| Palo Alto | community in E Onslow County served by post office, 1850-1902. Birthplace and burial site of Governor Daniel Russell (1897-1901). |
| Pamlico | town in E Pamlico County on Broad Creek near Neuse River. Post office est. 1878. Founded by Joshua Dean, first postmaster, who was a native of Fall River, Mass., and engaged in the lumber business there as well as in his native town. Known earlier as Broad Creek. Inc. 1913, but long inactive in municipal affairs. |
| Pamlico Beach | resort community in E Beaufort County on the N side of Pamlico River. |
| Pamlico County | was formed in 1872 from Craven and Beaufort Counties. Located in the E section of the state, it is bounded by Pamlico Sound, Neuse River, and by Craven and Beaufort Counties. It was named for Pamlico Sound. Area: 576 sq. mi. (341, land; 235, water). County seat: Bayboro, with an elevation of 8.5 ft. Townships are nos. 1-5. Produces corn, soybeans, Irish potatoes, turkeys, hogs, and processed seafood. |
| Pamlico Point | peninsula off Goose Creek Island, NE Pamlico County, extending into Pamlico River. |
| Pamlico River | is the lower course of Tar River after it enters Beaufort County. It flows SE for 33 mi. before emptying into Pamlico Sound. Explored in 1584 by Arthur Barlowe and called Cipo River, for sipowi, the local Indian word for river. Appears as Pamptico River on the Comberford map, 1657, and as Pamticough River on the Moll map, 1729. Named for the Pamlico Indians in the area. Bonds Ferry appears on the Collet map, 1770, as crossing the Pamlico River on the road from Bath to New Bern. |
| Pamlico Sound | NE and E North Carolina, is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a part of the Outer Banks. Approx. 80 mi. long and 15 to 30 mi. wide. Shallow in the n; max. depth 21 ft. in the s. Sea level, freshwater, not affected by the tide. Waters from Albemarle Sound and Pamlico and Neuse Rivers enter the Sound, and it drains into the Atlantic Ocean through Hatteras and Ocracoke Inlets. Named for the Pamlico Indians who lived along its shores. Shown but not named on early maps; appears simply as The Sound on the Ogilby map, 1671, but as Pamticoe Sound on the Moseley map, 1733. The White map, 1590, labels the central part of the sound as Mentso, which see, and the N part as Nausegoc, which see. The largest sound on the E coast of the United States. See also Paquiac. |
| Pamptecough Precinct | was created in Bath County on December 3, 1705. It took its name from Pamptecough (Pamlico) River. The name was changed to Beaufort County, which see, about 1712. The town of Bath was the county seat from its inc. in 1705 until 1785, when Washington became the county seat. |
| Pamticoe Sound | See Pamlico Sound. |
| Panacea | community in E Warren and NW Halifax Counties on Bens Creek. Named for Panacea Springs, a popular resort there in early 1900s with a large hotel and a lake near mineral springs (supposedly curative). Water formerly bottled and sold; the hotel, lake, and cottages are gone. |