Our History

missile in transit on a flatbed truck

At the beginning of World War II the U.S. Army built a large temporary anti-aircraft training base at Holly Ridge and took possession of the island. They built the road from Camp Davis to the sound and installed a floating bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway where the present bridge is located. They also erected training facilities and support buildings in what is now the Surf City business district.

FIG. 1

historic photograph of oysterman smoking pipe while shoveling oysters

Native Americans and later colonizers scouted these waters for clams, oysters, scallops and crabs, and in the 1980s a conservation effort spearheaded by Lena Ritter saved critical conservation areas from from commercial development. Today, Stump Sound is designated as an Outstanding Resource Water by the N.C. Division of Water Quality and is considered the historic district of North Carolina oysters.

FIG. 2

world war 2 era diver in suit with diving helmet

Divers have long been fascinated with Topsail's believed shipwreck, believed by many to be the C.S.S. Phantom - a steel screw drive ship intended to pick up lead ingots and sneak them back to the Carolina coast to be made into cannon shot and bullets. The Civil War steamer ran aground while trying and, in true CSA fashion, failing to escape the USS Connecticut. It's rumored that a gold stash was on board at the time - about 198 pounds worth.

FIG. 3