Morehead City

“The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over the harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on”…as if shooed away by a gull on its way to work on the Morehead City waterfront. Famous American poet Carl Sandburg contributed to this photo caption. (Photo by Carolyn Temple, Coastal Image Photography)

Morehead City Is Hot…Hot…Hot!

As Beaufort is “cool,” Morehead City is hot and getting hotter as a Carteret County’s preferred business address, the hub of commerce as well as arts and entertainment central.

Morehead City is known as a “Fishermen’s Paradise”…and Field & Stream Magazine lists Morehead City as one of America’s “Best Fishing Towns.” Editors say: “It’s hard to find a better all-year and all-season environment with this much diversity and appeal.”

“Offshore, you can catch dolphin fish, tuna, even marlin. Inshore fishing for reds, seatrout and other species is fairly consistent in most seasons. And as soon as you head inland, you’re smack dab in prime bass country.”

Morehead City is home to the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, which is the Super Bowl of Fishing. Prize money exceeds $1 million. The record catch occurred in 2000, when a blue marlin weighed in at 831 pounds.

Morehead City was established in 1857, and named after North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead. His vision was for Morehead City to become a great commercial metropolis – the “New York City of the South” at the point of the Newport River and Beaufort Inlet.

The North Carolina Railroad line from Charlotte through Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh to the coast was supposed to do the trick. Gov. Morehead was keen on marketing the new community to attract inhabitants. One historical account attributed to him contained this promotional spiel for Morehead City:

The moon over Morehead City casts a golden glow on the charter fishing boats. (Photo by Karen Doody, Karen Doody Photography)

“Situated on a beautiful neck of land…almost entirely surrounded by salt water; its climate salubrious; its sea breezes and sea bathing delightful; its drinking water good and its fine chalybeate spring…will make it a pleasant watering place.”

So, he was saying here is a community that offers a climate that is favorable to one’s health with ready access to mineral waters possessing therapeutic properties for an array of ailments.

Fortunately, Morehead City is still just a town, but it is a “railroad runs through it” type of place. The main drag, Arendell Street, is a boulevard separated by the railroad tracks that serve the Port of Morehead City.