Fred Cannon

If you have visited Portsmouth Village you may have noticed a bronze memorial plaque in the Methodist Church dedicated to Fred Cannon.

Fred was a fisherman/crabber who cherished the primitive and solitary life on Portsmouth island in the 1960s. He lived without indoor plumbing or electricity.

The September 1969 issue of National Geographic published an article, "Lonely Cape Hatteras, Besieged by the Sea," that had this to say about Fred Cannon:

"Few outsiders visit Portsmouth, and that suited at least one of the five residents just fine. Fred Cannon, who lived alone at one end of the island, told me: 'I haven't had a tie on since I cane out of the service in 1946. Ain't that wonderful?'

"For Fred Cannon, only death could take him from the island's solitude which he cherished. In April of this year [1969], his 16-foot skiff was found swamped in Pamlico Sound. His personal belongings washed up on the beach. An investigation by the Coast Guard concluded that he fell overboard and perished."

Fred Cannon, just one of many eccentric Outer Bankers, who lived life his own way. 

Our latest monthly Newsletter is the story of the Ocracoke Orgy. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032115.htm.