What is the Cape Fear (Besides the Name of a Movie)

From WECT Wilmingtonm, North Carolina.

The first mention of Cape Fear was about 400 years ago as being by the Lost Colony. John White, the head of the group, mentioned almost getting marooned on Frying Pan Shoals and he called it Cape Fear.

Also, one Edward Teach, better known as the pirate Blackbeard also called it that because of the dangers associated in sailing by it.

The name stuck.

From 1524 and for 140 years after that, it was called Rio Jordan because of Verrizzano and then the name changed with each new ruling country. It became the Charles River after English King Charles I, but renamed after Charleston started expanding. The name was then the Clarendon River.

When the Carolinas were split into North and South, it became the River of the Cape Fear in 1733 and later just the Cape Fear River.

So, Now You Know. --Cooter