Cannon’s Ferry is a long-standing community shaped by the Chowan River. In 1794, Jacob Cannon of Perquimans County purchased for $126.00 in gold and silver “one-third part of the Land Plantation of Houses and all the improvements thereunto belonging, with all waters and profits therefrom arising.” The property remained in the Cannon family for close to 85 years. Throughout the next century, many families moved into the area, and most were associated with the river. Some worked on the ferry that ran from this site to Edenton and to Colerain. Others maintained herring fishing traditions unique to the area. One such tradition was Easter Monday, when large herring runs occurred at the same time as the Easter holiday and community members came to Cannon’s Ferry to buy, sell, and eat herring while fishermen and cannery workers continued to work. Accounts say so many people gathered there that it was hard to walk. Local foodways once depended on herring as a staple. During the Depression, people ate pickled and smoked herring along with vegetables such as corn, sweet potatoes, and collards grown in their gardens. Roe was also a popular food, either fried or scrambled in eggs. Locally caught herring and roe continue to be common items on many regional restaurant menus.