History with ‘Hud’: Detailing the early days of Wilmington and its major growth since
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington is looking pretty good for its age.
The Port City is celebrating its 285th birthday this year, officially being incorporated on February 20, 1739.
But the region first appeared on maps much earlier than that.
Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano was one of the first Europeans to spend time in the area, which had been inhabited by Native Americans for hundreds of years prior. Verrazzano was looking for a new route to Asia when he sailed near the mouth of the Cape Fear River in the name of the King Francis in 1524.
A vast area of land which today is home to the City of Wilmington didn’t begin to be organized for another 200 years, when the New Hanover County Precinct was formed from a portion of the large Craven Precinct in 1729.
The present-day site of Wilmington was laid out in 1733, first being called New Carthage. The town name changed several times to New Liverpool, New Town and Newton over the following years. The spot was laid out by a plan similar to that of Brunswick Town, down the river, which had formed a couple of decades earlier.
Several key streets such as Market Street, Front Street, Dock Street were listed into existence by 1736. A bill was introduced in October of that year to establish a town called Wilmington at the spot known then as Newton. The name was given for Spencer Compton, the First Earl of Wilmington.
Wilmington was originally surrounded by sandy hills with numerous streams flowing through the city. Drainage arches and tunnels were built to fix the issue, so water could flow without flooding the streets.
But there wasn’t much to flood in the beginning. Only a few dozen structures were constructed when Wilmington was incorporated in 1739, including the Mitchell-Anderson house which continues to stand at the corner of Orange Street as the oldest structure in the city. Many of the other buildings from the period were destroyed in various fires over the following centuries.
The Wilmington Act in 1754 for the Port City’s official layout plan remains the minorly-adjusted plan still used today.
Due to the proximity to the Cape Fear River, Wilmington thrived in the decades to follow. The arrival of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad in 1840 caused the local economy and population to soar, with Wilmington being the largest city in North Carolina by the 1850s.
Landmark structures such as Thalian Hall and several historical homes still marveled at today popped up around this time. Another population boom came more than 100 years later when Interstate 40 opened in 1990, making it easier for people to come and go from the area.
Wilmington has changed a lot from its early days as a small town along the river. But no matter how much the city continues to grow, it’ll always have roots to its earliest days when just a few settlers decided to call the area home.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each morning on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.
To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.
