Rufus Ferrand Pelletier was an early resident and principal founder of Jacksonville, North Carolina

Jacksonville, North Carolina

Jacksonville, North Carolina, is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the population stood at 70,145, which makes Jacksonville the 14th largest city in North Carolina...

.

Born March 29, 1824 in neighboring Carteret County

Carteret County, North Carolina

Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. Most of the county is part of the Crystal Coast....

, Pelletier moved to Onslow County

Onslow County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 150,355 people, 48,122 households, and 36,572 families residing in the county. The population density was 196 people per square mile . There were 55,726 housing units at an average density of 73 per square mile...

 and settled near Wantlands Ferry where he operated a turpentine

Turpentine

Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...

 distillery along with his brother William. In 1850, Rufus Pelletier constructed a one-roomed structure which survives today, known as Pelletier House

Pelletier House

The Pelletier House is the oldest standing structure in Jacksonville, North Carolina.Built in the 1850s by Rufus Ferrand Pelletier, it sits atop Wantland Spring on the banks of the New River. Initially constructed as a one-room dwelling to serve as home and office, additional rooms were built onto...

. On August 2, 1863 he wed Joana Hines, and together they raised a daughter, Eliza.

Pelletier served as Jacksonville's Postmaster

Postmaster

A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...

 from 1856 until the start of the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, at which time his brother took over. He then resumed his role as postmaster from 1873 to 1879, resigning to serve as the magistrate of Onslow County. According to local legend, he conducted wedding ceremonies in his home, even though the county courthouse was less than 100 yards (91.4 m) away.