History with ‘Hud’: The complex 300-year formation of five Cape Fear counties
(WWAY) — The land that today makes up the five major counties of the Cape Fear (Bladen, Columbus, Pender, Brunswick and New Hanover) was once part of a large, undivided area of land known as Bath Precinct.
That region was created in 1696 from one of the original three North Carolina counties of Albemarle County, founded in 1664.
Beginning in 1729, portions of Bath Precinct became their own precincts. New Hanover Precinct was established first, with Bladen Precinct being mapped out five years later in 1734.
But a short time later, Bath County was abolished, making New Hanover and Bladen precincts their own counties in 1739.
New Hanover County was named for the House of Hanover, which was ruling Great Britain at the time. Bladen County was named for Martin Bladen, the English commissioner of trade and plantations.
When it was formed, Bladen had an indefinite northern and western boundary. In the nearly 200 years to come, 55 counties were formed from land once belonging to Bladen, making it knows as the “mother county” of North Carolina.
When New Hanover County was established, it contained land that is now Brunswick County. At the time, Brunswick Town was the seat of the entire area of New Hanover County. But when Wilmington was founded, it was named the county seat in 1740. This upset many Brunswick Town residents, so a new county was created for them in 1764 of Brunswick County from part of New Hanover and Bladen.
Although North Carolina continued to change, being named a state in 1789, county boundaries in the Cape Fear remained mostly the same until 1808.
In that year, Columbus County was formed from part of Brunswick and Bladen Counties, being named for explorer Christopher Columbus.
Four counties turned into today’s five in the late 19th century. Pender County was established in 1875 from the northern section of New Hanover County, 150 years after it was originally settled. Pender County was named for Confederate general William Dorsey Pender, who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.
The counties of the Cape Fear have remained mostly the same since then, making up a combined eight percent of North Carolina’s nearly 54,000 square miles and being home to over half a million people.
