Page 16 - Wilmington VG 2019

BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA

History Then

Wilmington History Through the Years

A Ripple in Time from the River to the Sea

Those who stay on course rarely The Colony (1720-1739)
make history. Stray off course
European settlers colonized the area,
and let the water guide you to and Wilmington was incorporated in 1739.
the historic sites of Wilmington The city became the region’s center of trade,
and our Island Beaches. politics and culture due to its proximity to the
river and the ocean.
Explore by land and discover the National The Revolution (1776-1782)
Register Historic District and historic homes
and museums. By sea, you will find the During the Revolutionary War, the Battle
Battleship NORTH CAROLINA and Fort Fisher of Moore’s Creek Bridge was fought 20 miles
State Historic Site. northwest of Wilmington in February 1776.
The Explorers (1524)

Native American tribes who resided
on the river banks were our earliest Then
known inhabitants. In 1524, explorers like
Verrazano arrived in our region, discovering
treacherous shoals where many ships
sank near the underwater sandbars. The
dangerous seascape led early mariners (and
pirates!) to coin the area “Cape of Feare,”
thus the name Cape Fear River. Atlantic Coast Railroad
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