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

Charles T. Russell House 1910

NATIONAL REGISTER of Historic Places: 103 Water Street – Wood-shingle sided gable-fronted side-plan house with one-story front porch, bracketed eaves. Built by carpenter Charles Russell for himself. Russell’s first house stands on Swansboro’s Main Street extension, outside the district. NR (House images to follow)

Charles Taylor “Charlie” Russell 1873-1952, was the son of Major Russell 1837- and Mary Amelia Barnum 1846-. Major Russell was the son of Taylor Russell and Cassandra Dixon of Carteret County, North Carolina. Taylor and Cassandra were married January 19, 1835. Taylor died in July 1844; in the 1850s, Cassandra married Bowen Glancy.

1860 Census: Major Russell was a 23-year-old house carpenter in Swansboro.

1870 Census: House carpenter Major Russell had married Mary Amelia Barnum. In the household one-year-old daughter Alice and 16-year-old Charles Barnum.

1880 Census: Six-year-old Charles T. Russell with farmer Major Russell, Charles' mother Amelia and his siblings Alice W., Lina H. and Edward B. Russell.

1900 Census: 26-year-old house carpenter Charles Russell was at home with parents: Daniel H. 11, Edward B. 24 and 15-year-old Robert M. Russell.

World War II Registration Card - 1918
Sometime between 1905 and 1908, Charles married Amelia Erath, born in Louisiana about 1886, daughter of French father and German mother.

1910 Census: 36-year-old Charles was sawmill foreman in New Madrid, Missouri. In the household were wife Amelia 24 and Charlie’s 21-year-old brother Daniel.

Charles' WWII Registration Card noted him as a ship builder employed by NC Ship Building Co. in Morehead City.

1952 Death Certificate
1920 Census: “Charlie” and Amelia were back in Swansboro. His occupation was noted as “mill foreman – shipyard.”

1930 Census: Charles T. Russell, retired, and Amelia were in the Water Street House; value of real estate was noted as $1000.

Death Certificate noted Charles’ death was due to “carcinoma of esophagus.” He was buried in St. Mildred Cemetery, Swansboro.

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