| Fun
Tidbits About Oriental
- No
lines, no waiting, no beltways or interstates, just beautiful
waterfront property on wide rivers, creeks and sounds.
- One stoplight in the entire county
- Home
to both aspiring and world renowned artists, photographers,
galleries, shops, marinas, boatyards, sailing regattas,
fishing tournaments, paddle trails, and abundant wildlife
- Home
to the Croaker Festival ... exciting small town originality
in a Fourth of July Festival and parade.
- Home
to The Spirit of Christmas ... all the warmth of a
small town American celebration.
- Home
to the Dragon Walk, when, on every New Year's Eve ... the
mysterious and hilariously scary dragon parades with pomp,
circumstance and frivolity.
- A
place to sail, a place to retire, a place to start a business,
a place to fish, a place to paddle, a place to play.
- Oriental
is known as the Sailing Capital of North Carolina:
2,700 – 3000 boats, mostly sailboats, can be found anchored
or docked in the Oriental area most anytime, not to mentioned
fishing trawlers who make their living up and down the Neuse
River and Pamlico Sound. With only about 875 residents
in Oriental, boats outnumber residents three to one.
- Oriental
is a welcoming harbor for cruisers: Known by it’s location
at Mile Marker 182 of the Intracoastal Waterway, Oriental
is a favorite stopping point for cruisers heading north
or south. More than a few of Oriental’s current residents
first came to town by sea...and decided to stay awhile.
Some come to work, some for retirement - all are drawn by
a friendly coastal village called Oriental.
- Widest
river in America is here, where the Neuse River meets the
Pamlico Sound
- In
1917 the first motorized school bus in NC rolled down the
streets of Oriental
- Dawson’s
Creek, the TV show was written by screenwriter ("Scream")
Kevin Williamson, a native of Oriental. Much of the show
was filmed at our very own Dawson Creek, from which he got
his inspiration for the show.
Fun
Tidbits About Pamlico County
The county
was formed in 1872 from Craven and Beaufort counties. It was
named after the sound of the same name. It is in the eastern
section of the State and is bounded by Pamlico Sound, Neuse
River and Craven and Beaufort counties. It is most known,
however, for having only one stoplight in the entire county!
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Sunset
at Pecan Grove |
County
Statistics
Climate
Average
annual temperature: 62.6 degrees
Average annual
rainfall: 54.6" per year
Average snow:
Rare
Population
Countywide:
13,000
Oriental:
875
Bayboro (County
seat): 900
Topography
Pamlico
County is 41 percent water (235 of 576 square miles) and framed
by many creeks and rivers.
Agriculture
& Manufacturing
Farming
(corn, soybeans, wheat, potatoes, cotton and forestry)
Seafood
processing
Commercial
Fishing (Flounder, Grouper, King Mackerel, Sea Bass, Sea
Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Striped Bass, Croaker, Blue Fish,
Red Drums, Black Drum, Mullets, Catfish, Common Eel, Crabs
(Blue hard and soft), Shrimp (Brown, Pink, White and Rock),
Conchs, Octopus, Oysters, Sea Scallops and Squid)
Boat
building
Government
manufacturing
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The
Shrimpboat Fleet at Rest |
Cost
of Living (Housing-Food-Clothing-Transportation-Healthcare-Utilities,
etc.)
59% less
than New York City
62% less
than Santa Barbara, CA
68% less
than Boston, MA
32% less than Philadelphia, PA
Communities
of Pamlico County
Alliance
Settled
in 1890s and named for the Farmers Alliance Movement.
Arapahoe
Arapahoe
was first known as "Cross Roads". The name was later
changed to "Arapahoe" -- some say it was named after
the Indians and others after a racehorse of the same name.
The Corsa Indians lived at Core Point near the mouth of the
Pamlico River and blazed the trail that became the first road
to Wilkerson’s Point. This community was settled early in
the 18th century, not long after New Bern (which
settled in 1710). Arapahoe’s post office was established in
1886. The town was incorporated in 1920.
Bayboro
Bayboro
was named for the Bay River and settled long before it was
incorporated in 1881. It’s the oldest incorporated town in
the county and was the first to have town water. It became
the county seat in 1876. The following year, the courthouse
was relocated here from Stonewall. Although narrow, the Bay
River is navigable all the way to the town.
Hobucken
& Lowland
"Goose
Creek Island" was formerly part of Beaufort County. In
1874, Hobucken and Lowland citizens voted to become part of
Pamlico County. Around 1900, a post office was established
for the area. The island is a magnet for fishermen and duck
hunters and is home to a unit of the US Coast Guard, which
is located on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Minnesott
Beach
Developed
as a resort area on Neuse River by the Hardison family after
World War 1, the town’s name is derived from an Indian word
said to mean, "land of sky and blue water". Older
visitors remember it as a resort community that flourished
on the shores of the Neuse in the 1920's. Today, younger visitors
come to one of several summer camps established along the
river.
Oriental
Oriental
is nestled amid five creeks along the Neuse River and connected
to the Intracoastal Waterway via a 10-foot deep channel. Settled
in 1870, residents wanted to establish a post office when
they found the town first needed an official name. One resident
recalled seeing the nameplate from the steamship "Oriental"
at a friend’s house in Manteo; the steamer had wrecked off
the coast of Cape Hatteras in 1862 while under the commission
of the Union army. The Town of Oriental was officially incorporated
in 1899. Today, with more power and sailboats in residence
than people, it has earned its reputation as being "The
Sailing Capital of North Carolina."
Reelsboro
No one
seems to know how Reelsboro got its name, but it seems likely
that it was named for the Reel families. Reelsboro is situated
in a very sandy area. Before the hard surfaced roads were
built, cars had to wind (or perhaps "reel") around
to keep from getting stuck in it! When the railroad came to
Pamlico County, one of the stops was named "Reelsboro".
Its post office was established in 1891.
Stonewall
Stonewall
was incorporated in 1870 when it was still part of Craven
County. Citizens first wished to name the town "Jackson"
for the owner of a local mill. But since there was already
a town with that name in North Carolina, "Stonewall"
was selected -- presumably in honor of General T. J. "Stonewall"
Jackson. It was home to Pamlico County’s first post office,
which was established after the Civil War, and the original
site of the county courthouse before it was moved to Bayboro.
Vandemere
At one
time, the Indian village of "Secotan" was located
here. Later, it was renamed by the wife of a former Union
Army surgeon who settled here in the 1870s. Its new name was
derived from the words "van" (the German word for
"village") and De Mer" (French for "by
the sea"). Vandemere is situated on a point where Vandemere
Creek flows into the Bay River. It was incorporated in 1874
and was the county seat from 1872 (when Pamlico County was
formed) to 1876.
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