Hill's Jacksonville (Onslow County, N.C.) City Directory [1957], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1957
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 592

USA > North Carolina > Onslow County > Jacksonville > Hill's Jacksonville (Onslow County, N.C.) City Directory [1957] > Part 2

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Public Libraries-3, with total of 18,000 volumes.

City Statistics-Total street mileage, 28, with 8 miles paved. City bus lines, 1. Number of water meters, 3,000; light meters, 3,500. Capacity of water works (municipal) 2,500 gallons per minute, with daily average pumpage of 1,000,000 gallons. Fire department has 5 paid men, with 1 station and 4 pieces of motor equipment. Value of fire department real estate and equipment, $35,000. Police department has 17 men, with 1 station and 4 pieces of motor equipment. Birth rate, 810; death rate, 96 (City limits).

General Review

Jacksonville is located on the scenic banks of New River in the South Coastal Area of North Carolina, 37 miles southwest of New Bern and 51 miles northeast of Wilmington.

& INSURANCE AGENCY A. D. GUY REALTY

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NEW RIVER PHARMACY, INC.

NEW RIVER SHOPPING CENTER

NEW RIVER_NURSERY

STREETS

PHONES NUMERICALLY

INTRODUCTION

Formed in 1734 from New Hanover County, Onslow County was named for Sir Arthur Onslow, who was speaker of the House of Commons in the British Parliament.

Records in the Register of Deeds office at the County Court House in Jack- sonville date back to 1713.

The first court house for Onslow County is believed to have been located at Court House Bay, six miles from the mouth of New River. The second County Seat and court house were on northeast branch about 20 miles from the mouth of. New River, where the U. S. Marine Corps Officers Quarters at Paradise Point, Camp Lejeune, are now located. The third court house location at Johns- town, named for Royal Governor Garriel Johnston, was about 14 miles from the mouth of New River. The town failed to grow and most of the buildings were destroyed by a hurricane in 1752.

The last and present court house site was named "Wantland Ferry", for James Wantland who in 1756 donated an acre of land "Convenient to a Good Many" for the court house. Four edifices preceded the present structure erected in 1904 and remedied in 1951.

Wars seriously affected the New River region throughout their early history. After the Indian Wars, Spanish Buccaneers and pirates beset the region. During the Spanish invasion in the 1740's, prisoners were brought into the Onslow County Section through Bear inlet. Henry Morgan and his pirate associates are said to have used New River inlet as a hideout.

Militia men were trained for the French and Indian Wars and for the Revolu- tionary Conflict. Onslow residents had courageous parts in the flight for freedom and independence.

Within two years after the creation of the U. S. Marine Corps, marines were on duty in the coastal area, being assigned to the Privateer Sturdy Beggar off New Bern in 1777. They sailedagainst two English rigs which had arrived with- in the bar on the Carolina seashore and captured several vessels.

President George Washington passed through Onslow County on his Southern tour in 1791, enroute to Wilmington. He took breakfast at "Everett's" near Richlands, had dinner at Captain James Foy's at Rick's Run and spent the night at Sage's Ordinary in the Southern part of the county. President Washington wrote in his diary, "The whole road from New Bern to Wilmington (except in a few places of small extent) passes through the most barren country I have ever beheld."

Two Governors of North Carolina may be claimed by Onslow County. Edward B. Dudley, elected from New Hanover County, the first governor elected by the direct vote of the people, served two terms from 1836 to 1841. He was born and reared in Onslow County.

Governor Daniel C. Russell, born in Brunswick County, was the son of two Onslow natives, and spent his childhood at the Onslow home of his grandfather, David W Sanders, a member of the Council of State.

Onslow County is one of the few coastal counties in North Carolina whose mainland borders the ocean without an intervening sound.

Jacksonville and Onslow County flourished through the years, its native residents being occupied in farming tobacco, corn, peanuts, cotton, etc .; others cutting and processing lumber for tar pitch and turpentine, others sailing the ocean and rivers of the area bringing in fish, shrimp and the famed large and luscious oysters from New River still others: merchants, lawyers, politicians, educators.

In 1941 at the outbreak of World War II, the area around Jacksonville was again the scene of U. S. Marines on duty. Camp Lejeune was originated and named for the famed General Lejeune. Camp Lejeune is the world's largest amphibious training base, covering an area of 173.8 square miles. Camp Le- jeune starts one mile from the center of Jacksonville, and extends to the Atlantic Ocean. The base is a city itself and is completely self-sufficient. It has its own power plant, garbage and disposal plants, water treatment plant; its buildings, which number in excess of 400 are permanent structures of steel, brick and cement. It is beautifully landscaped with azaleas and native flora. Camp Lejeune offers its visitors an unparallel view of America's defense strength in its natural scenic beauty. Jacksonville has achieved the reputation of being the fastest growing and most progressive city in North Carolina.

INTRODUCTION

The government of the Town of Jacksonville is the Council-Manager for the Mayor is elected at large, and the four members of the Council are elected from the four wards of the Town. The Town Manager is appointed by the Council and is charged with the administration of the town's affairs and is responsible to the Council. To advise and assist the Council and the Manager, there are the following advisory commissions and boards: The Planning Board, the Recreation Commission, Cemetery Commission and the Zoning Board of Adjustments.

Tax Rate in the City is $1.65 per $100.00 Tax Rate in the County is $1.28 per $100.00

permitting a low tax of $1.28 per $100.00 or a high of $2.98 per $100.00.

There is a newly completed and enlarged sewage treatment plant, plus a new water treatment plant.

There are two electric power companies serving the entire county.

Carolina Telephone & Telegraph, with an investment of over a million dol- lars in equipment and lines, is also serving many thousands of homes in Onslow County.

There are over ten miles of sandy beach bordering the Atlantic Ocean, with- in easy driving distance from Jacksonville.

The climate in Jacksonville is classified as mild throughout the year with a temperature seldom below freezing during January, February and March, as- cending to 90.and 100 during July and August.

Rainfall . Snowfall.

57.53

.7 Mean Annual Temperature 62.80

Tourist accommodations in Jacksonville are numerous. There are several hotels and many fine tourist courts, one of which is the second largest in the United States and known as the finest between Washington, D. C. and Jackson- ville, Florida.

A large amount of acreage, ideally located, is available for industry, and there is an abundance of workers for any type of commercial enterprise. Many marines, upon discharge or retirement, remain in the community.

Jacksonville boasts an alert daily morning newspaper, which subscribes to several of the noted news services. Being a morning paper, its heavy circulation gets the news to the many subscribers early enough to keep the population posted on news ordinarily published in evening papers.

A modern radio station, WJNC, has been on the air since 1945, serving the best interests of Jacksonville and Onslow County. It has always been alert and quick to serve the best interest of all of Jacksonville and Onslow County. Another station, WLAS, now under construction, is to be opened in the near future. T V reception reaches Jacksonville from at least four regular stations.

In Jacksonville, business firms offering all types of merchandise and serv- ice, total in excess of 200.

The Civic Clubs of the city, number twelve, with three additional auxiliaries. Fourteen miles North of Jacksonville on Highway 17 at Belgrade is an exten- sive deposit of shell rock, from which thousands of tons have been removed for use in airfield and highway construction.

Jacksonville has a new County Hospital completely equipped with modern facilities to assist doctors in keeping the citizens in good health. Among the new items is an X-Ray Machine, presented through the local Cancer Society by the citizens and Marines of Onslow County. In addition to its fine surgical and mechanical instruments and machines, the hospital is capably staffed with out- standing doctors, nurses, and managerial staff.

Jacksonville has four fine schools, of which two are public primary schools, and one public high school; and one private primary school (Catholic).

The public primary, the Clyde Erwin School in New River, just recently constructed, is considered one of the finest schools in the nation. Jacksonville is truly an example of this nations greatness in that freedom of religion is practiced. We have the Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Presby- terian, Mormon and Episcopal Churches.

& INSURANCE AGENCY A. D. GUY REALTY

NEW RIVER PHARMACY, INC.

NEW RIVER SHOPPING CENTER

NEW RIVER NURSERY

STREETS

PHONES NUMERICALLY

XII

INTRODUCTION

The Atlantic Coast Line offers daily freight service and the Marine Corps has about completed passenger service between Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point, N. C., which will be leased to one of the regular lines and afford train service for the many Marines to any point.

The city has its own recreation building, which operates daily programs. There are two beautifully equipped U.S.O. Clubs serving off the base needs of the many Marines based at Camp Lejeune.

The city is situated on beautiful New River, which has been known by many generations of fresh water fishermen as a fisherman's paradise. The great game hunting reserve, known as Huffman Forest covers 80,000 acres and almost reaches the city. Coastal Highway U. S. 17 runs through Jacksonville.

Jacksonville can be your home while you hunt and fish in the beautiful forests, rivers, creeks and ocean that are in and border Onslow County. In our forests and plains there are bear, deer, quail, rabbit, wild turkey, duck, geese and many other game birds and animals to be found.

In New River and its creeks, and in the Atlantic Ocean, a veritably treasure of thrills and surprises await the angler with the multitude and assortment of fish to be caught, bass, perch, trout, lue, sheephead, mullet, etc.

Onslow County's forests produce many merchantile species of trees, such as the loblolly pine, gum, oak, cypress, juniper, etc.

New River, despite its name, is known to be the mouth of one of the oldest rivers in America. It is the only large river in North Carolina with headwaters and mouth in the same county, Onslow, and it is one of the few rivers of any size in the United States which flows due north. Its three forks are also unusual, in that they bring little water to feed the main stream. Another peculiarity is that it seems to be all mouth and nothing much more. The estuary is about 20 miles long, and three to five miles wide.

The county is basically agricultural and fresh foods and fish are enjoyed daily.

Forest Area (Acres) 366,600

Growing Season (Days) 248

Tobacco Valuation (1953). 6,000,000

Livestock Valuation (1953). 2,000,000

Total Land Area (Acres) . 483,840

Tobacco, corn, peanuts, soybeans and livestock are important sources of income for Onslow farmers. Onslow County hams are known far and wide for their delicious flavor. New River oysters are large and luscious. They grow singly instead of in clusters. Sea food from Onslow waters is exceptionally fine.

YELLOW PAGES

JACKSONVILLE

North Carolina

1957

PUBLICO ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICAN

1898

Hill's Jacksonville (Onslow County, N.C.) City Directory [1957], Part 2

Author: Hill Directory Company. Publication date: 1957 Publisher: Hill Directory Co. Number of Pages: 592

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1957
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 592