Swansboro, North Carolina History: B. Cameron Langston Bridge 1971

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

B. Cameron Langston Bridge 1971

Image courtesy www.freebase.com

B. Cameron Langston Jr. wrote, "The bridge from [Swansboro] to Emerald Isle, Hwy 58, is named for my father; it opened in 1971. My father was appointed to the N.C. Highway Commission by Governor Dan Moore in 1964. One of his key projects was getting the bridge that was really needed. He worked to get approval and things were underway when he died suddenly in 1966. The bridge was given his name for his efforts to get it going. My daughter cut the ribbon on top of the bridge in 1971, assisted by Governor Bob Scott."

Bryant Cameron Langston Sr. was born April 8, 1909 in Lenoir County, North Carolina; he died in Kinston, Lenoir County on October 25, 1966. He married Lena Rivers Fields (1911-2001) on June 12, 1929. Langston was the son of John Clayton Langston and Minnie Brown, also of Lenoir County.

Photo courtesy David Sobotta

2 comments:

Unknown said...: The bridge comes from Cape Carteret and Cedar Point borders to Emerald Isle not from Swansboro. Swansboro is a couple miles down HWY 24 southwest of the bridge.; March 14, 2016 at 7:31 PM
Anonymous said...: My mother and Cameron Langston were cousins. My mother told me that his wife Lena gave me my name, Herman Hassell Mc Lawhorn. My older sister and her husband had a home located just off the sound and just a block from where the current bridge was built. They were in the construction business. They were building houses on Emerald Isle before and during the construction of the bridge, they used boats to go back forth to work. All materials had to be transported by truck though Morehead City and down the island to Emerald Isle.

A land surveyer was a client of the CPA company where I worked. While at his office one day, he should me a map of the island that was drawn sometime in early twenties. It had a proposed bridge that was about a hundred yards for it current stands.

Sincerly, Herman H Mc Lawhorn.Kinston,NC; October 1, 2016 at 7:29 PM