A Final Message

Welcome to the Ocracoke Journal, a blog managed by Village Craftsmen of Ocracoke! 

For more than twenty years we have been committed to sharing news, history, and stories about our beloved island. Our first Journal entry was published March 3, 2004. For fifteen years we posted five to seven days per week, and the Journal attracted enthusiastic and dedicated readers from all over the United States and around the world. 

Since about 2018, when we began posting on Facebook, we have only published blog posts a few times each year. Although we will probably not be posting more Journal entries after today, all of our past posts are archived and available for island residents, friends, and researchers. To browse our past entries simply click here, or on any of the links under "Blog Archive" on the right (in web version).

In 2000, four years before the Journal, we began publishing our popular on-line Ocracoke Newsletter, mostly longer, more detailed monthly articles about specific island institutions, people, and events. We continue to write and publish these articles most months. On our Facebook page we include a link on the day we publish a new article. Like the Journal posts, these articles contain a wealth of historical and human-interest information about Ocracoke, some of it not available anywhere else. The Newsletters are also archived. From the main Newsletter page you can access any of our articles. They are all provided free, without advertising or pop-up ads. Anyone is welcome to copy, re-post, or otherwise share the posts. Our goal is, and always has been, to share our love of Ocracoke with our friends. We only ask that you credit us as appropriate.  

We hope you will use our posts and articles to learn more about our fascinating island history, to meet some of our most interesting characters, and to enjoy heart-warming and humorous stories. 

To go directly to our Ocracoke Newsletter page, click here.

Thank you for supporting our work by appreciating the unique community of Ocracoke. 

Sincerely, 

Philip Howard  

 

Recent Newsletters

Just in case you missed our four most recent Ocracoke Newsletters, here is a list with brief descriptions and links:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helena Parsons' story of growing up on the island in the early 20th century:
https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/my-life-story-by-helena-parsons/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The life of Mr. Tommy Howard, long-serving Ocracoke postmaster:

https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/thomas-wallace-howard/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fascinating chronicle of dozens of buildings on Ocracoke that have been moved:

https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/structure_relocation/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditional Ocracoke Square Dancing (with link to full instructions):

https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/the-ocracoke-square-dance-a-living-tradition/

Old Quawk's Day

More than 200 years ago there lived on Ocracoke Island a fisherman of indeterminate provenance. He was a reclusive figure, preferring to live in a small hut made of driftwood and bullrushes about 5-6 miles from the village. No one remembers his given name, but folks called him "Old Quawk" because, they said, he "quawked" like an old night heron.

Old Quawk was a fisherman, often venturing out into Pamlico Sound in his sail skiff when cautious islanders stayed in port waiting for more propitious weather.

On this date, March 16, many years past, Old Quawk made his last voyage into Pamlico Sound. Storm clouds were piling up in the darkening sky. 

 

Legend has it that Old Quawk defiantly disregarded the warnings of other islanders, raised his clenched fist to the heavens and dared the gods to thwart him, then set out in his sail skiff. A frightful gale churned the Sound into a wild turbulence and swamped Old Quawk's tiny craft. Neither Old Quawk nor his boat were ever found.

For many years Ocracoke fishermen refused to go out in their boats on March 16. Even today, regardless of the forecast, it's best to be prudent on Old Quawk's Day. There's no telling what the weather gods will dish out on March 16. 

Five Harmaniacs

Walter and Edgar Howard were talented Ocracoke musicians and vaudeville performers who made names for themselves in New York City and other metropolitan areas during the 1920s. Edgar is buried in the Howard Street cemeteries across from Village Craftsmen. His marker has a banjo and the epitaph, "You ain't heard nothing yet!"

 You can read about Walter and Edgar's remarkable career here: 

https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/the-ocracoke-howard-brothers-and-the-five-harmaniacs/

Cast in Bronze

Many of our readers have walked the trail to Springer's Point. Sam Jones, who died in 1977, is buried (next to his horse) across the path from the old brick cistern. Sam was a colorful character who had a significant impact on Ocracoke in the 1950s - 1970s. He built several prominent cedar-shake buildings on the island (Berkley Castle & Berkley Manor, among them), and he owned Berkley Machine Works in Norfolk, Va. Sam sometimes had his own sayings cast in bronze. This is one of them:

 

 

 

 

 

Sam also had his “Landlord’s Invitation” cast in bronze, and had it displayed prominently at the top center of his stationery: 

“Here’s to Pa’ nds PenDas’ OCI alh OURin ha! RMLes, Smirt ha ND Fun le TFRIE nd’s HIPRE ign B eju ST an DKIN –dan Devils PEAK of N’ one.”

Can you decipher the saying?

You can read more about Sam Jones here:  https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/sam-jones-island-legend/

Howard's Pub Cabaret, 1981

Howard's Pub opened for business in April 1979. For the first time in more than half a century Ocracoke islanders and visitors could order a cold beer in a local restaurant. During the next two years there were some rough and rowdy nights, especially when a dozen or more shrimp boats sought safe harbor during foul weather.

Owner Ron Howard decided the Pub needed a makeover for the 1981 season.

Ron re-branded his establishment as the “All New Howard’s Pub” with live music, happy hour from 2-7, and a cabaret scheduled for the summer months at 10:30 p.m.. Cynthia Mitchell directed the cabaret which opened with “Old Blue Eyes is Back,” a show about Frank Sinatra’s life and songs. Other shows included “Summertime” and “Pass the Popcorn,” with favorite songs from movies. Bronwyn Shook, from upstate New York was the accompanist. Hors d’oeuvres, including cracked crab claws, clams casino, and oysters Rockefeller, were served.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The flyer above reads, "Summertime Cabaret at Howard's Pub. A new form of entertainment on Ocraccoke, the Cabaret features an hour of sparkling musical variety with tidbits of lively dialogue. The newly re-modeled Howard's Pub provides a special late night menu with just the right ingredients for a champagne Summer Evening! Showtime is 10:30 every Tuesday through Saturday until August 29th."

You can read more about Howard's Pub here: https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/howards-pub-ocracoke-island/

1946 Civilian Service Award

Islander Kathi O'Neal Weiss recently shared with me the following Civilian Service Award presented to her father, Leroy O'Neal, in 1946. It is the story of her father's heroic act to save a fellow worker who nearly drowned. The story is reprinted from the “Binnacle,” an in-house publication of the Philadelphia District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

On a small island about 2 miles wide, south of Cape Hatteras, and off the coast of North Carolina is situated the town of Ocracoke, population 600. Not so well known perhaps as New Bedford or Gloucester, the mere mention of which creates vivid impressions of great whaling and fishing fleets and zestful tales of the daring, fortitude, hardships and adventure of its hardy seamen. Nevertheless, this small community of Ocracoke, long steeped in the rich and colorful traditions of the sea, has for decades provided seafarers whose dependence upon their natural heritage is sufficient for any occasion. The recent exploit of one of the island’s native sons is but added testimony to this fact.

Leroy O’Neal, age 17, and a deckhand on the Dredge CLATSOP since February 1946, was engaged in helping Launchman Allen B. Williams take condemned property aboard the CLATSOP’S launch on 4 April 1946. Without warning, a heavy seaway, caused by a passing tugboat, parted the launch painter [a rope that is attached to the bow of a dinghy, or other small boat, and used for tying up or towing] causing the launch to capsize. O’Neal jumped overboard clear of the launch. Williams, however, was trapped inside the launch cabin entangled by old condemned rope and other ship’s gear. Meanwhile O’Neal, swimming some distance away, observed that Williams had not followed, and quickly realized the man had been trapped. Giving little thought to the dangers of the thrashing dredge propeller, O’Neal returned to the disabled craft, which had drifted toward the stern of the dredge. Kicking in the side cabin windows he assisted Williams out of his serious predicament.

Mr. O’Neal has been commended by the district Engineer for his quick thinking and splendid performance which narrowly averted a fatal accident.