Abstract:
Menhaden are not prized as game fish or food, but for industrial purposes. This fish, growing up to fifteen inches, was at the bottom of the food chain, but in Carteret County, it was the fish that built Beaufort. Menhaden processing began after the Civil War, and in the twentieth century about a dozen companies operated in the county providing employment for generations. The last factory closed in 2005. The industry is now gone, but what remains are the songs--chanteys--created by the workers--chanteymen--as they pulled in the catch.