Tyrrell County

Then . . .
The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is located in Tyrrell County, North Carolina. Tyrrell County, situated in the northeast portion of the state, is bordered by the Albemarle Sound to the north and the Alligator River to the east. Tyrrell County’s rich history dates back well before European settlement, to a time when the Secota Indians inhabited the Albemarle peninsula. In 1585 John White and members of the Roanoke Island colony became the first European settlers to map and explore the area, which they referred to as "South Shore." Later, in 1663 King Charles II of England gave the Albemarle region to eight of his friends, who were officially called The Lords Proprietors. The county is named after one of these proprietors, Sir John Tyrrell. In 1704 Fort Landing became the first settlement in Tyrrell County, built on the Alligator Creek. Columbia, the county seat, was chartered in 1793 by the North Carolina General Assembly. Columbia was orginially called Elizabeth Town. In 1810 officials changed the town’s name in order to avoid confusion with Elizabethtown in Bladen County.

The population of Tyrrell County has fluctuated over time in response to historic events and social changes. The county grew in population until the Civil War, when battle took the lives of many of the county’s men. Shortly thereafter the population was hit again, when an epidemic of Spanish influenza claimed many more lives in 1918. Tyrrell County slowly bounced back, however, and the population hit a record high roughly twenty years later, when the 1940 US census reported a population of over 5,000. Population began to drop off yet again after Norfolk Southern Railroad cancelled service to Columbia and closed its depot there.

. . . and Now
As of the 2000 census, Tyrrell County had a population of 4,149, making it the least populated county in the state. Major industries in the region include agriculture, forestry, and fishing. The county is divided into five townships: Alligator, Columbia, Gum Neck, Scuppernong, and South Fork. Columbia serves as the county seat for Tyrrell County and has a population of 819, according to the 2000 census. In many ways, Tyrrell County’s small population has served to keep its environment pristine and its cultural heritage thriving. Tyrrell County boasts three protected areas--Palmetto-Peartree Preserve, Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and Emily and Richard Preyer-Buckridge Coastal Preserve--and provides habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species. Festivals and events celebrating the County’s cultural heritage take place throughout the year. So come and visit Tyrrell County, where life remains "unspoiled, uncrowded, uncomplicated."

Want to Know More?
For more information on Tyrrell County be sure to check out the Tyrrell County website .