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

Isaiah Willis House circa 1915

NATIONAL REGISTER of Historic Places: 220 Water Street – Gable-fronted side-hall plan house with millwork in gable, one-story front porch and aluminum siding. NR (House images to follow)

Boat builder Isaiah Willis 1886-1950 was the son of boat builder Martin Van Buren Willis, born in 1862 and Hattie B. Williams born in 1869—who were married in 1882. In 1909 Isaiah married Rebecca Penelope White of Halifax County, North Carolina.


World War I Registration Card
 1900 Census: Van B. Willis 39, Hattie 31, Isaiah 13 and 9-year-old William H. Willis.

Death Certificate
1920 Census: Van B. Willis 58, wife Hettie 51, son Isaiah 33, daughter-in-law Rebecca 30, niece Hattie R. 8 Willis, sister Sabra D. Willis 63, mother-in-law Mary E. Williams 83 and nephew Jim Canady 17.

1930 Census: Isaiah 43, Rebecca 40, daughter Hattie 19 and daughter Ava V. 8—two doors down from Sabra Willis 73 and 63-year-old sister-in-law Hattie.

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