Copyright Notice: This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

Some place names included in The North Carolina Gazetteer contain terms that are considered offensive.

Preface to the 2nd edition
Preface to the 1st edition
Acknowledgments
Tips for Searching the Gazetteer

"The North Carolina Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary in which an attempt has been made to list all of the geographic features of the state in one alphabet. It is current, and it is historical as well. Many features and places that no longer exist are included; many towns and counties for which plans were made but which never materialized are also included. Some names appearing on old maps may have been imaginary, but many of them also appear in this gazetteer.

Each entry is located according to the county in which it is found. I have not felt obliged to keep entries uniform. The altitude of a place, the date of incorporation of a city or town, may appear in the beginning of one entry and at the end of another. Some entries may appear more complete than others. I have included whatever information I could find. If there is no comment on the origin or meaning of a name, it is because the information was not available. In some cases, however, resort to an unabridged dictionary may suggest the meaning of many names."

--From The North Carolina Gazetteer, 1st edition, preface by William S. Powell

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Place Description
Orris's Run

swampy stream rises in N central Beaufort County and flows SE into Pungo Creek. Named for Orris Waters who lived nearby.
Orrum

town in S Robeson County. Settled as early as 1832 as a community around Big Branch Church. Inc. 1903. Orton was the first choice for a name in 1903 when a post office was about to be est., but as the name was already in use in Columbus County, it was rejected. Orrum was coined as a variant of Orton.
Orrum Township

SE Robeson County.
Orton

community in E central Brunswick County on Cape Fear River.
Orton Branch

rises in S Buncombe County and flows NE into French Broad River.
Orton Creek

rises in SE Brunswick County and flows E into Cape Fear River.
Orton Plantation

E central Brunswick County overlooking Cape Fear River. House, built about 1725 by Roger Moore and later the home of Governor Benjamin Smith, is now a tourist attraction with extensive azalea gardens. The old town of Brunswick, which see, was nearby.
Orton Point

point of land S of mouth of Lilliput Creek in E Brunswick County extending into Cape Fear River.
Orton Pond

artificial pond on Orton Creek in E Brunswick County. Built about 1810. Max. depth 12 ft. Surface area 500 acres.
Os-quee-ha-ha

See Clear Creek.