Several days ago a friend read me this passage from a book of local photos and stories: "Ocracoke Harbor is also called Silver Lake. It used to be called Cookie Creek. It got its new name in 1923 when dredging turned it into an almost perfect circle of water..."
The original name of the harbor was "Cockle Creek," not "Cookie Creek." Maybe this was a typo. Also, the harbor was re-named "Silver Lake" when it was dredged around 1938, then again in 1942, not 1923. At least that is my understanding. According to my father, the "creek" as Ocracokers call it, was about the same size as it is today...just much shallower. There were two narrow streams or "guts" that continued all the way to the bald beach. These were filled in when the harbor was dredged in 1942.
You may also see signs identifying the Community Store area of the village as "Down Creek." Traditionally this has been called "Around Creek," not "Down Creek." The area near the lighthouse is "Down Point."
The "Down Point Decoy Shop" may cause some confusion. It was originally established down point...then moved to its present location around creek. But David O'Neal retained the name. Check it out. David is a master carver and collector of superior carvings.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke and the War of 1812. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102112.htm.
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Love reading OI Journal--it warms the cookies of my heart.
ReplyDeletealways kind of wondered why the decoy shop was called down point when it was around creek ;)
ReplyDeleteI also wonder why Down Creek Gallery has that name when is is Around Creek and there is no such place as Down Creek.
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