NC 301 #1: An original state highway that ran as a branch off the original NC 30. NC 301 began at its parent NC 30 (predecessor to today's US 17) in Jacksonville and proceeded west to Catherine Lake and Hallsville before ending at NC 11 and the original NC 40 in Kenansville.
This NC 301 didn't last too long and in 1925 was renumbered as an extension of NC 24, which previously had ended in Clinton.
Checking the map today, one can see there is no primary highway that does this today. NC 301 followed today's US 258-NC 24 from Jacksonville to NC 111, then along 111 to Lyman. From there NC 301 used SR 1800 Jackson Store Rd. to Hallsville, the SR 1901 Hallsville Rd. to NC 50 on to Kenansville.

NC 301 Kenansville to Jacksonville

NC 24 Kenansville to Jacksonville

NC 301 #2: Appeared about 1928 as new primary routing, running from US 17/NC 30 (now US 17 Bus/NC 43) Vanceboro northwest to end at NC 91 (now just 10th St) Greenville.
In 1931, NC 301 was renumbered as an extended NC 43, which it remains except inside the Greenville Bypass it is just Charles Blvd.

NC 301 - Vanceboro to Greenville

NC 43 - extended southeast to Vanceboro

NC 301 #3: Born in 1932, running from US 17/NC 30 Folkstone over to Sneads Ferry. However, nearly all of this route was NOT on modern NC 172 but instead used Folkstone Rd to Sneads Ferry and a small bit of today's NC 172 to the New River where it ended.
In late 1934 this became NC 38.

NC 301 #3

NC 38 replaces NC 301