This small quaint seaport has roots back to April 7, 1730 when Isaac and Jonathan Green Sr. purchased from Ebenezer Harker "a certain plantation and track of land containing by estimation 441 acres situate lying and being in ye Carterett in ye county of province of aforsaid being ye west side of ye mouth off White Oak River." By 1771 Theophilus Weeks started a town on his plantation, laying out a plat and selling lots. Formerly known as Bogue, Week's Point, The Wharf and New Town, the town was officially designated by the North Carolina General Assembly on May 6, 1783. Above photo (from North Carolina State Archives) courtesy Jack Dudley, as included in Swansboro - A Pictorial Tribute

Amelia Smith Canady House circa 1935

NATIONAL REGISTER of Historic Places: 114 Water Street – Aluminum-sided cottage with front porch. This is one of the last houses built by local carpenter [father] Robert Lee Smith. NR

Amelia Smith Canady was born in Swansboro on October 22, 1900. She died in a nursing home in Jacksonville on January 5, 2001—just over 100 years old! (Amelia’s sister Daisy Lee Smith Moore 1897-1995 lived to be 98 years old.)

Amelia B. Smith was the daughter of Robert Lee Smith and Lina H. Russell. In 1917, before her sixteenth birthday, Amelia married 21-year-old Everett Canady. Everett’s June 1918 WWI draft registration noted Everett with wife and child; he was “dredge boating” for Norfolk Dredging Company in Norfolk, Virginia.

In the 1920 census, Everett Canady 23 was a “laborer – sawmill, ” with wife Amelia 19, Edward 2 ¼ and 6-month-old Alton. By 1930, Everett was a laborer on a dredge boat; the couple had added another child—one-year-old Rosemary.

Children: Edward Fair Canady 1917-1936, James Alton Canady 1919-2004 and Rosemary Canady 1929-.
Everett Edward Canady 1896-1967, son of John Henry Canady and Mary Jane Riggs, died in Onslow Memorial Hospital on January 5, 1967; cause of death “probable myocardial infarction.” Amelia S. Canady was the informant, stating their address as 32 Water Street [old street number]. His occupation was noted as a “painter-civil service.” Everett and Amelia Canady were buried in Piney Grove Cemetery in Swansboro.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please check the date on the passing of Edward Fair Canady. I think it should be 1934. Best I remember, he was killed when the vehicle he was in hit a logging truck on his way to a high school baseball game.

Mary Warshaw said...

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Edward Fair Canady actually died May 1, 1936; I corrected it. Mary Warshaw

Donald Canady said...

They are probably kin to me my great granddaddy was James M canady who fought in the civil war.

Amelia said...



Reading this great blog again as I am working with the Historical Association on exhibits for the Swansboro Heritage Center Museum that we hope to open sometime this year.

This was actually the home of my mother, Rosemary and grandparents. She was actually born in 1928 and sadly passed away in early 2013. She and my grandmother Amelia and her sisters, Margie and Daisy helped to instill in me a great sense of history and place. Being a child traveling to Swansboro all the time I am sure had much to do with that too.


I will be in touch more as I work with the Association to present the history.