Onslow County Genealogy
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Onslow County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is included in the Jacksonville, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2006, the population was 150,673. Its county seat is Jacksonville.
European and English settlers arrived here in 1713 in what was originally part of the colonial precincts of Carteret and New Hanover. Onslow County was formed in 1734 and was named for the Honorable Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the British House of Commons. After a lethal 1752 hurricane, the county courthouse was relocated from Town Point to Wantland’s Ferry; this settlement was eventually incorporated in 1842 and named Jacksonville after President Andrew Jackson. Largely a collection of sparsely populated agrarian and maritime communities, Onslow County dramatically changed in the early 1940s with the establishment of the United States Army Camp Davis near Holly Ridge (now defunct), and the creation of Camp Lejeune in 1941.
Onslow County’s flat, rolling terrain covers 767 square miles (1,990 km2) and is located in the southeastern coastal plain of North Carolina, approximately 120 miles (190 km) east of Raleigh and 50 miles (80 km) north of Wilmington. The city of Jacksonville is the county seat, and the areas surrounding the city constitute the major population centers and growth areas in the county. The county is home to more than 150,000 people and includes the incorporated towns of Holly Ridge, Richlands, Swansboro, North Topsail Beach, part of Surf City, and unincorporated Sneads Ferry. Approximately 156,000 acres (630 km2) comprise the U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune and more than 43,000 marines and sailors are stationed there.
The structure of local government in Onslow County was established in the late 19th century and consists of a five-member Board of Commissioners, elected at large for four-year terms. The Board establishes policies and ordinances implemented by the County Manager and his staff.
Source: Wikipedia
Onslow County Genealogy Resources
Onslow County Genealogical Association
P.O. Box 1739
Jacksonville, NC 28541-1739
Coastal Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1421
Swansboro, NC 28584
Onslow County Historical Society
P.O. Box 5203
Jacksonville, NC 28540
Old New Hanover Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 2536
Wilmington, NC 28402-2536
(covers Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, and Sampson Counties)
The Onslow County Museum has a number of resources for local genealogy in
their research room. Appointments may be made by contacting the museum at
910-324-5008. The museum is located at 301 S. Wilmington St., Richlands, NC
28574. Our website is www.onslowcountync.gov/museum
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Onslow County Government
Onslow County Government – Official Site
Onslow County Register of Deeds – Some online searches available
109 Old Bridge Street
Jacksonville, NC 28540
(910) 347-3451
Onslow County Public Library
58 Doris Avenue East
Jacksonville, NC 28540
910.455.7350
Census
Cemeteries
USGS listing of cemeteries in Onslow County
Query Forums
Latest North Carolina Genealogy Query posts for Onslow County from the Forum:
Cities and Towns of Onslow County, NC
* Half Moon
* Holly Ridge
* Jacksonville
* North Topsail Beach
* Piney Green
* Pumpkin Center
* Richlands
* Sneads Ferry
* Swansboro
News related to Onslow County, NC
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