History Wilmington, North Carolina

1 history

1.1 colonial beginnings
1.2 revolutionary era
1.3 antebellum period
1.4 civil war
1.5 wilmington insurrection of 1898
1.6 20th century
1.7 world war ii
1.8 national register of historic places

history

colonial beginnings

mitchell-anderson house (built 1738)

the area along river had been inhabited various successive cultures of indigenous peoples thousands of years. @ time of european encounter, historic native americans members of tribes belonging algonquian languages family.

the ethnic european , african history of wilmington spans more 2 , half centuries. in 16th century, explorer giovanni da verrazano reportedly first european see area, including city s present site. first permanent european settlement in area started in 1720s english colonists. in september 1732, community founded on land owned john watson on cape fear river, @ confluence of northwest , northeast branches. settlement, founded first royal governor, george burrington, called new carthage, , new liverpool; gradually took on name new town or newton . governor gabriel johnston after established government there north carolina colony. in 1739 or 1740, town incorporated new name, wilmington, in honor of spencer compton, earl of wilmington.

some settlers of wilmington came albemarle , pamlico regions, colonies of virginia , south carolina, new settlers migrated northern british colonies, west indies, , british isles. many of settlers indentured servants, recruited british isles , northern europe. indentured servants gained freedom , fewer persuaded leave england because of improving conditions there, colonists imported increasing number of african slaves satisfy labor demand. 1767, slaves accounted more 62% of population of lower cape fear region. many worked in port laborers, , in ship-related trades.

naval stores , lumber fueled region s economy, both before , after american revolution. during revolutionary war, british maintained garrison @ fort johnston near wilmington.

revolutionary era

the bellamy mansion draws many tourists annually downtown wilmington.



u.s. courthouse in wilmington, backdrop of andy griffith s matlock television series

due wilmington s commercial importance major port, had critical role in opposition british in years leading revolution. city had outspoken political leaders influenced , led resistance movement in north carolina. foremost of these wilmington resident cornelius harnett, served in general assembly @ time, rallied opposition sugar act in 1764. when british parliament passed stamp act following year, designed raise revenue crown kind of tax on shipping, wilmington site of elaborate demonstration against it.

on october 19, 1765, several hundred townspeople gathered in protest of new law, burned effigy of 1 town resident favored act, , toasted liberty, property, , no stamp duty. on october 31, crowd gathered in symbolic funeral of liberty . before effigy buried, liberty found have pulse, , celebration ensued.

dr. william houston of duplin county appointed stamp receiver cape fear. when houston visited wilmington on business, still unaware of appointment, recounted,

inhabitants assembled me & demanded categorical answer whether intended put act relating [to] stamps in force. town bell rung[,] drums [were] beating, colours [were] flying , [a] great concourse of people [were] gathered together. sake of own life, , quiet minds of inraged [sic] , furious mobb..., houston resigned position @ courthouse.

governor william tryon made attempts mitigate opposition, no avail. on november 18, 1765, pleaded case directly prominent residents of area. said law restricted rights. when stamps arrived on november 28 on h.m. sloop diligence, tryon ordered them kept on board. shipping on cape fear river stopped, functions of courts.

tryon, after having received official commission governor (a position had assumed after death of arthur dobbs), brought wilmington captain constantine phipps on barge diligence, , received cordially gentlemen of borough. greeted firing of seventeen pieces of artillery, , new hanover county regiment of militia, had lined streets. warm welcome spoiled, however, after dispute arose between captain phipps , captains of ships in harbor regarding display of colors. townspeople became infuriated phipps , threats made against both sides. after tryon harangued them actions, townspeople gathered around barrels of punch , ox had brought refreshments. barrels broken open, letting punch spill streets; threw head of ox pillory, , gave body slaves. because of unrest, tryon moved seat of government new bern instead of wilmington.

on february 18, 1766, 2 merchant ships arrived without stamped papers @ brunswick town. each ship provided signed statements collectors @ respective ports of origin there no stamps available, captain jacob lobb of british cruiser viper seized vessels. in response, numerous residents southern counties met in wilmington. group organized sons of liberty , pledged block implementation of stamp act. following day, many thousand men, including mayor , aldermen of wilmington, led cornelius harnett brunswick confront tryon. governor unyielding mob retrieved seized ships. forced royal customs officers , public officials in region swear never issue stamped paper. parliament repealed stamp act in march 1766.

antebellum period

u. s. post office in downtown wilmington

in 1830s, citizens of wilmington became eager take advantage of railroad transportation. plans developed build railroad line capital, raleigh, wilmington. when raleigh citizens declined subscribe in sufficient number stock raise money project, organizers changed terminus weldon. when railroad line completed in 1840, longest single line of railroad track in world. railroad controlled fleet of steamboats ran between wilmington , charleston; these used both passenger travel , transportation of freight. regular boat lines served fayetteville, , packet lines traveled northern ports. city main stop-over point, contributing commerce.

by mid-century, churchyard of st. james episcopal church , other town cemeteries had become filled graves. on november 16, 1853, group of citizens, organized proprietors of wilmington cemetery, formed develop new cemetery. sixty-five acres of land around burnt mill creek chosen site called oakdale cemetery. first rural cemetery in north carolina. cemetery s first interment, on february 6, 1855, six-year-old annie derosset. many remains st. james churchyard relocated new cemetery.

the wilmington gas light company established in 1854. after, street lights powered gas made lightwood , rosin, replacing old street oil lamps. on december 27, 1855, first cornerstone laid , construction began on new city hall. grant thalian association funded attached opera house, named thalian hall. in 1857 city opened first public school, named union free school , on 6th street between nun , church streets, serving white students.

wilmington had black majority population before war. while slaves, city had significant community of free people of color, developed businesses , trades. period nat turner s rebellion, had been allowed vote, carry arms , serve in militia. fears after rebellion resulted in state legislature passing laws restrict rights of free blacks.

civil war

cannon firing @ reenactment of battle of forks road near cameron art museum in february 2009




wilmington national cemetery has markers dating american revolution , american civil war.

during civil war, port major , busiest base confederate , privately owned blockade runners, delivered badly needed supplies england. union mounted blockade reduce goods received south. city captured union forces in battle of wilmington in february 1865, approximately 1 month after fall of fort fisher had closed port. military action took place distance city, numerous antebellum houses , other buildings survived war years.

wilmington insurrection of 1898


wilmington in 1898

during reconstruction era, former free blacks , newly emancipated freedmen built community in city. blacks voted republican party, had gained freedom of slaves. there increasing violence around elections in period, armed white paramilitary insurgents, known red shirts (southern united states, worked suppress black , republican voting. conservative white democrats regained control of state legislature , sought impose white supremacy, blacks continued elected local offices.

the wilmington insurrection of 1898 (formerly called race riot) occurred result of racially charged political conflict had occurred in decades after civil war , efforts white democrats reestablish white supremacy , overturn black voting. in 1890s, coalition of republicans , populists had gained state , federal offices. democrats determined reassert control.

in 1898, cadre of white democrats, professionals , businessmen, planned overthrow city government if candidates not elected. 2 days after election, in white republican elected mayor , both white , black aldermen elected, more 1500 white men attacked , burned black newspaper in state , ran off new officers. overthrew legitimately elected municipal government. such coup d état in united states history.

on november 10, 1898, 1500 white men, led democrat alfred m. waddell, unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 1896, marched offices of daily record, had been angered publisher alex manly. mob broke out of control, shattering windows , setting fire building. violence later broke out across town in brooklyn, black neighborhood, attacked mobs of whites. waddell , men forced elected republican city officials resign @ gunpoint , replaced them men selected leading white democrats. waddell elected mayor newly seated board of aldermen day. prominent african americans , white republicans banished city in following days.

whites attacked , killed estimated 10-100 blacks. no whites died in violence. result of attacks, more 2100 blacks permanently left city, leaving hole among professional , middle class. demographic change large city became majority white, rather majority black before white democrats coup.

following these events, north carolina legislature passed new constitution raised barriers voter registration, imposing requirements poll taxes , literacy tests disfranchised black voters, following example of state of mississippi. blacks disfranchised , excluded political system until after congressional passage in mid-1960s of civil rights acts.

20th century

1918 panorama of downtown wilmington




1918 panorama of wilmington s waterfront



world war ii

during world war ii, wilmington home of north carolina shipbuilding company. shipyard created part of u.s. government s emergency shipbuilding program. workers built 243 ships in wilmington during 5 years company operated.

three prisoner-of-war (pow) camps operated in city february 1944 through april 1946. @ peak, camps held 550 german prisoners. first camp located on corner of shipyard boulevard , carolina beach road; moved downtown ann street, between 8th , 10th avenues, when outgrew original location. smaller contingent of prisoners assigned third site, working in officers mess , doing grounds keeping @ bluethenthal army air base, wilmington international airport.

national register of historic places

the audubon trolley station, brookwood historic district, carolina heights historic district, carolina place historic district, city hall/thalian hall, delgrado school, federal building , courthouse, fort fisher, gabriel s landing, william hooper school (former), market street mansion district, masonboro sound historic district, moores creek national battlefield, sunset park historic district, uss north carolina (bb-55) national historic landmark, james walker nursing school quarters, westbrook-ardmore historic district, wilmington historic district, , wilmington national cemetery listed on national register of historic places.