Join the Southport Historical Society
The work of the historian is not the work of the critic or the moralist; it is the work of the sleuth and the storyteller, the philosopher and the scientist, the keeper of tales, the sayer of sooth, the teller of truth. - Jill Lepore
Welcome to our online research collections. No matter whether you are making a nostalgic visit, doing your homework, or writing your next book; we hope you find the SCRR useful, as well as easy to use. If you have a question or need assistance or if you would like to provide your assistance to the Society, please send an email to us at info@southporthistoricalsociety.org.
Permission to view these materials is not an authorization to publish them. For more information go to the Copyright and Use Permission INFO
American Revolution in the Lower Cape Fear Region
"Bit of History" - From 1999 to 2007, Southport historian Susie Carson wrote a weekly "Bit of History" column for the Brunswick County edition of the StarNews.
"The Way It Was" - State Port Pilot photo columns provide readers with a magic carpet ride through Southport's history.
Brunswick County Historical Society Newsletters (1961 - 2005) LINK1 (2002 - Current) LINK2
Chronology of Brunswick County Communities (Dates vary by community)
Chronology of Southport (Smithville), Volumes 1 to 5 (1520 to 1990)
Correspondence Local collections from WW I and WW II.
Friends of the Fort Caswell Rifle Range - Research and preserve the legacies of the men and women of Brunswick County who served in the World War. The missions were completed in 2023, and the non-profit was dissolved on August 25, 2023.
Oral Histories Interviews of Southport residents from the UNCW Randall Library
People/Genealogy/Family Tree Files This collection has been updated to include the Southport Historical Society’s collection of genealogy and family history information about Southport / Smithville families, including family trees and descendant reports.
Photo Collections Hundreds of photos of Southport people, landmarks, maritime scenes, and businesses.
Reference Books LIST1 and Booklets/Pamphlets LIST2 are available for review at the Susie Carson Research Room in the Southport Fort Johnston Museum. For an appointment, contact us at info@southporthistoricalsociety.org.
Reports, Documents, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, etc. drawn from the Susie Carson Research Room.
Robert Ruark Collection - Photos, articles, correspondence, and related documents about the life of journalist/novelist Robert C. Ruark Jr. LINK
State Port Pilot Newspapers From 1935 through1999
Subject Files - Covering 170+ topics in Southport's history. Files contain a mixture of documents, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes
Video Collection - Over 250 videos documenting Southport's history are available on the Society's YouTube channel.
Whittlers Bench Newsletter - Southport Historical Society newsletters from 1976 to the present
Woodbine Garden Club - Archives.