A SENATE RESOLUTION honoring the citizens of the town of bath and the pamlico sound region for the contributions they have made to the state.
Whereas, Bath was incorporated by the General Assembly on March 8, 1705, becoming the State's first town; and
Whereas, Bath served as the county seat from 1696 to 1785 and the site of Beaufort County's first courthouse, which was built in 1723; and
Whereas, in 1715, North Carolina Governor Charles Eden petitioned the Lords Proprietors to establish Port Bath and, after receiving approval, proclaimed Port Bath the first official port of entry on August 1, 1716, making it possible for ships and vessels to import and export goods to and from the colony. Port Bath was operational between 1716 and the 1790s; and
Whereas, Bath is the site of the State's oldest exiting church, St. Thomas Church, which was established in Bath in 1734, and is the location of the State's first public library, which was established in 1701 with 1,000 books sent from England to St. Thomas Parrish; and
Whereas, Bath hosted the General Assembly in 1744 and 1752 and was once considered a location for the capital of the colony; and
Whereas, 300 years ago, Edward Teach, the infamous pirate known as Blackbeard, along with his crew, spent several months in Bath. In 1996, the wreckage of Blackbeard's flagship the "Queen Anne's Revenge" was discovered near the Beaufort Inlet; and
Whereas, Bath's lasting legacy provides visitors with vast opportunities to learn about the State's cultural, religious, historical, and maritime heritage of the Pamlico Sound region; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate:
SECTION 1.  The Senate honors the citizens of the Town of Bath and the Pamlico Sound region for the significant contributions they have made to the State of North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The Principal Clerk shall transmit a copy of this resolution to the Mayor of the Town of Bath and the Manager of Hyde County on behalf of the Village of Ocracoke.
SECTION 3.  This resolution is effective upon adoption.