Pasquotank River

Waterway in North Carolina, United States

Map of the mouth of the Pasquotank, showing Battle of Elizabeth City Sketch map of the Battle of South Mills, showing the upper Pasquotank leaving the Great Dismal Swamp East-facing photo of the river near dusk. Pasquotank River from Mid-Atlantic Christian University campus

The Pasquotank River /ˈpæskwətæŋk/ ⓘ [1] is a coastal water-body in Northeastern North Carolina in the United States. Located between Camden and Pasquotank counties, the Pasquotank connects directly to Albemarle Sound and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway via Elizabeth City.

Machelhe Island is a river island on the Pasquotank River.[2]

## History

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The name "Pasquotank" is derived from pashetanki, a Carolina Algonquian word translated as "where the current forks." The river was originally controlled by the Secotan people, and later gained importance in trade and shipping during the colonial period of North Carolina.

The Battle of Elizabeth City was fought on the Pasquotank River where a small Confederate fleet was sunk in defense of the City. The Confederate ships sunk on the Pasquotank River in the battle were the CSS Black Warrior, CSS Fanny, CSS Sea Bird, and the CSS Appomattox.

Some principal industries along the Pasquotank were transport, logging, and oyster harvesting. Since the twentieth century, the commercial viability of the river has declined, as more traffic uses the Intracoastal Waterway by way of Coinjock. The river is now primarily frequented by pleasure boaters.

## References

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1. ^ Talk Like A Tarheel Archived 2013-06-22 at the Wayback Machine, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
2. ^ Lacey, Theresa Jensen (1 October 2002). Amazing North Carolina. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 44\. ISBN 978-1-4185-3840-8.

North Carolina State Library. July 1997. “County History.” North Carolina Encyclopedia. [1] Archived 2005-11-01 at the Wayback Machine 18 Nov. 2000.

## External links

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* Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
* Elizabeth City Area CVB's Blog
* U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Pasquotank River

36°9′26″N 76°1′51″W﻿ / ﻿36.15722°N 76.03083°W﻿ / 36.15722; -76.03083

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel