The earliest explorers to discover what is today called Pender County landed in 1524. More than a century later in 1663 others explored the northeast branch of the Cape Fear River naming the area "Rocky Point", a name still used by locals.
While the Scottish settlers opened up the area to the south at New Brunswick, the Lord Proprietors laid out a tract to the north for Welsh settlers. They came seeking good bottom land and tidal river transportation. Brisk commercial success followed and large plantations were built during this period.
The people of Pender were ardent patriots during the Revolution and it was here, at Moore's Creek, that they defeated the Scottish Highlanders sent from Fayetteville, NC.
In the Civil War, this region sent nearly 4,000 soldiers to fight and gave the South its youngest general, William D. Pender, for whom the county was named.
Though settled by 1725, the county was not created from New Hanover until 150 years later. Still a part of New Hanover County after the Civil War, Pender's booming agrarian economy was destroyed during the Reconstruction years. However, the county was created with the City of Watha as the first county seat. Burgaw, the present county seat was chartered in 1879 and received its name from a local tribe of Indians.
See Carolana.com for more NC county history.
