Jones County, North Carolina

Jones County is located in southeastern North Carolina, eight miles from the Atlantic Ocean and 85 miles east-southeast of Raleigh. Jones County is bounded by Carteret, Craven, Lenoir, Duplin and Onslow Counties. In area, Jones County consists of 467 square miles of flat to undulating land making it 50th in size in the State. The Trent River meanders through the County causing one to suggest that every farm in the county drains into the Trent. However, the southern boundary with Onslow County is formed by the White Oak River.

Much of the County is contained in the Great Dover Swamp in the north, White Oak Pocosin in the south central portion, and Lake Pocosin to the east. The areas are fertile, but to date have been of somewhat limited usage. They do provide excellent forest lands and excellent environments for a rich variety of wildlife. To this end, Jones County has been a leading provider of lumber and has become well known among outdoorsmen. Jones County, along with Onslow County, contains the largest forest laboratory in the nation, Hoffman Forest.

The 78,000- acre laboratory which covers the White Oak Pocosin was established in 1934 by the N.C. Forest Foundation and is used as a forestry laboratory by students of N.C. State University. Another large part of the county makes up a part of the Croatan National Forest. Formed in 1932 from parts of Jones, Carteret and Craven Counties, it consists of 294,610 acres. These areas make up 65% of Jones County.

A Brief History of Jones County

When European settlers first began to arrive in what is now Jones County, the natives were Tuscarora Indians. These Indians had earlier migrated from the area now known as New York and Pennsylvania, where they were part of the league of Iroquois Indians. The Tuscarora lived in bark wigwams and grew abundant crops of corn, peaches and other edible plants.

Jones and Craven Counties were settled about 1710 by German Palatines and by the Swiss who were led by Baron Christopher de Graffenried. These people suffered many hardships during their first years in the new land. Soon, they were caught in the midst of Cary's Rebellion and the Tuscarora War. Homes were burned, crops were destroyed and people were killed. The Baron returned to Europe a broken man, and the settlements ceased to exist as distinct communities. Settlers were scattered along the Trent River. The river was named after the Trent River in England.

Three of the leading colonial leaders were Baron Christopher de Graffenried, the young Swiss nobleman who brought some of the first settlers to the area; Nathan Bryan, a wealthy talented man who represented the New Bern District in the 4th and 5th U.S. Congress of 1775 and 1799, a man of great piety and a good public servant; and Abner Nash, who was born in eastern North Carolina.

Schools in Jones County

Links to School Websites

 Public Schools

 Comfort Elementary

 Jones Middle

 Jones Senior High

 Maysville Elementary

 Pollocksville Elementary

 Trenton Elementary

 Jones County Employment Data

• Maysville
• Pollocksville
• Trenton