History

Pre-Colonial Days

Prior to the arrival of the colonists, Pollocksville was occupied by the Tuscarora Indians who farmed the land and hunted game and fished the Trent River.  The first colonists to arrive were in bad shape.  The ship carrying them to the New World was attacked and raided by pirates leaving them without food supplies and clothing. They faced winter with certain death.  It was the friendly Tuscarora Indians who came to their aid giving them food and clothing to tide them through the winter. There is more to this bit of history which you will find at Tuscarora Indians.

Early Settlers

Pollocksville located on the Trent River is the oldest town in Jones County.  Pollocksville was settled originally by German Palatines and colonists from Bern, Switzerland.  The town was first known as "Trent Bridge" because a bill was passed in the Colonial Assembly to have a bridge built.  Pollocksville was originally chartered in 1834 and took its name from George Pollock, holder of a large land grant in that area.  In its early days , a thriving steamboat landing with merchants buying and selling with the planters in the area.  The river is navigable with an average depth 10 foot channel to New Bern, thence to the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound.

Pollocksville is only fifteen miles from New Bern by way of Highway  #17 and like Maysville, Trenton and Comfort, it is popular with sportsmen because of the deer and bear hunting nearby.  Pollocksville is well known for fishing all over the country.

Atlantic Coast Line and Norfolk and Southern Railroads

The building of the Atlantic Coast Line and Norfolk and Southern railroads in the late 1800's helped to boost land values in the county to make logging an important industry.  Nearby New Bern was the site of a large lumber mill where logs were converted to lumber.  It was during this time that farmers gave up raising cotton because of the "boll weevil" and switched to tobacco.

Education in Pollocksville

The Town of Pollocksville was incorporated in 1849. It was recorded that Pollocksville had four schools in 1873 for white students None for black students. By 1916 two schools for black students were established known as the Garnett Industrial School and the Graded School. These schools were later closed and black students attended Rosenwald School located in Garnett Heights. With the building of the Alex H. White School, the smaller white schools were closed and in 1924 Garnett and Willie schools were consolidated for black students.

In 1958, black elementary school students left their small schools heated by pot belly stoves and moved into the newly constructed J. W. Willie School while white students continued to attend the Alex H. White School. Integration brought more changes and in 1968 black and white students attended the Alex H. White school in the lower grades and J. W. Willie School in the upper elementary grades and later began attending the Alex H. White School which is now known as Pollocksville Elementary School. The old Pollocksville Elementary School was torn down and in 1990 was replaced with a new school provided with a $2,000,000 "Critical Needs Grant". Norma Sermon Boyd was its first principal and later served as Superintendent of Schools for Jones County.
Pollocksville has one Headstart pre-school program and one elementary school.

Pollocksville Elementary School - was named as an exemplary school.