History Quest 2025
2025-09-20 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | NC
North Carolina's Oyster Boom
Presented by David Bennett
November 12, 2025
11:30am
Carolina Colours Pavilion

For generations, North Carolina’s oyster industry was underdeveloped. This changed in the late 19th century when North Carolina oyster beds attracted attention following overharvesting in the Chesapeake Bay and the nation’s insatiable appetite for oysters. By the late 1880s, North Carolina oystermen and fish dealers were benefiting from an expanding oyster industry. The incredible profits that oysters yielded motivated Baltimore and Norfolk capitalists to move their oyster canneries and packhouses to coastal North Carolina. Then what? Join David Bennett as he presents “The History of North Carolina’s Oyster Boom” on Wed. Nov. 12 at 11:30 am at the Carolina Colours Pavilion at 3300 Waterscape Way.
David Bennett is the Curator of Maritime History for the North Carolina Maritime Museum System, and he oversees the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center in Beaufort. The Center is a working boatbuilding facility that comes alive with the sounds and smells of traditional North Carolina wooden boatbuilding. Bennett is originally from Morehead City, North Carolina. He has a B.A. in History from UNC-Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Maritime History from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. His research interests focus on North Carolina's commercial fishing industry as well as traditional workboats
Prepaid reservations required. Cost is $25 for Historical Society members, and $28 for nonmembers, which includes a buffet meal format. The meal options include tossed salad w/ dressing on the side, Mahi Mahi w/lemon dill sauce, lasagna, au gratin potatoes, Italian green beans, rolls, and dessert. Iced tea, coffee, service, and gratuity are all included; wine and beer are available for purchase.

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