Williston was first settled in 1723 and remained largely self-sustaining without major industry until the Willis Brothers Seafood Company was formed about 200 years later. From 1939 to 1977, this clam, scallop, and fish house was the main employer for Williston and nearby communities, processing millions of clams and scallops and serving as the only nationwide supplier of clams for Heinz Company chowder. Elmer “Clam King” Willis drove the enterprise, developing and patenting many seafood-industry machines despite having only an eighth grade education. Located on the Davis side of the Williston Creek Bridge on Jarrett Bay, the clam house also hosted fund-raising clambakes attended by North Carolina governors and other dignitaries, with proceeds supporting local schools and community projects over forty years. For much of its history, Williston could be reached only by boat until a shell road was built around 1900, and its lumber resources, design reputation, and local skill made it a major center of boatbuilding. Willis Brothers Boat Works built the sports fishing boat Mary Z, which landed the first blue marlin in Morehead City, and master boat carpenter Elmo Wade built many sail and powerboats without using plans; one of his spritsail skiff models is displayed in the Smithsonian Museum.