The USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 20-02 Morehead City offers FREE USCG Vessel Safety Checks. For further information, contact Bob Leibert at (262) 726-4369 or via e-mail at rleibert@earthlink.net.
Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The populations was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of is founding on May 5, 2007. It forms part of the Crystal Coast.
History
In the early 1850s, a group of investors named the Shepard Point Land Company purchased 600 acres of land on the eastern tip of the peninsula that is now the site of Morehead City. Their objective was to take advantage of the deep channel of Beaufort Inlet, leading into Shepard Point, to construct a port and connect it by rail to Goldsboro, NC.
Governor John Motley Morehead, for whom the town is named, a principal member of this group, initiated construction of the railroad in 1855 and by July 1858 rail service had been established. The town was laid-out in city blocks of 16 lots each, reaching to 15th Street, with a system of alleys within each block in the form of an “H”, so that all houses and businesses could be serviced from the alleys. Much of this “Philadelphia plan” still exists today. The town was officially incorporated by the North Carolina Senate in 1860, by which time the town’s popluation had grown to more than 300.
The town continued to prosper until the American Civil War, when in 1862 it was occupied by Federal troops. The war disrupted commerce, and the economy of the port declined along with the town’s population. It was not until the 1880s, with the construction of the Atlantic Hotel at the tip of the peninsula, and its promotion by the railroad as the “Summer Capital by the Sea”, that the area began to experience a resurgence. The popularity of this particular hotel with its train depot enterance grand ballroom, piers, sailing and ferries to the beaches of Bogue Banks helped to establish Morehead City as a summer destination.
It was also during the 1880s and 1890s that fishermen who had lived on the island of Shackleford Banks moved on to the mainland (often transporting their houses by boat from the Outer Banks), settling in the areas between 10th and 15th Streets and calling it the Promised land. These fishermen became the nucleus of the fishing industry that has remained an improtant part of the town’s economy.
The Great Depression and World War II markedly altered the character of the town. The tradional downtown area had deteriorated and, as newer stores opened further west, the decay in the old center of town accelerated. Finally, in the 1980s, a renewal began when the town obtained a Community Development Block Grant to replace an aging infrasturcture and improve the appearance of the waterfornt area. Subsequent grants, private investment, and town monies have maintained the forward momentum, so that the town has a new sea wall, underground utilities, brick-paved walkways with planters along the waterfront all in the downtown area, and tree-lined streets, renovated houses, new docks and new businesses.
The Community Today
The economy of the town is based on tourism, commercial and sport fishing, and some light industry. Morehead City is one of the two seaports in North Carolina. Carteret General Hospital serves the entire county, and is the second largest employer in the county after the school system. Higher education also plays a significant role in the economy and culture. There is a community college, as well as several research institutes, operated by UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina State. The State of North Carolina also has a research and compliance arm of State Marine Fisheries located in Morehead City.
Sport Fishing
Morehead City is widely known as a center for sport fishing. It draws enthusiasts from all over the eastern United States, and is the venue for various fishing tournaments, including a major annual Atlantic blue marlin tournament, named The Big Rock Tournament, established in 1957. The largest blue marlin ever caught in this tournament was 831 lbs.
Scuba Diving
In addition to a thriving sport fishing industry, Morehead City and surrounding areas are a popular SCUBA diving destination. The waters off the coast of North Carolina are often referred to as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, a legacy that attracts divers from all over the world. Morehead City sits comfortably between a number of famous wrecks, including the German submarine U-352, a wreck discovered in part by the late Morehead resident George Purifoy.
Seafood Festival
Every year, during the first weekend in October, Morehead City hosts the 2nd largest festival in North Carolina honoring the fishing industry and one of our greatest natural resources…seafood. The festival, which began in 1987, is a three-day event full of live entertainment, arts and crafts, rides, and seafood vendors. On the last day, the Blessing of the Fleet takes place. A part of the ceremony is a remembrance of those lost in the fishing industry. The festival attracts upwards of 200,000 people each year.
Tourism
Fostered by the tourism industry, Morehead City has an abundance of restaurants, many in its waterfront area, and is widely known for its variety of places to eat. Art galleries and gift shops servce the tourists, as well as locals. The Beaufort-Morehead City area has been cited as being among the top 100 “Best Small Art Towns in America” in a book by John Villani.
Port
The port serves both commercial and military customers. It is the port of embarkation and debarkation for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune.
Sports
Morehead City is home to the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Marlins play at O’Neal Field at Big Rock Stadium in Morehead City, and began playing in the 2010 season.
