In the late 19th century, North Carolina promoted the cultivation of oysters to provide a sustainable oyster industry. Large corporate interests quickly became involved and purchased thousands of acres of "submerged lands" in the state's sounds and rivers. These giant oyster gardens triggered rampant speculation...
In 1891, North Carolina created the Shell Fish Commission with the purpose of promoting and protecting North Carolina's most valuable fishery: oysters. To enforce the state's oyster laws, North Carolina leased several vessels to patrol the sounds until it purchased Lily, the state's first official...
In 1867, W. J. Bushall moved from Beaufort, North Carolina, to Core Creek to farm and fish. He left behind a diary from 1867 that details his life farming, fishing, and transporting his agricultural products by boat to market. The diary provides a view of...