Near Currie in Pender County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Ghosts of an Industry

— Moores Creek National Battlefield —

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 24, 2017

1. Ghosts of an Industry Marker

Inscription. The change in forest says it all: longleaf pines are now rare in this area. Although the naval stores industry thrived well into the 19th century, it was doomed as soon as the first ironclad ships put to sea. Pine tar from longleafs was no longer needed to treat ships' hulls. Faster-growing loblolly pines fed the burgeoning pulp and lumber industries and began to dominate coastal forests.

Along this trail you may notice several stands of young longleaf pine seedlings. The National Park Service is planting them to provide a window on the colonial economy and to more accurately depict the battlefield landscape. Gradually the forest will begin to resemble the scene where the patriots labored and fought.

[Captions]
(Background) Steel-hulled USS Trenton, 1878
(Inset) Longleaf pine seedlings.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1878.

Location. 34° 27.467′ N, 78° 6.5′ W. Marker is near Currie, North Carolina, in Pender County. It can be

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reached from Moores Creek Drive 0.2 miles west of North Carolina Route 210. Marker is on the Tarheel Trail in Moores Creek National Battlefield. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Currie NC 28435, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tar Kiln (a few steps from this marker); A Changing Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); Vanishing Longleafs (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Boxing the Pines (about 300 feet away); Blackwater Highways (about 400 feet away); Brave Patriots (about

Photographed by Dave W, June 17, 2023

2. Ghosts of an Industry Marker

400 feet away); Moores Creek National Battlefield (about 400 feet away); Trees for a Navy (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Currie.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 189 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 21, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on June 19, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado.