| Summary |
The purpose of this study is to trace the development of Elizabeth City from its incorporation until its fall to Federal forces in the Civil War. In order to understand the beginning of the town, the history of the Albemarle area and Pasquotank County is developed from Indian occupation to the building of the Dismal Swamp Canal. This includes a coverage of the earliest settlements by Virginians in Carolina, the government of Pasquotank Precinct and County, the Revolutionary War sentiment, and the beginning of religious activities in the area. The need of a southern terminus for the Dismal Swamp Canal prompted the chartering of Elizabeth City in 1793. The town site, a fifty acre plantation located next to a crossroads and a ferry dock, was at the Narrows of the Pasquotank River. An account of each of the original incorporators and lot owners is given. The construction of public buildings in Elizabeth City after the town became the county seat is traced, as are the elections and proceedings of the town commissioners. The paper chronicles extensions of the town's boundaries and gives the actions of both the county court and the town commissioners in preparation for the arrival of Federal forces in the Civil War. Elizabeth City became the "Emporium of northeastern North Carolina" as the Dismal Swamp Canal funneled commerce into the town. This was evidenced by the appearance of new stores, industries, newspapers, hotels, transportation companies, banks, and the frequent construction of new homes. Except for periods of national panic, the town enjoyed prosperity. The histories of the town's newspapers are traced in detail. By the time of the war, three white churches and one Negro church were thriving. As a result of its schools, the town could boast of over eighty-five percent of its population being literate in 1860. The court house and, later, Avon Hall hosted both local and traveling talent in the town's cultural series. Excitement in the town-- from epidemics and murders to celebrations and political campaigns--is presented to sum up life in Ante-Bellum Elizabeth City. |
