Commercial Truck Insurance in Morehead City, NC

While Morehead City in Carteret County may only be the Crystal Coast’s idea of a big city, it is a transportation hub, occupying an important spot on both a state railroad and a U.S. highway, the latter of which is in the process of upgrades to interstate quality.

The city has already grown to the point where it hosts some of the only major chain restaurants and retail stores, as well as the largest car dealerships in the county, and a new interstate connection is sure to amplify that growth.

Sponsor Spotlight

The North Carolina coast is spectacular. When you purchase a North Carolina Coastal Federation license plate, you help keep our coast healthy and beautiful. Learn more!

Learn how you can be in the Sponsor Spotlight!

But 200 years ago, the land that Morehead City now comprises was an almost-blank spot on the map. It took years of planning, a shift in state policy, and the burgeoning growth of tourism for Morehead City to become one of North Carolina’s economic drivers.

Morehead City emerged over a century after the formation of Carteret County and its neighbor to the east, Beaufort. In Carteret County’s first century, the county and the whole state were focused on turning the town of Beaufort into a major port. That project was slow, however, and the rest of Carteret County was kept impoverished by poor soil and isolation from the rest of the state. Without limited shipping and the naval stores industry, the county would have had no economic base.

But in the mid-19th century, eastern Carteret County became the site of a new plan to rejuvenate the state’s economy through transportation. The plan was centered around the railroad and the vision of a former governor, John Motley Morehead. Morehead was a believer in internal improvements: the construction of roads, canals, and railroads to facilitate commerce and urban development. Canal building and the plank roads movement had been slow and tedious, but railroads seemed to hold greater promise.

After initial experiments, two railroads were built in the 1830s. The success of these north-south routes, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad and the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad, prompted interest in an east-west line stretching from either the mountains or the western Piedmont to the coast.

Sponsor Spotlight

Never miss the stories that matter to North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties. Subscribe to receive our daily email with the latest Coastal Review headlines. It’s free!

Learn how you can be in the Sponsor Spotlight!

In 1849, the North Carolina Railroad Co. was incorporated to put this plan into motion, and Carteret County’s central position along the coast meant that it was a natural home for the railroad’s eastern terminus.

The North Carolina Railroad started out as a 130-mile stretch between Greensboro and Goldsboro. Three years later, the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad was incorporated to bring this line to the coast. Now a 317-mile rail corridor connecting Charlotte and the North Carolina Port of Morehead City, its eastern terminus was placed at what was then called Shepherd’s Point, a plot that had been bought by the Shepherd’s Point Land Co. near Beaufort.

The town was incorporated in 1857 and named after Gov. Morehead, who had been an investor in the land company.

Just as the town was beginning to grow, the Civil War turned it into an attractive military target. The area was protected by Fort Macon, a nearby masonry fort staffed by a small garrison. In their preparations to take the fort, Union troops under Gen. John G. Parke set up camp in a small community near Morehead City known as Carolina City. Their landing point on Bogue Banks, Hoop Pole Creek, was directly across the sound from Carolina City. Fort Macon fell in less than two weeks and the Union occupied the entire region for the rest of the war.

For several years after 1865, Morehead City was the only railroad hub in Carteret County. It was the industrial center for the county and had the vast majority of its factories and retail centers. By 1903, the town had a furniture manufacturer, an ice factory, two fish factories, five hotels, and 17 general merchandise businesses, two of which were owned by African Americans.

The town’s railroad connection to the rest of Carteret County greatly aided the county’s farmers, who could send their produce to Morehead City and have it shipped to far-off locales. The railroad also facilitated tourism, which had been limited to boat traffic prior to the 1850s.

A visible symbol of this new industry was the Atlantic Hotel, first located in Beaufort and moved to Morehead City in 1880. The hotel’s popularity led to several organizations being founded in its event spaces, including the state’s teacher and banker associations.

The early 20th century saw Morehead City grow even more sophisticated. It became the home for marine research facilities and sport fishing tournaments. The city attracted tourists who took the railroad and later came via U.S. Highway 70, which was completed in Morehead City by the late 1920s.

As a reflection of this prosperity, Morehead received one of the county’s most architecturally significant buildings outside of Beaufort in 1926. At 202 S. Eighth St., the Morehead City Municipal Building is described in “A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eastern North Carolina” by Catherine W. Bishir and Michael T. Southern as Morehead’s “most distinctive downtown landmark.” It is “an imposing two-story structure with a large hip roof and tall Ionic columns,” according to Bishir and Southern.

Morehead City’s status as the business center of Carteret County was particularly relevant for those who grew up in the coastal town.

Dee Lewis, a local historian and frequent volunteer at the Carteret County Historical Museum, grew up in Morehead City in the 1950s and 1960s. He recalls that Morehead City was the economic engine of the county throughout his childhood. It was the center of good-paying jobs at the port and nightlife down Arendell Street. Lewis contrasted the economic and entertainment opportunities in Morehead with the sleepy communities on the mainland and the seasonal tourist spots on Bogue Banks.

As for Morehead City’s historic neighbor to the east, Lewis noted that when he was younger, “the sidewalks rolled up at sundown in Beaufort.”

Only since the 1950s have other areas in Carteret County grown to rival Morehead City for economic impact. Two developments helped to shift this growth. The first was the construction of bridges connecting Emerald Isle with the mainland. These new bridges led to an explosion of population on the island and the transformation of Bogue Banks from a regional vacation destination to a national one. Visitors to the island could now enjoy many of the lodging and amenities that had previously been located only in Morehead City. Consequently, the population of Emerald Isle increased from 14 in 1960 to over 3,000 by the 2000 census.

At around the same time, Newport and the surrounding areas were bolstered by the construction of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in nearby Havelock. This new base resulted in a need for housing that bolstered Havelock as well as its neighbor to the south, Newport. The growth of these areas has supported the county while taking little away from Morehead City’s economic strength. The city’s population more than doubled between 1940 and 2000, and it remains the largest town in the county by several thousand residents.

Today, Morehead City remains a center of economic activity for the county. It was a featured location for a 2022 episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” when host Guy Fieri held a family reunion on the Crystal Coast and visited several restaurants.

The town continues to grow and construct new businesses while also maintaining its older institutions, such as the famous Sanitary Fish Market and the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.

Longtime resident Bob Guthrie recalled that as a child, he always wanted passenger trains to run through the city, but now it is a busy hub of tourism, and “you don’t like tourism when you can’t get to things.”

Morehead City is awaiting the completion of Interstate 42, which is to consist of improvements to U.S. 70 between Raleigh and Morehead City and is touted as a way to drastically reduce travel times between the Piedmont and the coast.

Lower travel times may lead to further growth in Morehead City, a municipality that, at 9,556 residents, is still relatively small for a tourist center on the North Carolina coast. The project includes the nearby Havelock Bypass currently under construction.

This new highway has the potential to change the mix of business development and small-town charm that has defined Morehead City for the past century.

Multiple county churches will host sunrise services to celebrate Easter on March 31. Some of these services will be along the water’s edge. Following is a list of some of the observances:

First Baptist of Morehead City

First Baptist Church in Morehead City will offer an Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. March 31 at Jaycee Park on the Morehead City waterfront at 812 Shepard Street in front of the Bask Hotel. If there is a significant rainfall, the service will be held at First Baptist. Please dress for the occasion and bring a folding chair.

All Saints Anglican

All Saints Anglican Church in Newport will host an Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. March 31 at Camp Albemarle near Newport.

Shepherd of the Sea Lutheran

Shepherd of the Sea Lutheran Church in Atlantic Beach will host an Easter sunrise service at 7 a.m. at the Atlantic Beach Circle. Breakfast will follow at 8:30 a.m. at the church.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Morehead City will host an Easter sunrise service at 6 a.m. March 31 at the Trinity Center Beach Pavilion in Pine Knoll Shores.

St. Peter’s UMC

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Morehead City will hold an Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. March 31 at Mitchell Village Park.

First MC

First Methodist Church in Morehead City will host an Easter sunrise service at 6:45 a.m. March 31 in the church’s courtyard. This will be followed by a light breakfast.

Franklin Memorial Methodist

Franklin Memorial Methodist Church in Morehead City will hold an Easter sunrise service at 6:45 a.m. March 31 at Walter Lewis Landing, 12th and Shackleford Streets in Morehead City.

Ann Street UMC

Ann Street United Methodist Church in Beaufort will hold a Community Easter sunrise service at 6:45 a.m. March 31 on the Beaufort waterfront. Breakfast will follow.

Smyrna MBC

Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church will hold an Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. March 31.

Emmanuel Baptist

Emmanuel Baptist Church in Cedar Point will host an Easter sunrise service at 6:45 a.m. March 31 at Boathouse Creek Park in Cedar Point. Bring a chair. Coffee and donuts will be served in the church’s fellowship hall 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Cstone Church

Cstone Church in Morehead City will offer an Easter sunrise service at 7 a.m. March 31 at Havelock City Park.

Newport Baptist

Newport Baptist Church will hold an Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. March 31, with a complimentary breakfast following.

Sound View FWB

Sound View Free Will Baptist Church on Highway 24 near Newport will hold an Easter sunrise service at 469 Pearson Circle in Broad Creek at 6:45 a.m. March 31. Breakfast will follow in the fellowship hall.

Emerald Isle Chapel by the Sea

Emerald Isle Chapel by the Sea will host an Easter sunrise service outside on the grounds at 6:30 a.m. March 31. A breakfast, in the courtyard fellowship hall, will follow the service.

Core Creek Methodist

Core Creek Methodist Church will hold an Easter sunrise service at 6:30 March 31, with breakfast following.

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WNCT) — A fire destroyed a home in Morehead City Sunday afternoon. Now, the community is coming together to help.

The Town of Morehead City posted to Facebook that Morehead City Fire-EMS responded all three stations to a fire on Midyette Avenue just after 2:30 p.m. Fire crews from Atlantic Beach and Newport also responded to the call. Officials said some trees caught fire and at least two vehicles were burned.

Suzanne Jenkins is the owner of the home. She’s a local educator who has been teaching in Carteret County for two decades. She’s been at Morehead Primary School since 2001. She has always given back to her community. Now, they are returning the favor.

Jenkins, who didn’t want to be on camera, lost everything in the fire. The cause of the fire continues but officials with the Morehead City Fire Department have deemed it accidental. In addition to the home, she also lost two vehicles and a shed behind the home.

(Contributed videos from pala351@outlook.com)

“This family has been through a tremendously difficult few years, they’ve had a lot of personal loss,” said the Development Director of Carteret County Public Schools Foundation, Erica Jones. “And so this just seems just such an added layer of tragedy for their family. But it is wonderful to see how our community has stepped up to just wrap their arms and love on this family. And this time.”

The foundation has been able to give back $2.4 million to the community, and now to Jenkins. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, over $30,000 has been raised to help Jenkins and her family. If you’re interested in making a donation, you can go to CCPSFoundation.com or text the word “Carteret” to 53555.

In addition, a GoFundMe page has been set up for anyone who would like to donate that way.

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Ferry Division will co-host with N.C. Works a career fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Carteret County Career Center, 3813 Arendell St., Morehead City.

Applications will be accepted for all positions at all experience levels, including entry-level parking lot attendants, office staff, shipyard tradespeople and experienced boat captains. Temporary and full-time permanent positions are available.

Among the benefits of Ferry Division employment are:

Those interested in attending the job fair should bring resumes, references and supporting documents. Representatives from the Ferry Division will be on hand to explain the various positions available and opportunities for advancement.

The Carteret County career fair is the fourth of five to be held across eastern North Carolina. Previous fairs were held in Shallotte Feb. 7, in Washington on Feb. 12 and in Wilmington Feb. 21.

The final event will be held at the College of the Albemarle in Manteo March 6. To see jobs available with the Ferry Division, visit the state jobs website and search “Ferry.” Please continue to visit the site, as new ferry jobs are added regularly.

For more information, call 252-463-7027.

After clinching the Atlantic 1A regular season conference title earlier last week, Ocracoke’s varsity basketball team avenged last year’s one-point tournament loss to arch-rival Bear Grass Charter with a decisive 61-42 tournament victory over the Bears Friday night in Columbia.

With its 8-1 conference leading regular season record, eighth-seeded Ocracoke gets home-court advantage to play 25th seed East Bladen in the first round of the East 1A playoffs Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Tank.

If the Dolphins win, they retain home court to face the North Duplin vs. Tarboro winner in the second round Thursday.

Ocracoke’s only conference loss this season to Bear Grass away, 79-66, on Feb. 9. Friday’s final mostly mirrored last year’s season, where the Dolphins beat the Bears home and away, with no other conference losses.

Even though the Dolphin’s powerful, 6’ 5” center Rahnier “Shack-anier” Lyons fouled out early in the fourth period with only seven points, junior guards Landon Fuller and Gavin Elicker filled the gap with 20 and 19 points respectively. Point guard Fuller and Lyons are co-captains and consistently top scorers, followed by Finn Kattenburg.

In their first meeting this season, The Dolphins downed the Bears 74-44 at home on Jan. 19. Bear Grass returned the favor, overcoming Ocracoke 79-66 in Martin County Feb. 9. Bear Grass took last year’s tournament title, 37-36, in a season which saw the Dolphins beat the Bears in both regular season matches. In years past, Bear Grass has been dominant in the Atlantic 1A conference.

As Ocracoke’s big-man, Lyons often scored with his signature under-the-basket spin move lay-ins, besides pulling down many defense rebounds under the opponents’ basket. Fuller regularly swished 3-pointers from the baseline or outside the 3-point arc at Columbia.

In the Feb. 21 tournament semi-final home game against Columbia, the Dolphins racked up 16 points before the Wildcats could even score in the first period, mostly on 3-pointers from Fuller and guards Danny Badillo, Gavin Elicker and Finn Kattenburg.

When a combination of high tide, a full moon and continuing seaside overwash on N.C. 12 north of the Pony Pens made off-island travel via the Hatteras ferry precarious, Ocracoke Island Realty came to the rescue and put the team up in Nags Head motel rooms Thursday night before their title game against Bear Grass in Columbia. That generous gesture meant the team had only a “short” two-hour bus ride to Columbia, keeping the Dolphins fresh for Friday night’s title match.

On Ocracoke School’s Facebook page Friday, Principal Jeanie Owens thanked the realty company. “With today’s weather, the team decided to get off the island last night. OIR made sure the kids, coaches, and drivers had comfy hotel rooms waiting for them in Nags Head,” she said. “We couldn’t ask for a more supportive community!”

Dare County helped as well, arranging for the Dolphins to warm-up Friday at the Outer Banks Family YMCA in Nags Head before traveling to play Bear Grass in Columbia that evening.

“I’m so proud of my team,” said Dolphins fourth-year head coach Frank Moore, in an interview from the Swan Quarter ferry. “These kids have put in three years of hard work. I keep telling them the harder you work, the more success you’ll have. And they did just about everything I asked of them, and they got their reward Friday night. Rahnier is really going to be the one that I miss.”

Moore feels his team played extremely well under pressure in their third meeting against the Bears this season. “We made the shots we needed to offensively,” he said. “We got a lot of fast breaks. We ran the ball well in transition and that was huge. But our defense was key. We played as hard on the defensive end as we have all year.”

The coach said Ocracoke’s heart-stopping single-point championship loss to Bear Grass Charter last year and the Bears’ home victory Feb. 9 were motivating factors in the Dolphins domination at Friday night’s title game. “These kids remembered those games,” he said.

Former Ocracoke Athletic Director Adam Burleson recruited Moore from Maryland after Hurricane Dorian in 2019. After a dismal first year, Moore has led his charges to the league championship game two years in a row.

Lyons was upset with himself for picking up his fourth foul late in the third period Friday.

“But I was not disappointed with Coach Frank for taking me out with four fouls,” he said afterwards.

Even with four fouls, Moore still put Lyons back into play early in the fourth period for his defensive rebounding prowess. Lyons subsequently fouled out two minutes into the fourth period.

“I’m really grateful the team was able to pick up the slack when I left on the court,” Lyons said. “They had my back.”

Lyons regularly excites Ocracoke fans with his legendary spin-moves under the offensive basket.

“It’s all about getting someone’s feet in the position that leaves the least coverage on me,” he said. “That spin move is really my go-to for drives or normal post moves. It works 90% of the time.”

Was the senior concerned about playing Bear Grass for the third time this year? “No, not all,” he said. “We beat them the first game (on Jan. 19) by a lot.”

Lyons was among many locals who thought Ocracoke got a raw deal from the officials in their disappointing 79-66 away loss to Bear Grass Feb. 9. “We felt like the refs really did us dirty in that game,” he said. “But we got ‘em back this time and we’re happy about that.”

After Ocracoke, Lyons hopes to get an offer to play college ball somewhere.

“If I can’t do that, I’d like to attend Appalachian State for hospitality management,” he said.

New game announcersOcracoke Athletic Director Mary McKnight and Leslie Cole, recently retired principal, called the game broadcast on WOVV 90.1 FM.

While waiting for the boys’ championship game to start after the Bear Grass-Hatteras girls’ title game, McKnight quipped, “Miss Leslie, there are some fans asking if you’ll be sweeping the floor between games tonight.”

“I’m just here to watch the game, but I’d be happy to help out if asked,” Cole said. As for as her guest commentary role on WOVV, Cole said,” I’m not sure what I can add (to McKnight’s play-by-play call), but I’ll do what I can.”

By the second half, Cole hit her stride and began describing Dolphin players passing the ball down the court, or on in-bound plays. Cole’s husband Bill is former WOVV “Voice of the Dolphins.”

Lady DolphinsThis was a rebuilding season for Coash Meredith Wynn’s Lady Dolphins. With only seven players dressed, the girls won two non-conference games, while going 0-8 in conference.

But they never gave up. When Ocracoke was down to four players due to fouls once, Mattamuskeet pulled a player to even up the sides. Senior Marilyn Monter and freshman Jami Martinez were leading scorers.

The Bear Grass Lady Bears, 10-0 in conference, easily won their championship game in Friday night’s first game, trouncing second place Cape Hatteras, 62-26. Hurricane senior point guard Alissa Bryan, a former Dolphin, now plays for the Hurricanes.

The 27th seeded Columbia boys play at 4th seeded West Columbus Tuesday. The Bear Grass boys did not make the state playoffs this year, while the Lady Bears did.

MOREHEAD CITY — Construction of a long-planned project to save Sugarloaf Island, the rapidly eroding, uninhabited barrier island across from the Morehead City waterfront, is officially underway.

Morehead City Mayor Jerry Jones welcomed the handful of reporters, elected officials and partner representatives gathered Wednesday at Big Rock Landing on Shepard Street, facing the island that’s just south of the federal Harbor Channel, to celebrate the start of the project.

The gathering was also held to thank Sen. Norm Sanderson, R-Pamlico, who also represents Carteret County, and Rep. Celeste C. Cairns, R-Carteret and Craven counties, both present at the media event, and former Rep. Pat McElraft of Emerald Isle for supporting the effort.

The shoreline protection project has been appropriated a total of $6.6 million – $2 million in 2022 and $4.6 million in 2023 — to restore the island by using a hybrid approach of offshore wave attenuation breakwaters, expanding seagrass meadows, and building living shorelines.

Sanderson said Morehead City is a destination for many people in the state across the Southeast and farther. He lauded local leadership for making the project happen, “because this is vital. It’s vital again for the citizens, for our tourists. It’s vital for the next generation. It’s vital for all of the people who want to come to Morehead City and enjoy what we get to enjoy every single day.”

Cairns added that when she was approached about the project, she was excited and thought “we can do this.”

Jones said that when someone asked him a few minutes prior why they were there, “I said we’re here to celebrate. We have a celebration of protecting our future while preserving our past.”

For the last two years, Florida-based aquatic restoration company Sea & Shoreline, the nonprofit North Carolina Coastal Federation, engineering firm Quible & Associates, aquaculture firm Sandbar Oyster Co., and East Carolina University have been studying, designing, planning, and permitting the project, officials announced.

“Currently, the seaward shoreline of the Island is eroding, leaving uprooted trees and vegetation behind. In addition, wave exposure and swift currents are sweeping nutrient-rich sediment into the water column. The eroded sediments now released into the water are degrading water quality and visitor experiences to the Island,” officials continued. “Protecting the Island with an offshore wave break will mitigate shoreline and coastal habitat erosion, enhance coastal resilience, create seagrass habitat and increased fishing opportunities, improve water quality, enhance ecotourism by increasing the beach line, sequester carbon, and enhance shorebird nesting.”

Jones recalled Wednesday that the city had purchased Sugarloaf Island 20 years ago to prevent its development.

“We had heard that a developer was coming. They wanted to build high-rises and boat marinas on the island, and we felt like the better use would be a public park,” Jones said.

The city used grants, donations and tax dollars to purchase and conserve the island.

“Today we’re here to preserve Sugarloaf Island for future generations,” he said, and to make sure that the Morehead City waterfront is protected.

Brian Rubino, vice president of the engineering firm Quible & Associates in Currituck County, said that although Sugarloaf Island is a small barrier island — it’s only about 36 acres right now — it protects downtown Morehead City’s infrastructure, roads, homes and businesses.

The island also is host to a number of different marine and coastal environments, such as sand flats, sandspits, low dunes, maritime forest and peat marsh, all of which is getting eroded at dramatic rates.

“The erosion rates of the island vary, depending on where you are, but it’s anywhere from 5 to 15 feet per year, and it’s not uncommon to lose up to 10 feet overnight in a big storm,” Rubino said. He added that sea level rise and large storms coupled with very strong currents creates a lot of erosion, leading to sediment washing away and going into the federal boat channel between downtown waterfront and the island.

The project, Rubino continued, is to protect what’s left and hopefully grow the island to create and expand shallow water habitats for fish and wildlife.

Brian Henry, director of the Sea & Shoreline’s North Carolina and South Carolina offices, said state elected officials “saw the vision” to restore the small barrier island.

Henry told attendees to expect Carteret County-based Sandbar Oyster Co. to be deploying soon its oyster tables on the east end of the island. Made of biodegradable hardscape formed in the shape of a table, these are designed to provide a surface for oysters to attach and grow and create an intertidal oyster reef and salt marsh habitat.

Henry continued that Sea & Shoreline has a construction area nearby where 400 of the 1,200 wave attenuation devices for the project have been built. The devices will be deployed from the west side of the island all the way around and leave room for boats to get through.

The concrete triangular structures are 7 feet tall. The base measures 9 feet on each side. There are six triangular windows on each side and a small opening on the top, officials said.

“These are the first wave attenuators that have been deployed in this area,” he said, adding they’re very excited to bring these here.

The devices, which are supposed to withstand hurricane-force winds, are to be placed offshore to diffuse wave energy, help reform the shoreline via sand accretion, support seagrass growth to enhance water quality, and create essential fish habitat, officials said.

Henry added that the company plans to begin deploying the devices in January and complete work in June.

Jones closed the press conference saying that the community was built on legacies.

“We would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for the people that came before us. The leadership that came before us. The generations that recognize the beauty that we have here to Morehead City,” he said. “We are protecting our legacies, we’re protecting the future of Morehead City for future generations because we don’t inherit the Earth, we borrow the Earth from our children. And we have a responsibility to protect that for our children for the future and our future generations.”

After the press conference, Sanderson told Coastal Review that the project could serve as a model for other communities looking to preserve their at-risk public lands.

“If they don’t, then they’re missing a great opportunity to preserve what God has given us here and be stewards. We’re supposed to be stewards,” he said, adding that it’s a challenge throughout the year. “We’re always fighting Mother Nature.”

Cairns added that one of the good things about this project is that everyone is on the same page, whether it’s the businesses, community, environmental groups and the city.

“Everybody seems to benefit, and I think when people are able to work together, then the project becomes much easier to come to fruition,” she said. “Success begets success. So, if this project turns out as well as we expect and hope, then other towns will look at it as a model.”

Coastal Federation Living Shoreline Program Director Dr. Lexia Weaver told Coastal Review that the nonprofit organization is eager to begin construction and that it will not only stabilize the shoreline of Sugarloaf Island and protect downtown Morehead City, but also restore valuable salt marsh and oyster habitats that have been lost through time.