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In 1948, The News and Observer of Raleigh published a powerful story about a small Black community in Onslow County called Kellumtown.

The newspaper described Kellumtown as a community that had been created by families who were displaced when the United States Marine Corps began developing what became Camp Lejeune in 1941.

At the time of the article, the newspaper reported that more than 100 Black residents lived in Kellumtown, many of whom had been part of the community that existed on land that became part of the proposed Marine base. 

The article referred to these families as “displaced persons” and described the tremendous challenges they faced.

According to the 1948 newspaper account, the story began when the Marines decided to establish a military base in Onslow County.

The families living in the area were given very little time to leave. The article describes signs being posted throughout the community telling residents that they had to move.

One of the people whose story was featured was William Chadwick.

The article describes Chadwick remembering how he returned home one day and found notices posted throughout the settlement—on fences, houses and other places—telling the residents they had to leave.

The families were promised payment for their land, but the situation was much more complicated than simply selling property and moving away.

Many of the families had deep roots in the area. They had lived together for generations, and many were related by blood or marriage.

And there was another major problem:

They could not simply take their homes with them.

The article states that the houses could not be moved and that only the church could be relocated. Even if the families had money, obtaining building materials was extremely difficult.

The newspaper explained that the families had a bond that was stronger than simply living in the same neighborhood.

They had always lived together, and the article says they were determined that they would not be scattered.

Each family made temporary arrangements while William Chadwick, described as their leader, worked to find a new place where the community could remain together.

That decision is significant.

Kellumtown wasn't simply a collection of people who happened to move to the same area.

They intentionally stayed together as a community.

According to William Chadwick's account in the article, the search eventually led them to Mr. Raymond Kellum.

The article states that Raymond Kellum felt sorry for the displaced families and agreed to sell them 100 acres for their new community.

The families had received money from the government for their former property, but according to Chadwick, much of that money was needed to purchase the new land.

They were left with very little money for construction.

There was no ready-made neighborhood waiting for them.

They had land—but they still had to build.

The newspaper described the new location as a former swampy area with a reputation for being wild and rugged. The article says the area had previously been known as “Rattlesnake Island.”

The families began transforming that difficult land into a place where they could live.

The article describes the work involved in clearing and draining the land.

One of the photographs shows William Chadwick working in the new community, while another caption explains that the residents received considerable advice and assistance from conservationist Jake T. Harper in the difficult job of draining the swampy land so crops could be raised.

The newspaper described drainage ditches being blasted through the ground and noted that snakes were plentiful when the work began.

The families didn't just need homes.

They needed roads, drainage, farms and the basic infrastructure necessary to create a functioning community.

The newspaper explains that the land was chosen along a ridge, and a street was laid out through the middle of the property.

The Highway Department graded the road for them.

The residents then began the process of turning what had been difficult, swampy land into a permanent community.

That transformation is the heart of the newspaper's story.

He appears to have served as a spokesman and leader for the group during one of the most difficult periods in their history.

When the families were forced to leave their original homes, Chadwick took responsibility for helping find another location.

His role continued after the land was obtained, as he participated directly in transforming the new property.

The newspaper even photographed him working to clear the land.

For the Kellumtown website, I think William Chadwick deserves his own “Community Leaders” section.

“Onslow's ‘Displaced Persons’ Carve New Town Out of Swampy Wilderness.”

That title tells us how the newspaper viewed the story in 1948.

These families had lost their original homes because of the expansion of a military installation.

But the story did not end with displacement.

They found land.

They stayed together.

They cleared it.

They drained it.

They built roads.

They raised crops.

They built homes.

And they created a new community.

Kellumtown.

The history of Kellumtown is more than the story of families moving from one piece of land to another.

It is a story of displacement, determination, family, leadership and perseverance.

Families who had deep roots in the land were forced to leave when Camp Lejeune was established.

Rather than allowing their families and community to be scattered, they worked together to find a new home.

They took land that had once been considered difficult, swampy and undeveloped and turned it into a community.

They carved Kellumtown out of the wilderness.

And the legacy they created continues through the families who live there today.

Family for Life.

We are more than just a community.