Wilmington's Storied History

Probably the first visitor to explore the Cape Fear region, other than Indians and pirates, was Giovanni de Verrazzano who set anchor near the mouth of the river in 1524. He later described the area to the king of France as “open country rising in height above the sandy shore with many fair fields and plains full of mighty great woods, . . . as pleasant and delectable to behold, as is possible to imagine.” Some of his men encountered friendly Indians on shore, but “Northern winds,” possibly one of our occasional nor’easters, made the mooring unsafe so they left.

Settlers Arrive In 1526

The following year, Spain sent a ship to explore the area, and in 1526 ships with 600 settlers arrived from Hispaniola (now Dominican Republic). One of the ships was lost on the shoals, so the group stayed only long enough to build a new one, and then sailed for Winyaw Bay in what is now South Carolina. In 1561, King Phillip II of Spain decreed Spain would make no more attempts to colonize Florida, as the area was known then.

Subsequently, Queen Elizabeth I decreed the right of the British to conquer and occupy land “not actually possessed on any Christian prince or people,” opening the door for English colonization. Eventually, in 1629, the Cape Fear area was incorporated as the Province of Carolina.

A group from the Massachusetts Bay Colony sent William Hilton in 1662 to explore the area for settling. He reported favorably, and in 1663, the group arrived here but were dissatisfied with the land and left a few months later.

In 1664 settlers from British Barbados arrived to establish Charles Town, 20 miles upstream from the ocean on the west bank of the river. By 1667, a multitude of problems including hostile Indians, mosquitoes, pirates and inadequate supplies forced the settlers to abandon Charles Town and migrate south where they founded Charleston in South Carolina.

Pirates Take Over

For the next 50 years no attempts at settlement were made because of hostile Indians and notorious pirates, including Stede Bonnet who ultimately was captured in the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Eventually, all the pirates were rounded up and the Indians driven off and the area was ripe for renewed settlement attempts by the early 1700s.

Brunswick Town was founded on the west side of the river in 1726 (the ruins of which may be visited today), but did not fare well compared with the more favorably positioned and protected area on high bluffs across the river and upstream, now known as Wilmington.

1740 Incorporation

Initially settled in 1729 and subsequently known as New Carthage, New Liverpool and Newton, the town was incorporated as Wilmington in 1740 in honor of Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington and patron of Royal Governor Gabriel Johnston (possibly an early form of political patronage?).

During the formative years, Wilmington became an important port, shipbuilding center and processing location for lumber, pine products and cotton. At various times during the 1700s, Wilmington was the seat of government for North Carolina, and by 1760, the population had reached 5,000.

In 1765, one of the American Colonies’ first successful armed resistances to the British-imposed Stamp Act took place in Wilmington. Five hundred men, well fortified from having planned their activities in local taverns, forced the stamp collector to resign. Thusly, Wilmington was drawn into the American Revolution, and by early 1781 British forces occupied the city. Late in the year, Lord Cornwallis arrived to lead the British to Yorktown, Va., where they were defeated.