Though not as old as some as its neighbors - like the adjacent and more than 300-year-old town of Beaufort – Morehead City nevertheless has a unique history that’s evident around every waterfront corner.

Envisioned by a governor, and eventually inhabited by residents fleeing a hurricane, the town of Morehead City stands out for its deliberate creation, as well as its slow but steady rise to fame as a maritime-oriented vacation destination.

 

The Morehead City region has been occupied - or at least owned - since the early 1700s, when settlement began in present day Carteret County. In 1714, local prospector John Shackleford acquired the property that is now Morehead City in conjunction with a total of 1,400 acres that spanned the regional coastline. More area property was acquired just a few years later in 1723 by David Shepard, whose son eventually sold 600 acres to another new resident, William Fisher, in 1791.

Eventually, Fisher’s youngest daughter Sarah and her husband, Bridges Arendell, Sr., would acquire the property and become an important local family in the area. All of these early roots are evident in the various names that are found throughout the town of Morehead City – like Arendell Street or Shepard Point – and these early residents would lay the groundwork for what was to come.

By the mid-1800s, neighboring Beaufort was already well established, as was the outlying whaling community of “Diamond City” on the present day Shackleford Banks. It was in this environment that former North Carolina Governor John Motely Morehead, (who was the state’s governor from 1841-1845), came up with the idea to create a port city on the intersections of Beaufort and the Newport River.

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Gov. Morehead’s ultimate goal was to create a major commercial port city, and he began visiting the site in 1853 to study the area and see if a large port community could indeed be accomplished.  Impressed by the area – and recognizing that the newly developed North Carolina railroad would assist with the new town’s status as a major port – Morehead bought 600 acres from the prominent Arendells and formed the Shepard Point Land Company in 1857.

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The terminus of the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroads was constructed in 1857, and soon after the property was purchased, Morehead divvied up the region into 150 lots that were sold at a public auction. The timing was ideal, as just days after the railroad was officially completed, the lots were all sold in anticipation of the new town.

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Morehead City was officially incorporated in 1861, with a local Arendell - Bridges Arendell, Jr. - as the mayor, and the port, also known as Pier 1, became one of the largest ports in the region thanks to a natural location where the Newport River ran 18-20 ft. deep, and roughly a mile wide.

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Unfortunately, this initial exceptional timing did not last for long. Just as Morehead City was starting to experience rapid growth, the Civil War put a stop to development, as Union forces invaded early on and soon occupied the town. Many citizens fled the region for the duration of the war, and after the conflict had ended, the economy of the newly established port - as well as the growth of the town itself -remained slow.

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The railroad, however, remained a bit of a lifeline, and in the 1880s when the grand Atlantic Hotel was constructed at the tip of the peninsula, the area began to experience a wave of new visitors who would ride the train to access the decadent hotel, ballroom, piers, and ferries to the “Bogue Banks” – or the present day Crystal Coast.

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A resurgence of the local population also occurred after a wave of battering hurricanes pummeled through Diamond City, or the Shackleford Banks. After these storms – and especially the Great Hurricane of 1899 – the fishermen who lived on the island migrated inland, settling in Morehead City, as well as nearby Harkers Island. The area these new residents occupied – a stretch of town in between 10th and 15th streets – would be coined the “Promised Land,” and the new fishermen became the heart of a revitalized commercial fishing industry that is still essential to the town today.

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There were still more roadblocks ahead for Morehead City’s growth, however, and both the Great Depression and World War II dramatically affected the region’s popularity. During the mid-20th century, the downtown area had started to go downhill, as expansion occurred west of the area, and the original heart of Morehead City deteriorated. This could have been the end of the downtown’s story, but in the 1980s, the town received a grant to bring the waterfront and infrastructure back to life, and after years of subsequent grants and / or private investments, the town began to blossom. Original structures were remodeled, new parks or businesses were established, and eventually, Morehead City became the popular tourism community it is today.

 

Though it was a slow road to be sure, today the town is a unique mix of traditional commercial fishermen, visitors and tourist-oriented business owners, and local residents. The railroad may be long gone, but the entrepreneurial spirit which first brought Morehead City to fruition is alive and well, thanks to a community-wide initiative to create a charming and beloved vacation destination

 

Morehead City is a fisherman’s dream, widely known as one of the best fishing spots on the coast. People come from far and wide to attend and participate in the “Super Bowl of Fishing”, aka the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament each October. Year-round, Pelican Charters is one of several companies offering fishing trips and ecology tours in the area that are perfect for small to large groups.

Because of all the great fishing in Morehead City, you’ll find dining options that can’t be beaten. Plus, there’s the famous NC Seafood Festival that takes place every fall. The downtown streets are lined with trees and benches, offering the perfect spot to take in the views during an afternoon of shopping along the waterfront. 

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Best Things to Do in Morehead City

1. Take the family on a free tour of The History Place featuring award-winning carved decoys from the Core Sound Decoy Carvers Guild, an array of family quilts and much more.

2. Hone your putting skills during an afternoon at the Brandywine Golf Course.

3. Spend an afternoon shopping at boutique stores along the downtown waterfront such as Sea Classics Trading or Seaport Antique Market.

4. Dive the deep blue sea and experience a mix of history and archeology by scuba diving at Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge wreck site. Olympus Dive Center offers charters year-round and a variety of classes to choose from.

5. Head out to sea on a full or half-day fishing trip on the Carolina Princess. Your catch could include snapper, grouper, trigger, jacks, sea bass and more.

6. Go on an adventure and get up close with the sea life in both the coastal and inshore waters of the Crystal Coast with Pelican Charters and Captain Paul Dunn.

7. Plan a romantic night out for dinner at Floyd’s 1921. In addition to their amazing Southern cuisine, the patio is a great place to have a drink, listen to live music and enjoy the warm fire pits.

 

Top Events in Morehead City

1. Crystal Coast Bridal Fair

2. Chocolate Festival

3. Blue Marlin Tournament

4. NC Seafood Festival

5. Oyster Festival

6. Downtown Countdown