Did You Know?

• In 1898, a pharmacist in New Bern (pop. approx. 8,049) renamed his soda fountain concoction from Brad's Drink to Pepsi Cola. The name stuck.
• The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is the oldest State University in the United States.
• Known as "Fish Town" in the early 1700's when Blackbeard frequented the coast, "Beaufort
  Town" was established as a seaport with the right to collect customs, in 1722.
• Cape Hatteras is the largest lighthouse ever to be moved due to erosion problems. [view
  cam here]
• Charles Karault was born and raised in Wilmington.
• North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation.
• Harker's Island hosts the annual Core Sound Decoy Festival in December.
• The World War II battleship 'North Carolina' is permanently berthed on the Cape Fear River at Wilmington. She was saved from the scrap heap in the 1960's by public subscription, including donations of dimes by schoolchildren.
• The first English colony in America was located on Roanoke Island. Walter Raleigh founded it. The colony mysteriously vanished with no trace except for the word "Croatoan" scrawled on a nearby tree.
• The Venus Fly-Trap is native to Hampstead.
• Babe Ruth hit his first home run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914.
  
  "Babe's home run in March was during spring training, though true enough, his
  first, but not technically counted in his statistics. His first regular season home run was his in May."
  
  Laurie Ward - Public Relations Director Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum 
  
• North Carolina leads the nation in furniture, tobacco, brick, and textile production.