The earliest reference to the river and the town of Shallotte dates back to 1734, though records of settlement of the area are dated around 1750. The Town of Shallotte was incorporated on March 6, 1899, and according to some accounts it took its name from a traveler who crossed the river by ferry and referred to it as the Charlotte River. The Charlotte River later became known as the Shallotte River and the town was referred to by the same name. In the early years agriculture, fishing and a river waterfront full of small watercraft used to transport goods to and from the area, were the means by which residents earned a living .

Leland

The Leland area was initially settled at the same time the earliest plantations along the Cape Fear and Brunswick rivers came into existence. Early activity revolved around the post office, the school, two grocery stores, the railroad station, Leland Baptist Church and Leland Methodist Church. For many years Leland was one of numerous small unincorporated communities throughout Brunswick County that served as minor centers of trade throughout the early twentieth century. Due to its location adjacent to the Brunswick River, Leland served as a transportation center, though by modern standards the early roads were primitive. Ferries were in use as the means of crossing the Brunswick and the Cape Fear rivers for travelers going north and south. A bridge was built over the Brunswick River in 1890 before one was built over the Cape Fear River.

The Town of Leland was incorporated in 1989. The natural boundaries of the town include the Brunswick River to the east and Sturgeon Creek to the south, sitting it just five minutes west of Wilmington. Leland has emerged as one of the fastest growing communities in southeastern North Carolina and is the centerpiece of northern Brunswick County’s continuing economic expansion. Its strategic location offers convenient access to Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, the coastal town of Southport, and the New Hanover and Brunswick County beaches. Leland was first incorporated in 1989 with a population of approximately 1,800. Steady growth over the years has brought the population to 9,642, which now surpasses that of Oak Island, the longtime forerunner in population in the county. Expansion includes the development of retail centers that house national chain stores as well as mixed use developments along U.S. Highway 17 South, requiring the reconfiguration of the highway in the area and the addition of a string of traffic lights. Leland is poised for even greater growth in the years to come. In late 2004 the town doubled its geographic size by completing the voluntary annexation of a 4,900-acre tract commonly known as Brunswick Forest. The build-out of this property should result in an additional 10,000 residential units.

Navassa

Though located only 5 miles west of Wilmington, Navassa is in Brunswick County and sits at the confluence of the Brunswick and the Northwest Cape Fear rivers. Incorporated in 1977, Navassa takes its name from Navassa Island in the West Indies and the Navassa Guano Factory that was built there in 1869. This factory provided employment in northern Brunswick County for more than 100 years. With a population of just less than 2,000, Navassa continues to grow, along with the rest of Brunswick County. Its convenient location offers easy access to New Hanover and Brunswick County beaches, shopping areas and entertainment. Community parks include Navassa Ball Park with two gazebos, a grilling area, a basketball court and two tennis courts; Davis Creek Park with a walkway, piers, docks, a concrete boat ramp and a gazebo; and the park and picnic area located next to the town hall.

In 2006 the Town of Navassa received a low-interest loan in the amount of $1.2 million, which will be used in combination with a previous grant of $250,000 to construct a community center. Plans for the 16,000-square-foot center include a senior citizen center, a medical/health clinic, a youth center, a recreation room, multipurpose rooms and a cultural center or library. It will serve as an emergency shelter as well.

Because the direction of growth in the town includes the influx of new industries, the town hired its first town manager in 2007 to oversee and plan for the expansion with positive results for the community.

Boiling Spring Lakes

Legend has it that long ago Indians camped around "Bouncing Log Spring" on their annual trek to the Atlantic Ocean to harvest fish, oysters and game. They held council meetings at the site and always drank from the spring, believing this would guarantee their return. In 1961 the developers of Boiling Spring Lakes happened upon a gushing spring concealed in a wooded ravine. Wishing to beautify the area, they built a 4-foot high wall to encompass this natural phenomenon. Almost before the masons had completed their work, the spring suddenly stopped running. Within a few hours, it burst out in a free full flow some 15 feet outside the wall. Eventually the wall broke and the spring returned to its original location where it boils today, discharging approximately 43 million gallons of water each day.

The 150-acre Big Lake, the city's centerpiece and one of more than 50 natural and man-made lakes in the city, is fed by five springs and Allen Creek. It is 2.5 miles long with 10 miles of shoreline. Around the shores of these lakes and scattered throughout the pines, oaks and sweet gums of the area are the homes of the approximately 3,800 residents that make up the City of Boiling Spring Lakes. Though rural by the very nature of the landscape, the City of Boiling Spring Lakes provides the services expected from any city, including its own police department, community center with scheduled activities and a fitness room. A new city hall is in the planning stages. There is a golf club as well, which is open to the public. The proximity of the community to Southport and the Oak Island beaches provides opportunities to participate in a resort lifestyle while living close to nature.

Located within the incorporated limits of the town that is its namesake, the Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve encompasses half of the incorporated area of the town. The establishment of the Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve is the result of a collaborative partnership between the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services'  Plant Conservation Program, The Nature Conservancy, the City of Boiling Spring Lakes and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. The land is owned by the Plant Conservation Program and is managed by The Nature Conservancy. This preserve contains a fascinating cross section of the Cape Fear region's natural communities. Though the area's dense vegetation may look foreboding, this preserve offers a rare glimpse of a vanishing landscape. This natural area contains a mosaic of unusual geologic features. A series of parallel ridges and swales are the remnants of an ancient dune system. A large concentration of Carolina bays (elliptical wetland depressions) studs the landscape. Fire-dependent natural communities, including high and low pocosins (evergreen shrub bogs) and longleaf pine savannas and flatwoods on the ridges and bay rims, form an intricate mosaic of habitats. Conservancy land stewards are actively working to restore the Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve to its natural condition by conducting prescribed burns in longleaf and pocosin communities and replanting longleaf pines.