is printed on 80# card stock and has been protected with a vinyl sheet. The text is printed single-sided on 60# opaque paper, with the print enlarged to fit the 8.5" x 11" paper and improve readability.

Some of the places mentioned in the booklet include: New Bern (County Seat), Bridgeton, Cherry Point, Croatan, Fort Barnwell, Havelock, James City, and Vanceboro.

Among the many subjects included are: Geology and Physical features, such as Croatan National Forest and the Neuse River; Members of the General Assembly from Craven County before 1851; Early notables -- Francois Xavier Martin, William Blount, Abner Nash, Richard Dobbs Spaight family, William Gaston, John R. Donnell family, Charles Biddle Shepard, John H. Bryan, George E. Badger, Matthias E. Manly, William H. Washington, and Capt. J.H.K. Burgwin; John Lawson, frontier hero; Tuscarora War; New Bern as temporary capital; Tryon's Palace, "called the most magnificent house in America"; Stanly House and the Attmore-Oliver House; Transportation; Religion and Education; agriculture, industry, mining and tourism; the Marine Corps Air Station; Madame Mary Vail Moore; the duelling Stanly family, a self-kicking machine, a privateer with dummy cannon, and other interesting bits of history and trivia.

The Dowd excerpts are biographies of F.M. Simmons and Gen. Robert Ransom, . The WPA section offers a nostalgic glimpse of the area from a 1939 vantage point, offering many historical notes and sightseeing possibilities. There is a special section on New Bern with a map and 34 points of interest.

Our North Carolina booklets are a good resource for learning about the history, geography and social climate of places where you or your ancestors have lived or for places you plan to visit.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?