Early Onslow County Post Offices

from: Commonwealth of Onslow - Compiled by Onslow historian Joseph Parsons Brown .1960

The post office at Onslow Court House, Onslow County, North Carolina, was established April 1, 1814. Eden Bell was the first postmaster. The name of the post office was changed to Jacksonville August 20, 1873, with Rufus K. Pelletier as postmaster.

Richlands, Onslow County, was established June 8, 1826, with John A. Avirett as first postmaster.

Ferrand's "Old Brick Store" - Swansboro

Swansborough, Onslow County, North Carolina, was established April 1, 1799, with A. Carmalt as first postmaster. The name of the office was changed to Swansboro April 16, 1811. The office was discontinued October 31, 1845, William P. Ferrand postmaster. The office was reestablished February 5, 1846, and Charles H. Barnum was appointed postmaster.

Records of the Post Office Department in the National Archives show that a post office was established at Marines, Onslow County, on August 31, 1885, with Wiley N. Marine appointed as the only postmaster. It was discontinued on December 27, 1886.

A post office was established at Pollard, Onslow County, on October 21, 1885. Its name was changed to Marines on April 2, 1890. The Post Office Department has informed us that this office was discontinued on September 30, 1941. Names of the postmasters and dates of their appointment were: Edward S. Smith October 21, 1885; Lewis Marine July 1, 1897; Edward B. Smith June 12, 1914; Frank A. Smith June 14, 1928 .

The post office at Marines was closed when the United States Government took over the area for the Marine Base.

According to records of the Post Office Department now in our custody, a post office was established at Comfort on April 27, 1847, with E. S. F. Giles appointed as postmaster. It was discontinued on June 9, 1851; reestablished on April 23, 1852; discontinued on December 6, 1866; and reestablished on August 1, 1873.

An early mail route including Comfort was No. 2828, from Strickland's Depot (via Kenansville, Hallsville, Richlands, Market Place, and Comfort) to Trenton, let for the period 1847-51, to Joseph Allen of Trenton, North Carolina, 57 miles and back, once a week, for $379 per annum.

Onslow Post Masters: 1833 Onslow Courthouse, John Connor; 1833 Richlands, John Avirette; 1833 Comfort, Jacob Giles; 1833 Trenton, E. S. F. Giles; 1835 Onslow Courthouse, G. C. Marvin; 1845 Richlands, John Avirette; 1835 Comfort, B. Shine; 1839 Trenton, Frances DuVal; 1839 Onslow Courthouse, H. Grant; 1839 Richlands, William H. Murrill.

Gazetteer, United States of America, by Haskel and Smith, published New York, 1845, pp. 567, 496 and 646 gives the following information concerning Onslow County:

Richlands, post office in Onslow County, N. C. It contains a Methodist Church, one store and eight inhabitants.

Onslow Courthouse, post village in Onslow County, N. C.; situated on the east side of New River. It contains a court house and a few dwellings.

Swansborough, post village in Onslow County, N. C. situated on the west side of the estuary of Whittock (White Oak) River, opposite to Bogue Inlet and contains about 50 inhabitants.

Post offices in 1854 as given in John Hayward's Gazeteer of the United States of America: Angola, Catharine Lake, Foys Store, Palo Alto, Piney Green, Richlands, Sneads Ferry, Stump Sound and Swansborough.