The Bounty is here. Head to the Riverfront and visit the Bounty. This replica of the historic ship will be visiting Wilmington for the next few days. Enjoy!
A variety of folks tried to be the first “enduring” settler of Wilmington. Presumably some folks who crossed the Alaska land bridge tried. We know some Puritans from New England and a gaggle from Barbados tried. Some wanderers may have stopped by in this early Wilmington History. But who can we point to and say ”it all started with him and continues to this day?”
Chris Fonvielle, UNCW historian, and lover of area history finally revealed the secret. He spoke at the Cape Fear Museum in a program sponsored by the CFM, Bellamy Mansion, and Historic Wilmington Foundation. Last week he teased us with tales of all the failed attempts but this week he finally clued us in.
We know that no one was here in the winter of 1724-25. Royal Governor George Burrington surveyed the lower Cape Fear that winter and found no one. All of the previous visitors had moved on. That opened things up allowing Burrington to issue the first land grant to Landgrave Thomas Smith on May 8, 1713. Landgrave is a Dutch title meaning land owner. Smith got Smith Island, generally known today as Bald Head Island even though its correct name is still Smith Island.
Bald Head, it turns out, is the name sailors gave to a large sand dune devoid of vegetation and used for navigation. It sits on Smith Island very close to the navigable portion of the Cape Fear River. But Smith is not the first of an enduring settlement despite the endurance of his naming rights (can you imagine the names we would have if the King sold naming rights?)
Maurice Moore received the area’s first economic development incentive. Moore was given 7,000 acres and became the first area resident in April of 1726. He then became the first civic booster and donated 360 acres for the Town of Brunswick. Oops, did he say Brunswick? Yes. Moore began the first settlement in the area but was not the first Wilmingtonian. Will anyone ever find Wilmington?
Mr. Moore’s Town of Brunswick seemed to thrive. Fonvielle’s various anecdotes tell of people making fortunes from the lumber industry but also of a somewhat poor town. One visitor decried the fact that the houses were not organized along recognizable streets.
And so things carried on until 1748 when the Spanish came a calling with their warships the Fortuna and the Loretta. Attacking by land and by water the invaders chased the citizens of Brunswick Town out and then pillaged for three days. A Mr. William Day organized about 80 locals for a counterattack and chased the invaders away. The Loretta seemed to have escaped safely but the Fortuna blew up in the water. Brunswick Town was able to finance its rebuilding from the valuables recovered from the wreckage. You can see a link to the Fortuna at St. James Episcopal Church in Downtown Wilmington. A picture of Jesus was recovered from the Fortuna and is now housed at St. James. That would make its age 264 years in Colonials’ hands plus however long the Spanish owned it. But, as you can see, we jumped ahead.
But all of that Brunswick Town activity was on the West bank of the Cape Fear. Will Chris ever reveal the person(s) that founded Wilmington?
John Watson seems to be the guy. He received a land grant on the east side of the river adjacent to the confluence of the North East Cape Fear. He then sold 300 acres to James Wimble for the creation of “New Carthage.” Watson, Wimble, Michael Higgins and John Grainger pooled their resources and created New Liverpool in April of 1733. It was variously known as New Town, Newton, and would, finally, be known as Wilmington. Their natural industry was aided by a powerful ally in the development of this New Town.
Royal Governor Gabriel Johnston came to power the next year, in 1734. Although a part of the ‘family’ that led Brunswick Town, he used his powers to undermine that development and support New Liverpool. Poor Brunswick, this was not the first time a development there was undermined. The first southern Charles Town was in Brunswick and its development was undermined by people who should have been supporters (see Chris’ talk of last week). The reference to ‘the family’ is a reference to a group of interconnected families that ruled the roost in Brunswick Town. Johnston must have had some sort of falling out with ‘the family.’ But that story is lost to history. Sounds like the model for Dallas brothers J.R. and Bobby Ewing.
Johnston placed the courthouse in Wilmington, the land office, personally purchased land here and urged his friends to do the same. Soon, investors in Brunswick Town were buying property in New Liverpool. Their successors had property in Wilmington and at Wrightsville Beach. But it also led to the eventual demise of Brunswick Town and rise of Wilmington.
One can still see the remains of Brunswick Town. It’s a state historic site and one that is highly recommended by Fonvielle. Historical Archeology began here. Stanly South was graduated from the college up in Chapel Hill. Until then the goal of archeology graduates was to head off to Greece and do classical archeology. South headed to Brunswick Town and began digging. It was the first application of that sort of archeological work and has been duplicated many times. Today, about one-third of Brunswick Town has been examined.
If you’d like to know more about this era, Fonvielle recommends “The Lower Cape Fear in Colonial Days” by Lawrence Lee. He describes it as “the best book on colonial Cape Fear history.”
Fonvielle spoke about the colonization attemtps that failed in a talk last week. You can see those comments here: http://capefearpassport.com/blog/who-was-the-first-wilmingtonian/
If you’d like to find all the history events around here then try this link: www.History.EnjoyWilmington.com Or, if you’d just like to find all the cool stuff to do around here, try www.EnjoyWilmington.com You can find our various historic groups at this site www.WilmingtonGivesBack.org There are about 30 to 40 history groups listed there (use key word ‘history’ under the search for nonprofits function.)
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Saturday is the running of the roses, the 138th Kentucky Derby. Be somewhere in a crazy hat at 5:00 pm when they’re off.
Lend Me A Tenor closes at Thalian. www.theater.enjoywilmington.com Nutt St. Comedy brings us Laugh a Lot. www.Comedy.EnjoyWilmington.com
And the Mid-Atlantic Surfing Championship is at the Marriott in CB. www.sports.enjoywilmington.com
Category : Featured Post, Where To Do
Who was the first Wilmingtonian? We’ll never know the name of the first person to cross the land bridge from Asia and make his or her way to the lower Cape Fear. But Chris Fonvielle thinks he knows the first European to stumble onto our shores. We can also claim the first “Charles Town” in Carolina, well before some folks established one along the Ashley River down the coast.
Giovanni de Verrazzano hit our shores on March 1, 1524 which would make him the first. Fonvielle thinks it was near Murrell’s inlet at 34 deg. but that’s a bit speculative. Regardless of the exact spot, Verrazzanno landed here, toured south a bit and then headed up the coast eventually finding New York. That City has memorialized Verrazzano’s visit by naming an area and a bridge for him. Wilmington memorialized his visit by naming a road in Landfall for the explorer. But he didn’t stick around.
Lucas Vasquez de Allyon may have been our second visitor. He was cruising around the southern coast when his lead boat hit something underwater and it was lost. Could it have been Frying Pan Shoals? If it was then his was the first of thousands of ships lost in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Historian Lawrence Lee believes this is the spot where de Allyon lost his ship and built a new one. de Allyon’s description of the spot certainly fits this area but there is nothing to definitevely prove the theory. If true, it would also mean that he was the first of a long time of people to build ships here. And he was our first extended stay tourist. Maybe we should rename the CVB the ‘Lucas Vasquez de Allyon Tourism Bureau?”
Paris is not the first Hilton.
William Hilton was our first Hilton. He was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and went out for a ride in 1662 and did come back after finding the Cape Fear river in Autumn of that year. He toured what we know as the NE Cape Fear river and declared that it would known as the Charles River. Good thing it got a new name. Robert Mithchum couldn’t do much of a movie if it was called “Charles.” That’s not nearly as threatening as “Cape Fear.” But Hilton did provide the first maps of the river and its attendant streams and creeks. He also provided the first glamorous land developer’s map. We only have one Hilton (hotel) today but we have lots of glamorous developer maps.
Hilton returned to his Massachusetts Bay home and found some folks that wanted to find a new place to live. They followed him here in 1663 and created our first colony. It lasted all the way from February to April of that year. No one knows why they left, only that they left in a hurry. But Hilton was undeterred.
He made his way to Barbados and hooked up with John Vassal. Barbados was getting too expensive since the Brits discovered the island could produce sugar. It became the Wrightsville Beach of the day and average folks needed to move someplace more affordable. Hilton convinced Vassal that he had found their xanadu.
Hilton returned here to look around in October 1663, crossing the bar October 26, 1663. Out of this came some early maps and the first encounter between someone who found Wilmington from the East and someone who found it from the West. Hilton and his crew met local Indians on November 23, 1663 at which time they traded and exchanged pleasantries. But someone must have regretted the trade. On his way downriver a lone Indian from the meetup fired an arrow and hit Hilton’s longboat. It led to further unpleasantries over the next few hundred years between folks from the East and folks from the West. It remains an important incident as it was one of the few documented encounters between Europeans and Indians in this area and that was a local experience that would discontinue in only a few years. We do not know who the Cape Fear Indians were or what happened to them. A few encounters and they disappeared into history.
Hilton returned to Barbados, reported to Vassel and he, too, vanished into history.
Vassel led a group here, arriving May 29, 1664. They established a colony known as Charles Town near the mouth of what we now know as Town Creek in Brunswick County. It was incorporated as part of Clarendon County in 1665. But that effort didn’t last too long. Sending some colonists over to the Wilmington side of the river with its unwelcoming soil (only some corn and lettuce would grow, in Fonvielle’s dismissive phrase) left them less than pleased. And some of the organizers spent most of their time undermining the success of the colony. Honest developers have been suffering under this precedent ever since. By September, 1667 the colony had failed. We have documents to tell us they were here but no remains have ever been found. If you happen to find some evidence be sure to call Chris.
After that it was just Pirates and the occasional lost sailor for the remainder of the 17th century. One lively tale holds that Blackbeard buried gold on Money Island. Lots of folks have searched for it but your chance of discovering the buried loot took a hit with the building of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Army Corp dumped its dredging there covering the oak trees and all of Blackbeard’s treasure.
All that really remains of the first settlements is mysteries. Why did the first colonists leave so suddenly? No one has a clue. What happened to the slaves that came over from Barbados? There is a long oral tradition within certain black communities contending that those slaves were left behind and assimilated with local indians. But where are the indians?
Just imagine, if Vassel’s settlement had taken root we would be talking about Charles Town on the Cape Fear, not Wilmington. Would we call the film industry Charlywood?
The first permanent settlement came in the 1720s and Chris will talk about that next week.
Chris’s talk is part of a series of history talks put together by the Historic Wilmington Foundation, Bellamy Mansion and Cape Fear Museum. This series includes two talks and a tour with Wilmington Water Tours on Saturday to see some of the early sites from the water.
Find Wilmington History events at www.History.EnjoyWilmington.com or find everything to do in Wilmington and Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville beaches at www.EnjoyWilmington.com
Category : Featured Post, Where To Eat
Phun Seafood Bar is fun and promising. I finally checked it out and was pleased with what Shane prepared in the kitchen and Eleni’s cheerful service with the customers.
I tried the spicy pork sandwich (Nom Sod Spice Pork) while my colleague enjoyed a bento box.
The pork sandwich is not at all what you’d expect if you’re looking for eastern NC BBQ. The pork, red oni0n, ginger, carrot, mint, scallion, peanuts, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime dressing came combined in a loose finely chopped mix. A bibb lettuce wrapper came with the meal in lieu of bread. The sweet and spicy sauce came on the side. Without the sauce, the meal had a good taste. With the sauce, it was enhanced and still good.
Dude ordered the Bento Box but then got the chef to change the fish in it, add a different sauce and generally personalize it. I guess the lesson here is that special orders don’t upset them. Everything he brought out disappeared so it must have been okay.
This is Keith Rhodes’ place, the spot where he began Catch. It sat vacant for quite awhile but is now reopened as a “southeast asian tapas” restaurant. It’s still small with seats at the bar and a handful of two top tables. 215-A Princess St. in Downtown Wilmington. It’s open for lunch Monday to Friday and for dinner on Wednesday through Saturday.
Oh, and do order the tea if Eleni is working. She makes it and I failed as a customer by not ordering. Must do penance.
For nearby activities visit www.downtownevents.enjoywilmington.com Or, find everything in Wilmington, and Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure beaches at www.EnjoyWilmington.com
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The month of showers is about to make way for May. But she still has some treats to offer.
This weekend is the Port City’s Top Comic competition. 28 comics compete to be named the top comic in a contest that opens on Thursday and ends with a final round on Sunday. That and more comedy can be found at www.comedy.enjoywilmington.com
Always plenty of film around Wilmy-wood. “Cuba Nights,” a series at Thalian highlights films about that conundrum of a nation. The series continues for the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the beautiful hall is still offering its Cinematique series. You can also find the Breakfast Club over at the U. All the films are at www.film.enjoywilmington.com
And we love our music. The Downtown Sundown series opens Friday with Coconut Grove band, and that will continue every Friday all summer long. Or, you can enjoy the Symphony, also at the U. Details at www.music.enjoywilmington.com
Or just find it all at www.CapeFearPassport.com/wtd.php
Or find your restaurants at www.CapefearPassport.com/wte.php
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This week brings us Rims On The River, Hammerheads Soccer, history, theater, film and more.
Rims on the River brings real American metal to downtown Wilmington. See the cars of the 60s, 50s, and other days gone by. Celebrate the tail fins, chrome, power and styling in this celebration of great cars. It all opens with a concert by Southern Culture on the Skids Friday evening and the great car show all day Saturday. Details at www.fun.enjoywilmington.com
Wilmington Hammerheads soccer has opened its season. We’ve also got the Cape Fear Roller Girls and a Run for Autism. Get up and move about at www.sports.enjoywilmington.com
Wilmington Theater including God’s Favorite (see our review at http://capefearpassport.com/blog/do-you-believe-in-god-really-believe/) Positions at Red Barn and auditions for The Foreigner on Monday and Tuesday. Find all the theater at www.theater.enjoywilmington.com
Film lights up with Albert Nobbs, Rims on the River films, Wake up, a documentary screening. More at www.film.enjoywilmington.com
History is always here and this week includes a look at Reconstruction. FInd all of that at www.history.enjoywilmington.com
Find all our great attractions at www.EnjoyWilmington.com
It’s an easy question for most people to answer. But then, it’s also not challenged very often.
It is also the question behind Neil Simon’s deceptively simple play God‘s Favorite currently showing at Cape Fear Playhouse.
Joe Benjamin (played by Bradley Coxe) is a successful businessman living in a beautiful home with his wife and three children. He also claims to be very much in love with God and a very true believer. All is well, save for some problems with his oldest son, until a visit by the very peculiar Sidney Lipton (Ron Hasson).
Lipton presents as a very odd fellow of no particular distinction and of no particular success but he claims to be an emissary from God and there to secure Benjamin’s renouncement of God. Just say those three little words “I renounce God.”
He strikes Benjamin as a nut case until he begins predicting a variety of calamities, itching, nails in the feet, various ailments, a loss of the home and even a family tragedy. These are all tests of Benjamin’s love of God and, Lipton assures him, will go away just as soon as he says those three little words.
How would you respond? How many of those with faith would stand up to a test of their faith? It’s an intriguing question. Mouthing the words is easy. Living them is a bit more challenging.
In addition to Coxe and Hasson the plays stars Elain Nalee as Rose Benjamin, and a great addition to our theater scene, Nate Kistler as David Benjamin, the problem child, Erika Hendrix and Jordan Stallings as the non-problem children, and Beth Raynor and Chase Harrison as the house staff.
The show runs through April 29. Find it and more theater at www.theater.enjoywilmingtonl.com
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Wilmington’s famed Azalea Fest comes to town this week. Enjoy concerts from Scotty McReary to Kenny Loggins to a great lineup of bands downtown. Enjoy the parade. The City has even given N 3rd street a paving so the parade runs smoothly. The preliminaries have begun with events running through Sunday April 15. Get a detailed agenda at www.AzaleaFestival.EnjoyWilmington.com
And Carolina Beach will be holding its famous Chowder Cook Off on Saturday. Cape Fear Seafood Co., Havana’s, Lazy Pirate, O’Charleys, Seaside Grill, SeaWitch Cafe, The Grille, and Veggie Wagon will all be offering their best chowder. Join in the People’s Choice and see the Judege’s Choice for best Chowder. It’s all around the Lake at Carolina Beach. You can get more info on that great event at http://cbevents.EnjoyPleasureIsland.com
And we have lots of other fun events taking place at the same time. There’s live theater with details at www.theater.EnjoyWilmington.com sports with details at www.Sports.EnjoyWilmington.com music with details at www.Music.EnjoyWilmington.com and lots more. You can find it all including events, restaurants and lodging at www.EnjoyWilmington.com
While you’re here don’t forget to check out our restaurants, stores and all the rest around town
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Things are getting busy around here. Easter arrives this weekend, followed by the Azalea Festival the next weekend and then Rims on the River in two weeks. There’s a special event for everyone around Wilmington NC. And there’s still all the rest.
Nothing says Easter quite like an easter egg hunt. And we have four of them. Halyburton Park hosts their’s this Thursday, the Battleship hosts the grandaddy of our Easter Egg Hunts Friday and the Aquarium has the Alligator Egg Hunt hosts hunts on Friday and Saturday. You can find all the details at www.kids.enjoywilmington.com
Had enough of Easter Eggs? Maybe theater is more your thing. Drowsy Chaperone and Next to Normal continue at Thalian and City Stage. Next to Normal is getting great reviews in area press and Drowsy Chaperone was enjoyed on its opening weekend. God’s Favorite and Once Upon a Mattress, children’s theater, open this weekend. Find all the theater at www.theater.enjoywilmington.com Look under the magnifying glass symbol for descriptions of each show.
Our teams are on the field, or arena. Seadawgs basketball, part of the Colonial Summer League, take on Prime Time and Carolina. UNCW’s Seahawks defend the baseball diamond against ECU, Coastal Carolina, and Hofstra. There’s more about our sports at www.sports.enjoywilmington.com
And then comes Wilmington’s World Famous Azalea Festival which kicks off Wednesday the 11th. Find all the Festival events at www.azaleafestival.enjoywilmington.com
And we always have plenty for kids, music lovers, and a bunch more. Find it all at www.enjoywilmington.com
It’s always a great time to Enjoy Wilmington from downtown to the beautiful beaches.