Camden County extends southward from the Virginia line as a peninsula between the North and Pasquotank Rivers into the Albemarle Sound. Named for Revolutionary sympathizer Sir Charles Pratt, the first Earl of Camden, the county was formed on May 9, 1777. Construction of the 22-mile Dismal Swamp Canal began in 1793. The Battle of South Mills was fought on April 19, 1862, in an unsuccessful attempt by the Union to destroy the lock at South Mills. Camden County has continued as a rural community with farming, fishing, and logging as its citizens, primary occupations. Over time, horses, mules, and oxen have been replaced with tractors and combines. The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1973, and the Dismal Swamp Canal, which has survived as the oldest artificial waterway in the United States, continues to serve boaters on the Intracoastal Waterway today. Camden County showcases the rich agricultural heritage of this North Carolina coastal county.
