| Summary |
The purpose of this study is to provide an account of the facts relating to the founding of the town of Beaufort, North Carolina, and to describe its development during the colonial period. Since no previous account of the town's history has been written, this study is based almost entirely on primary sources. And these sources have been quoted frequently in an effort to recreate as nearly as possible the atmosphere of the period. Though European explorers visited the Beaufort area as early as 1524, there was little specific knowledge of that area before the arrival of the first white settlers in the first decade of the eighteenth century. Before the settlers arrived, the area was inhabited by the Coree Indians of the Iroquoian family. Though few in number these native inhabitants were active participants in the Tuscarora War of 1711-1713. The town of Beaufort was laid out and named on October 2, 1713, on land owned by Robert Turner, a local settler. Though laid out by permission of the Lords Proprietors, the town was not incorporated until 1723. In the meantime it had been established as a port of entry for the colony and had also been designated as the site of the courthouse for Carteret Precinct, which was established in 1722. Numerous lots were sold in Beaufort immediately after it was laid out, but few of the purchasers made their homes in the town. As late as 1765 it was a town of not more than twelve houses. About 1765, however, settlement became more substantial, and in the next few years efforts were made to give Beaufort more of the atmosphere of a well-ordered town. Every class of colonial society except the wealthy aristocracy was represented by the inhabitants of Beaufort. Social activities were restricted by the demands of making a living, and efforts were made by the precinct government to curb moral laxity. Formal education in Beaufort had its beginning in 1744 through provisions made by James Winright, the proprietor of the town. The dominant church was the Anglican Church, whose various functions were carried out through St. John's Parish. The economy of Beaufort was based upon the utilization of the natural resources available in the area. Hence, fishing, whaling, the production of lumber and naval stores, shipbuilding, and farming were the chief economic activities. Though Beaufort had the safest and most navigable harbor of any of the ports of North Carolina, extensive commercial activities failed to develop, owing to the fact that the town was almost completely isolated from the interior. |
