The Tuscarora Indians lived along the Pamlico River until their removal to Bertie County, NC in 1718, following large numbers of deaths from disease and the four year Tuscarora War, 1711-1715. English, Irish, and Scottish settlers moved to the region from Virginia for larger tracts of cheaper land. A cluster of German and Swiss settlers also moved to the region from the southeastern settlement of New Bern, NC. Bath was a home and operating base for the pirate Blackbeard, who was pardoned by Governor Charles Eden. Tobacco farming was popular in the Pamlico/Tar River basin, but for years the river corridor remained somewhat of a lawless backwater.
Though the river no longer has any steamers and cargo ships floating down it, it still carries hundreds of boats per year. It is a popular fishing spot. Tobacco farming remains popular. In the last ten years, periodic pfiesteria outbreaks have appeared, due to an abundance of nitrogen and phosphate in the water. These elements come from runoff that originates at upstream pig farms and a phosphate mine that's on the south bank of the river. The abundance of nitrogen and phosphate periodically produces massive fish kills and has contaminated the area's shellfish population. Seaweed grows on previously sandy beaches, since phosphate and nitrogen are common fertilizers. While fishkills were a bigger problem around the year 2000, state authorities still warn against eating the river's shellfish. Though the river still faces some environmental problems, it is a beautiful tidal river that is home to a variety of aquatic species, with immense historical significance.
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