Maritime Wilmington

Incorporated in 1739 on the east bank of the Cape Fear River, Wilmington lies 28 nautical miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The city grew to become the largest in the state before the Civil War, and it remained so until the second decade of the 20th century. In 1840, Wilmington became the terminus of the state�s first railroad, and the port grew dramatically. From the Civil War until World War I, naval stores, cotton, and fertilizer were the major reasons for ships to call from all over the wo...