Industry of Beaufort, NC

· Fishing, Whaling, Shipbuilding and Timber were major industries. Whale oil and bone were large exports from Beaufort in the early 1700’s. The fee was 10% to the local proprietor.

· Local sawmills produced shingles, lumber from the huge stands of pine. Also made turpentine, tar from burning the wood of the trees, pitch made from boiling the tar, and rosin.

· Shipbuilding in the mid-1700’s was a major industry. Built ships from pines, live oaks and cedars. Pines in this area were excellent for masts. The industry was booming during the mid 1700’s, but by the 1820’s the lumber supply began to run out and business declined.

· Agriculture during the early 1700’s, grew rice, peas, Indian corn and potatoes. Also kept livestock, grazing them in the swampy marshes, and even on Shackleford Banks and Core Banks. Cattle and sheep were considered prevalent in the mid-late 1700’s. Stopped doing this at about the time of the Revolutionary war because they didn’t want the livestock to become provisions for invading British forces or pirates.

· Menhaden fishing – Menhaden, locally known as shad, is a small, bony and inedible fish. It does make good fertilizer and fish meal food for pigs and chickens. The oil of the fish is used in the manufacture of paint and linoleum