Annals of the Fleeting Years
The Weetock River
By TUCKER K. LITTLETON
Where is the Weetock River?
One could perhaps ask that quea
tion of many people without ever
getting the correct answer, for it
ha> been about two hundred years
since every vestige of the name
dropped out of popular usage.
There was a time, however, when
white settlers knew of a Weetock
River, and gradually changed its
pronunciation to Wittock and Whit
tock.
As the spelling Whittock may
have suggested to the reader, the
Weetock was the Indian name for
what is now known as the White
Oak River, boundary line between
Carteret and Onslow A tribe of
Indians was the first to give the
river its name, and the meaning
of the Indian word "Weetock" is
by no means clear.
In fact, the derivation or origin
of the word is not certain. The
Feb. 24? Mr. and Mrs. Gus Rob
inson and children spent Sunday
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
M. Stallings.
Mr. and Mrs. Wrenn Lawrence
of Newport visited here Sunday.
The Rev. J. E. Smith filled his
regular appointment here on Sun
day morning. He was accompanied
by Mrs. Smith and baby.
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Pittman of
Morehead City visited her parents
Sunday.
The Rev. J. E. Smith met with
the official board of the church
Thursday night. Several topics
were brought up and discussed.
Mr. Smith also showed slides of
the Lord's Acre. This project was
adopted and Mr. Allen Carraway
was appointed chairman.
Mr. Johnnie Finklea of Pamlico,
S. C., was the weekend guest of
Miss Jean Pittman.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Carraway of
Beaufort RFD recently visited
Miss Nita Carraway, Mr. and Mrs.
J. W. Adams and Mr. and Mrs. G.
M. Carraway.
Mrs. Oscar Pittman and Mrs.
Duffie Carraway were in New
Bern last Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Goodwin
and children, Joan and David, vis
ited Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Carraway
Sunday afternoon.
Bureau of American Ethnology of
the Smithsonian Institute thinks
that the word stands a good chance
of being of Algonkian origin; but,
as the archeotoglat trom the Smith
sonian said, to make a dogmatic
statement about the origin of the
word would be risky. It just seems
likely since so many Algonkian
words end in "ock."
Since it was the Indians, then,
who gave the river its first record
ed name, there is no way at know
ing how early the name was ap
plied. The first encounter with the
name Weetock River, for my part,
came with the search for old maps.
John Lawson, early writer about
North Carolina and her Indians,
published in England a map of
North Carolina, drawn in the year
1709.
On Lawson's map of 170# there
are shown the various rivers, In
lets. and natural features of the
land. The map shows Bogue Inlet
and calls it by that name, but the
river emptying into Bogue Inlet
is the Weetock.
Later the writings of Baron de
Graffenried, recorded in the Co
lonial Records, describe his ex
perience in the Tuscarora War of
1711. He tells of Indians being on
what he called the Wetock River
and later the Weetock. This men
tion of the river by its Indian name
was written shortly after the in
dlan war in 1T1U Lawson and
Griffearied were more closely con
nected with the Indians than per
hapa any of the aubsequent sources
to be quoted, and therefore they
alone have preaerved the Indian
name uncorrupted
It may be that the white settlers
lave the river the name White
Oak, Independent of ita earlier In
dian name, since the name White
Oak seems to have been a favorite
with Englishmen in North Caro
lina. However, since the English
men usually left the "h" sounds
out of words that were supposed to
have them and inaerted them
where they weren't supposed to
be, it la reasonable that the Eng
lish pronunciation of White Oak as
W'ite Oak would have sounded
cIom to Weetock
Nevertheless, subsequent records
have recorded what looks like the
evolution of the name White Oak
River from the name Weetock Riv
er. It seems plausible, then, that
White Oak may be a corruption of
the earlier Indian name, just as
the Tar River is a corruption of
the Indian name Tau, and Pamlico
li a corruption of Pamptego.
If the name White Oak is deriv
ed from Weetock, it seems logical
that the next spelling might be
aimilar; and so in a letter from
Isaac Guion to Gov. Richard Cas
well, dated as late as the 16th of
June, 1777, we find the name given
as Wittock. This indicates that
there were earlier such spellings
and pronunciation! which arc ves
tiges of the original name.
It ia remarkable thai the name
WiUoek thou id hav exiated along
side the name White Oak until 1777,
for the river's name had been call
ed White Oak at early a* 1713, ap
parently by white aettlera who mis
underitood the Indian name.
In the Carteret couoty court
house there ia a deed from Eleazer
Lilllngton to Abraham Mitchell
dated Sept. ZS. 172*. The deed ii
for land now in Onalow County and
deicribed aa being on the south
west aide of the Whitock River
Thia records one of the earlieat in
stances of the intraaion of the "h"
sound into the name of the river.
A few years later the Laws of
North Carolina ? 173S, gives the
spelling aa Whittock, almost the
same aa that in Mitchell's deed
Koss Bell had a plantation on the
Carteret couoty side of the White
Oak River, and at his plantation
the "people of Whittock" were to
pay their annual quit rents.
From this reference it appears
that the settlements along both
sides of the river and from its
mouth to its headwatera were re
ferred to collectively aa Whittock.
Still other records spell the name
Whiteoak
From the early names of the riv
er it looks aa if the name evolved
from Weetock to Wittock, and then
to Whittock, later to be called the
Whitioak or White Oak. But who
knows for sure? Should 1 aay that
Swansboro is on the White Oak or
the Weetock River?
Chamber Opens Doors
To All Doing Business
To be contacted for membership
in the Greater Morehead City
chamber of commerce during the
current membership drive are the
following (this is a continuation of
a list which first appeared last Fri
day):
Wholesalers: Woodruff Distribu
tors, Roberson Beverages, Honey
cutt, Henderson Cigar, Tar Heel
Hardware.
Juliam WiUes, Gay Distributors,
Wilmington Linen Supply, Carolina
Overall Co., State Distributors.
Killo Exterminators, Seaboard Cof
fee.
Penguin Frozen Foods. New
Bern Supply, Frozen Food Co.,
Jimmy's Produce, West Coast
Lumber Co.
General Wholesale Supply,
Brame Specialty, Quigley Supply,
Swift ii Company, Frosty Morn,
1 Luter's.
** '
Accountants: T E KeUy, H M
Eure, Rudolph Mason.
Palp Wood: Blaine Baugus, Rob
ert G. Carr.
Beauty Parlors: Bernice's Beau
ty Shop, Erma's Beauty Shop,
Frances' Beauty Shop. Helen's
Beauty Shop, Hilma's Beauty Shop.
Lillian's Beauty Shop, Lucile's
Beauty Shop. Morehead Beauty
Salon, Nan's Beauty Shop.
Others: John R. Valentine, Vick
ery's Pottery Shop, Fred's Barbe
cue, Jones' Barbecue, Lewis Hin
son Moving.
Acme Movers, Stanley Wain
wright, E. J. Willis Bicycle Shop
W Marks. Busy Bee. Sam Adler
Beaaley's TV, Mallory Sales
Meadows Sea Food Co., Gordon C
WilUs, Hinnant Cafe. Walter Free
man, Lighthouse Restaurant, Abott
Morris, Bunch Fislting Camp.
Licenses Can be Suspended on Basis
Other Than Accumulation of Points
Some motorists think that be
cause the new "point system" has
gone into effect their licenses can
not be suspended until they have
accumulated the fatal 12 pointa.
That is not true.
Highway patrolmen warn that
licenses can be suspended for the
same reasons they were suspend
ed prior to the adoption of the
point system.
One night a highway patrolman
arrested a driver who was driving
70 miles an hout This waa the
second time in less than a year
that the motorist had been caught
apeeding at a high rate.
The driver said, "I sure am glad
that point system is in effect. Oth
erwise, I would have lost my li
cense."
Surprise, mister. He lost his li
cense anyway. Two convictions
of speeding at a rate like 70 in less
than a year do not mean that the
driver has merely accumulated 3
points for each time he was
caught. It means that his license
will definitely be suspended or re
voked.
The point system was put into
effect to help get off the road the
continual, petty violators of motor
vehicle laws. The "big violators,"
so to apeak, ire still being dealt
with in firm, unyielding ways.
This is the number of points vio
lations will bring you:
Conviction! Paints
Passing stopped school bus S
Reckless Driving .?
Hit and run, property
damage only 4
Speeding in excess of 5S
miles per hour 3
Illegal passing 3
Failing to yield right of way .3
Running through red light 3
No operators license or licwue
expired more than one year ...J
Failure to atop for red light
Or siren 1
Driving through safety tone 3
Driving on wrong side of road 3
No liability iasurance 3
Failure to report accident where
such report is required J
All other moving violations 2"
If yoa arcanalate 12 pataU in
two y?*rs, your license can be sus
pended.
If you have gotten your license
back, after suspension or revoca
tion and accumulate eight points
in the two-year period after get
ting it back, it can be suspended
again.
Yoa may have accumulated no
points at all, but your license can
be suspended under any of the fol
lowing conditions:
1. Have, within ? period of U
months, been convicted ef two or
more charges of speeding la ex
ceas of fifty-five (55) and not more
than seventy-five (75) miles per
hour, or of one or more charges
of reckless driving and one or more
charges of speeding in excess of
fifty-five (55) and not more than
seventy-five (71) miles per hour.
2. Have been convicted of oper
ating a motor vehicle at a speed in
excess of seventy-five (75) miles
per hour.
1. Driving a motor vehicle while
under the influence of intoxicating
liquor or a narcotic drug.
4. Conviction, or forfeiture of
bail not vacated, upon two charges
of reckless driving committed with
in a period of twelve months.
5. Have been convicted at illegal
transportation of intoxicating li
quors.
S. Have committed an offense in
another Mate, which if committed
ia this state would be grounds for
suspension or revocation.
7. Have made or permitted an
unlawful or fraudulent use of such
license.
I. Are incompetent to drive a
motor vehicle.
9. Manslaughter (or negligent
homicide) resulting from the op
eration of a motor vehicle.
10. Failure to stop and render
aid ai required under the laws of
this state in the event of a motor
vehicle accident.
NATIONAL
Nowl Tho only Coach' Righto on DC-6Bt to
IDLEWILD ? WASHINGTON ? NORFOLK
PHILADELPHIA ? MIAMI ? JACKSONVILLE
Alto sorvico to CHARLISTON, ?.C. ? TAMPA * ORLANDO
fit* Gm mrvtm ok* fNMk
AIm ? f||nn. U Sftf n iMn ntftn
^ conntcnons in tt uininjTOii to
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All fVDtffB RADAR |?DWD
for r?*rvattan? in your Travel AfOTt or ph? Mtttli 7*S1f 1
NATIONAL WWST WITH JRTBIN THE U.S.A.
This is a map of the Carteret County coast, drawn by John Lawson In 17?f. The Weetock River, now known as the White Oak River, to
shown. The photostat Is from the map collection of the State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh.
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