The Pasquotank River
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. Retrieved 2012-09-18. is a coastal water-body in Northeastern

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Located between Camden and Pasquotank counties, the Pasquotank connects directly to the

Albemarle Sound Albemarle Sound () is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Currituck Banks, a ba ...

and is part of the

Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following th ...

via

Elizabeth City Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educ ...

. Machelhe Island is a

river island River Island is a London-based, multi-channel fashion brand, founded in 1948 by Bernard Lewis. The retailer has a presence in over 125 of worldwide markets, in stores and online. Best known for its trend focused womenswear offering, River Isla ...

on the Pasquotank River.

History

The name "Pasquotank" is derived from ''pashetanki'', a Carolina Algonquian word translated as "where the current forks." The river was originally controlled by the

Secotan The Secotans were one of several groups of American Indians dominant in the Carolina sound region, between 1584 and 1590, with which English colonists had varying degrees of contact. Secotan villages included the Secotan, Aquascogoc, Dasamonguep ...

people, and later gained importance in trade and shipping during the colonial period of North Carolina. The

Battle of Elizabeth City The Battle of Elizabeth City of the American Civil War was fought in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Roanoke Island. It took place on 10 February 1862, on the Pasquotank River near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The participants were v ...

was fought on the Pasquotank River where a small Confederate fleet was sunk in defense of the City. The Confederate ships sunk on the Pasquotank River in the battle were the

CSS Black Warrior ''Black Warrior'' is the name of a Confederate two-masted schooner that participated in the defense of Roanoke Island in North Carolina during the Civil War. Its brief wartime career ended with its burning at Elizabeth City, North Carolina. ...

CSS Fanny CSS ''Fanny'' was a small propeller-driven steam tug used by the Confederate States Navy to defend the sounds of northeastern North Carolina in the American Civil War. Originally armed as a gunboat and operated by the Union, she was captured in O ...

CSS Sea Bird CSS ''Sea Bird'' was a sidewheel steamer in the Confederate States Navy. ''Sea Bird'' was built at Keyport, New Jersey in 1854, was purchased by North Carolina at Norfolk, Virginia in 1861 and fitted for service with the Confederate States N ...

, and the

CSS Appomattox CSS ''Appomattox'' was a small propeller-driven steamer used early in the war by the Confederate Navy to defend the sounds of northeastern North Carolina. After participating in the battle for Roanoke Island, it was burned to prevent capture on Fe ...

. Some principal industries along the Pasquotank were transport, logging, and oyster harvesting. Since the twentieth century, the commercial viability of the river has declined, as more traffic uses the

by way of

Coinjock Coinjock is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Currituck County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 335. It is located on U.S. Route 158 between Barco and Grandy, about s ...

. The river is now primarily frequented by pleasure boaters.

References

North Carolina State Library. July 1997. “County History.” North Carolina Encyclopedia

18 Nov. 2000.

External links

Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Elizabeth City Area CVB's Blog
* {{authority control Rivers of North Carolina Bodies of water of Pasquotank County, North Carolina Bodies of water of Camden County, North Carolina Tributaries of Albemarle Sound