Halloween on Ocracoke kicks off with a parade of costumes around the school circle during the school's annual celebration. This photo was taken last week. Elementary students and teen-agers enjoyed dressing up for the day.
This year's celebration also included a hay ride and ghost stories (my daughter Amy, Heather Johnson, and I kept the children on the edge of their hay bales!), as well as games, horse rides, and a climbing wall. Trick or Treating will be Saturday, October 31.
To coincide with Halloween this year, today begins the annual Pirate Jamboree. This is always a rollicking good time for young and old. Hope to see you there. I am hoping to post photos of the 2015 Jamboree next week.
Update, 11/4/15: I am posting several more Ocracoke Halloween photos sent to me by Sally Beachy.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Alligators
I recently came across this short blurb from The Washington Gazette (Washington, Beaufort Co. NC) - Thursday,
June 12, 1884; pg. 3; column 4: "It is not generally known that there are alligators in our county, but they are seen occasionally; one was seen at Rose Bay a short while since."
I wondered if any alligators have been seen in eastern North Carolina recently. I found this article from August 3, 2015, on the website, PilotOnline.com:
"Big alligators are showing up frequently where people are in North Carolina.
"A 12-foot monster blocked traffic in March on a back road in Brunswick County, according to news reports. A 9-footer was removed in June from a neighborhood in New Hanover County. A boater spotted a gator swimming in Oregon Inlet in June. A 12-foot veteran of the Dare County swamps was struck and killed on U.S. 64 in May last year....
"Though they haven't been found on Outer Banks beaches, alligators do linger in inland sections of coastal Dare and Hyde counties. And in those spots, they appear to be on the increase...."
The article assures us that "Despite the recent spate of human encounters with gators in North Carolina, biologists stressed that the creatures rarely attack. 'People can peacefully coexist with alligators,' [biologist Jeff] Hall said."
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
I wondered if any alligators have been seen in eastern North Carolina recently. I found this article from August 3, 2015, on the website, PilotOnline.com:
"Big alligators are showing up frequently where people are in North Carolina.
"A 12-foot monster blocked traffic in March on a back road in Brunswick County, according to news reports. A 9-footer was removed in June from a neighborhood in New Hanover County. A boater spotted a gator swimming in Oregon Inlet in June. A 12-foot veteran of the Dare County swamps was struck and killed on U.S. 64 in May last year....
"Though they haven't been found on Outer Banks beaches, alligators do linger in inland sections of coastal Dare and Hyde counties. And in those spots, they appear to be on the increase...."
The article assures us that "Despite the recent spate of human encounters with gators in North Carolina, biologists stressed that the creatures rarely attack. 'People can peacefully coexist with alligators,' [biologist Jeff] Hall said."
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
An Evening Get-Together
Much like the salons of the 17th & 18th centuries, a small group of islanders and off-island friends gathered this week to share music, poetry, art, dance, and ideas.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about a salon: It is "a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation.... Salons, commonly associated with French literary and philosophical movements of the 17th and 18th centuries, were carried on until recently in urban settings."
A few Ocracoke islanders are continuing the tradition begun here in 1940 with the establishment of the "Island Workshop." You can read about the Island Workshop here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112908.htm.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter, is the story of the 1909 wreck of the steamship Brewster, known to Ocracokers as The Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
An Evening Music Jam at the Soundfront Inn |
This is what Wikipedia has to say about a salon: It is "a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation.... Salons, commonly associated with French literary and philosophical movements of the 17th and 18th centuries, were carried on until recently in urban settings."
A few Ocracoke islanders are continuing the tradition begun here in 1940 with the establishment of the "Island Workshop." You can read about the Island Workshop here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112908.htm.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter, is the story of the 1909 wreck of the steamship Brewster, known to Ocracokers as The Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Newsletter
We have recently published our latest Ocracoke Newsletter, the story of the 1909 wreck of the steamship Brewster, known to Ocracokers as The Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Bonner Bridge
On this date in 1990 a dredge collided with the Herbert C. Bonner bridge (which spans Oregon inlet) during a storm, causing the collapse of a lengthy segment of the bridge. The accident isolated residents and visitors on Hatteras Island. In order to leave Hatteras thousands of vacationers were forced to take the Hatteras Inlet ferry to Ocracoke and then board a ferry to Swan Quarter or Cedar Island. In short order, Ocracoke Island was flooded with refugees. Ferry lines for vehicles waiting to board the ferries to the mainland stretched down NC 12 as far as the National Park Service campground. Waiting times quickly expanded to days, rather than hours.
The situation developed quickly, with stranded visitors dealing with cold nights, extremely limited accommodations (hundreds of people were forced to sleep in their cars), hunger, and lack of facilities. As soon as Ocracoke islanders realized the extent of the problem, volunteers were organized to care for the stranded motorists. We made sandwiches, and delivered food and beverages to the unfortunate folks. Motel owners and individuals offered free rooms to families with young children or elderly persons.
It took days to evacuate visitors from Hatteras and Ocracoke, and many weeks for emergency construction workers to repair the breach and reconnect the only highway link to the rest of the Outer Banks and the mainland.
You can read more about the accident, with photos, in an article written five years ago in the Island Free Press. Click here to read the article.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
The situation developed quickly, with stranded visitors dealing with cold nights, extremely limited accommodations (hundreds of people were forced to sleep in their cars), hunger, and lack of facilities. As soon as Ocracoke islanders realized the extent of the problem, volunteers were organized to care for the stranded motorists. We made sandwiches, and delivered food and beverages to the unfortunate folks. Motel owners and individuals offered free rooms to families with young children or elderly persons.
It took days to evacuate visitors from Hatteras and Ocracoke, and many weeks for emergency construction workers to repair the breach and reconnect the only highway link to the rest of the Outer Banks and the mainland.
You can read more about the accident, with photos, in an article written five years ago in the Island Free Press. Click here to read the article.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Wreck of the Banana Boat. You can read it here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102115.htm.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Buffaloes
[There were no posts for the last two days because I was out sailing in Pamlico Sound with Capt. Rob and other friends...and I neglected to schedule posts while I was away. But I am back again. I hope you missed me!]
A monument near the National Park Service Visitors Center remembers veterans of the Civil War from Ocracoke and Portsmouth Islands.
Although most island soldiers fought for the Confederacy, some joined the Union army. John Carbone, in The Civil War in Coastal North Carolina, writes that "A number of Bankers and other coastal residents joined the two regiments of Union infantry composed of native North Carolinians known as 'buffaloes.' To be sure, not all Outer Bankers supported their invaders. At the same time as some were taking the oath of allegiance and joining the Federal ranks, others were crossing the sounds and enlisting in Confederate units such as the Thirty-third North Carolina Regiment being formed in Hyde county in the autumn of 1861."
Historian David Stick has written that "Whether the Union sentiment, especially on Hatteras Island [and we might add Ocracoke], was of the genuine, inbred type or simply an expedient to make the best of changing conditions, the fact is that many of the Bankers did side with the North."
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of whale and porpoise fishing on the Outer Banks. You can read the story here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082115.htm.
A monument near the National Park Service Visitors Center remembers veterans of the Civil War from Ocracoke and Portsmouth Islands.
Photo courtesy OPS |
Although most island soldiers fought for the Confederacy, some joined the Union army. John Carbone, in The Civil War in Coastal North Carolina, writes that "A number of Bankers and other coastal residents joined the two regiments of Union infantry composed of native North Carolinians known as 'buffaloes.' To be sure, not all Outer Bankers supported their invaders. At the same time as some were taking the oath of allegiance and joining the Federal ranks, others were crossing the sounds and enlisting in Confederate units such as the Thirty-third North Carolina Regiment being formed in Hyde county in the autumn of 1861."
Historian David Stick has written that "Whether the Union sentiment, especially on Hatteras Island [and we might add Ocracoke], was of the genuine, inbred type or simply an expedient to make the best of changing conditions, the fact is that many of the Bankers did side with the North."
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of whale and porpoise fishing on the Outer Banks. You can read the story here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082115.htm.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Tree Stumps & Peat
Geologist tell us that, as sea level rises, the Outer Banks islands "leap frog" toward the west. After ocean-side sand is eroded by storm tides it is then carried by the wind across the sand flats and deposited on the sound-side, covering marshland and other vegetation. Eventually, after many years, evidence of this slow migration appears on the ocean beach when remnants of centuries-old sound-side growth is uncovered. The photos below were taken a few days ago. You can see the remains of tree stumps in one picture, and an exposed layer of peat in the other.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Miss Sarah Ellen
In the fourth of our series on prominent islanders for whom streets and other landmarks are named, today we mention Sarah Ellen O'Neal Gaskill. Miss Sarah Ellen has two streets named for her: Sarah Ellen Drive in the "Trent" area (near Jackson Dunes), and Sarah Ellen Lane, on the southwest side of Silver Lake.
In November of 1980 Miss Sarah Ellen was chosen as "Person of the Month" by the staff of the Ocracoke Island News. This is what Stephanie O'Neal wrote:
"There is a person on the island who is very special to all. she has an enormous good nature and loving disposition. she is sturdy and has spread her good nature and love to all her friends and relatives on the island...
"Sarah Ellen Gaskill was born on Ocracoke Island on November 9, 1879,the daughter of Howard and Charlotte O'Neal. She has lived on the island all her life. Her father was a fisherman and she grew up to marry a fisherman, Benjamin Gaskill, with whom she shared 46 years of marriage and five sons....
"Miss Sarah Ellen is blessed with good health and is happy. She saw the first Christmas tree at the United Methodist Church on the island almost 101 years ago.
"This is a special month for Miss Sarah Ellen. She was 101 years old. Happy Birthday from the Ocracoke Island News staff."
As a young woman, Sarah Ellen worked shucking clams at the old Doxsee Clam Factory. Over the years she witnessed many changes to the island. Miss Sarah Ellen died September 22, 1984. She was 104 years old.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
In November of 1980 Miss Sarah Ellen was chosen as "Person of the Month" by the staff of the Ocracoke Island News. This is what Stephanie O'Neal wrote:
"There is a person on the island who is very special to all. she has an enormous good nature and loving disposition. she is sturdy and has spread her good nature and love to all her friends and relatives on the island...
"Sarah Ellen Gaskill was born on Ocracoke Island on November 9, 1879,the daughter of Howard and Charlotte O'Neal. She has lived on the island all her life. Her father was a fisherman and she grew up to marry a fisherman, Benjamin Gaskill, with whom she shared 46 years of marriage and five sons....
"Miss Sarah Ellen is blessed with good health and is happy. She saw the first Christmas tree at the United Methodist Church on the island almost 101 years ago.
"This is a special month for Miss Sarah Ellen. She was 101 years old. Happy Birthday from the Ocracoke Island News staff."
As a young woman, Sarah Ellen worked shucking clams at the old Doxsee Clam Factory. Over the years she witnessed many changes to the island. Miss Sarah Ellen died September 22, 1984. She was 104 years old.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Buccaneer
"Buccaneer" today signifies a pirate or privateer, especially those in the 17th century who operated from the West Indies to the north Atlantic coast of America.
Originally "buccaneer" meant hunters of wild oxen, pigs, and manatees on the island of Hispaniola (the island that today includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti). The term derives from the Arawak word "buccan," a wooden frame for smoking meat. The French word "boucane" evolved from the Arawak, and the derivative "boucanier" came to mean French hunters who used such frames.
It was a short step to the English word "buccaneer." Early English, Dutch, and French pirates often came from the ranks of buccaneers, so the word soon came to refer to the pirates who attacked and plundered Spanish vessels and sometimes entire coastal towns of the West Indies.
By 1684, with the publication of the first English translation of Alexandre Exquemelin's book The Buccaneers of America the term became universally associated with pirates.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Originally "buccaneer" meant hunters of wild oxen, pigs, and manatees on the island of Hispaniola (the island that today includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti). The term derives from the Arawak word "buccan," a wooden frame for smoking meat. The French word "boucane" evolved from the Arawak, and the derivative "boucanier" came to mean French hunters who used such frames.
It was a short step to the English word "buccaneer." Early English, Dutch, and French pirates often came from the ranks of buccaneers, so the word soon came to refer to the pirates who attacked and plundered Spanish vessels and sometimes entire coastal towns of the West Indies.
By 1684, with the publication of the first English translation of Alexandre Exquemelin's book The Buccaneers of America the term became universally associated with pirates.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Coast Guard Station Ocracoke
Many of our readers know that the former Ocracoke Coast Guard Station, built 1939-1940 on Silver Lake,
was vacated in 1996. In 2001 the federal government transferred the unused Coast Guard building to the state of North Carolina which immediately began renovating it for teacher enrichment programs. The building is now the eastern campus of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.
However, our readers may not know that the United States Coast Guard continues to have a presence on Ocracoke. According to http://www.uscg.mil/d5/sectNorthCarolina/StaOcracoke.asp (last modified April, 2015), "Coast Guard Station Ocracoke (small) is located on the southern end of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. The station building is a modular structure constructed in the 1970's situated on 1 acre of National Park Service land. Station Ocracoke (small) operates on a seasonal basis and under the administrative and operational control of Station Hatteras Inlet.
"As a multi-mission unit, Station Ocracoke (small) conducts search and rescue, boating safety, law enforcement, and marine environmental protection operations. A boat crew is available 24 hours a day and responds to more than 100 calls for assistance annually. The station's Area of Responsibility (AOR) includes more than 1350 square nautical miles of Atlantic Ocean, one third of the Pamlico Sound, and half of Ocracoke Island. Station Ocracoke (small) also maintains the grounds and upkeep of the famous British Cemetary [sic] on Ocracoke Island."
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Photo courtesy OcracokeNavigator.com |
However, our readers may not know that the United States Coast Guard continues to have a presence on Ocracoke. According to http://www.uscg.mil/d5/sectNorthCarolina/StaOcracoke.asp (last modified April, 2015), "Coast Guard Station Ocracoke (small) is located on the southern end of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. The station building is a modular structure constructed in the 1970's situated on 1 acre of National Park Service land. Station Ocracoke (small) operates on a seasonal basis and under the administrative and operational control of Station Hatteras Inlet.
"As a multi-mission unit, Station Ocracoke (small) conducts search and rescue, boating safety, law enforcement, and marine environmental protection operations. A boat crew is available 24 hours a day and responds to more than 100 calls for assistance annually. The station's Area of Responsibility (AOR) includes more than 1350 square nautical miles of Atlantic Ocean, one third of the Pamlico Sound, and half of Ocracoke Island. Station Ocracoke (small) also maintains the grounds and upkeep of the famous British Cemetary [sic] on Ocracoke Island."
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Torpedoed
"In the winter of 1942, while America's attention was on the Pacific,
German submarines began attacking ships off the North Carolina and
Virginia coasts. Over the course of six months, the human toll reached
into the thousands."
So reads a short blurb on The Virginian-Pilot website about a 52-page reprint, Torpedoed, that includes all eight parts of the newspaper's story of German submarine attacks on US merchant ships from January to June, 1942. The series, by Diane Tennant, was originally published from Aug. 2-9, 2009, in The Virginian-Pilot. The booklet is available here: http://store.pilotonline.com/products/torpedoed.
By early July, 1942, at least 367 ships were damaged or sunk off the East Coast of North America, in the Gulf of Mexico, and north of the Caribbean Sea. In North Carolina waters alone, more than eighty ships were sunk, and hundreds of lives lost.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
The Dixie Arrow is torpedoed March 26, 1942 |
So reads a short blurb on The Virginian-Pilot website about a 52-page reprint, Torpedoed, that includes all eight parts of the newspaper's story of German submarine attacks on US merchant ships from January to June, 1942. The series, by Diane Tennant, was originally published from Aug. 2-9, 2009, in The Virginian-Pilot. The booklet is available here: http://store.pilotonline.com/products/torpedoed.
By early July, 1942, at least 367 ships were damaged or sunk off the East Coast of North America, in the Gulf of Mexico, and north of the Caribbean Sea. In North Carolina waters alone, more than eighty ships were sunk, and hundreds of lives lost.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Albert Styron's Store
Albert Styron’s store, established in 1920 by Albert Monroe Styron, was one of several general stores on Ocracoke Island. The store served the needs of people
living Down Point. Long wooden counters stood in front of wall
shelves that held beans, flour, rice, cereal, canned milk, and every
other staple sought after by island cooks. Irish potatoes (referred to
as “iced taters” by locals), vegetables, soft drinks, milk, eggs, and
even fresh meats rounded out the selections.
Albert Styron was lost at sea in 1956. His son, Albert Styron, Jr. continued to operate the store. He died in 1975.
After Albert, Jr. died, the property stood empty for a number of years.
Today, Albert Styron's Store sells T-shirts, lighthouse gifts, Christmas ornaments, flags, soft drinks, and assorted other items.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Albert Styron was lost at sea in 1956. His son, Albert Styron, Jr. continued to operate the store. He died in 1975.
Photo courtesy Ocracoke Preservation Society |
After Albert, Jr. died, the property stood empty for a number of years.
Photo by Henry Raup |
Today, Albert Styron's Store sells T-shirts, lighthouse gifts, Christmas ornaments, flags, soft drinks, and assorted other items.
Photo courtesy OcracokeNavigator.com |
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Real Estate Prices in Perspective
In the February 28, 1983 issue of the Ocracoke Island News Candy Gaskill wrote an article titled "Real Estate Prices Rise Over the Years."
Candy pointed out that "real estate prices have skyrocketed over the last ten years." In 1983 land prices ranged from $10,000 to $25,000 for a 75' X 100' lot. At that time there were only two professional real estate brokers on the island, George Wilkes and Travis Campbell. According to Candy, "houses on the island don't come up for sale very often, even though there may be one or two every few years." She put real estate prices in perspective when she wrote that "several decades ago, a 50' X 100' lot and house cost as little as $500."
Today, houses and lots do come up for sale more frequently, but prices have declined from a few years ago when the housing market was experiencing a boom.
I recently did a quick Internet search for real estate on Ocracoke and discovered that empty lots are listed from $68,000 (no water meter available; well & septic not installed) to $350,000 (canal front).
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Candy pointed out that "real estate prices have skyrocketed over the last ten years." In 1983 land prices ranged from $10,000 to $25,000 for a 75' X 100' lot. At that time there were only two professional real estate brokers on the island, George Wilkes and Travis Campbell. According to Candy, "houses on the island don't come up for sale very often, even though there may be one or two every few years." She put real estate prices in perspective when she wrote that "several decades ago, a 50' X 100' lot and house cost as little as $500."
Today, houses and lots do come up for sale more frequently, but prices have declined from a few years ago when the housing market was experiencing a boom.
I recently did a quick Internet search for real estate on Ocracoke and discovered that empty lots are listed from $68,000 (no water meter available; well & septic not installed) to $350,000 (canal front).
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Friday, October 09, 2015
Ammunition Dump Road
Today's post is third in a series dedicated to explaining the origins of prominent island landmarks.
The road across from the Ocracoke Library, the one that passes by the side of the Ocracoke Coffee Company, and dead ends at a "T" (left to Oyster Creek, right to Jackson Dunes) is listed on our official island map as "Sunset Drive." Many islanders know it as "Firehouse Road" (although the firehouse was relocated to NC 12 a couple of years ago). Older islanders still call that road "Ammunition Dump Road," and are adamant that it should still go by that name. "The Complete Illustrated Map of Ocracoke" (available at Village Craftsmen and other island businesses) continues to include the designation, "Ammunition Dump Road."
In 1942 the US Navy built a large facility on the island. It was designed to stop U-boat attacks off the North Carolina coast. In addition to construction of the base (near the Coast Guard station) the Navy paved the first road (a one-lane concrete strip) on Ocracoke. A portion of that road ran from the former firehouse (which now houses the school industrial arts program), alongside where the Ocracoke Coffee Co. is situated today, to the "T" at the end. Off the "T" the Navy paved short aprons. It was there that they stored ammunition. The road became known as "Ammunition Dump Road."
Although the word "dump" suggests spent ammunition, this was an area set aside to store live ammunition. A security gate, with gatehouse, was erected several hundred feet before the "T." A security guard was posted there to keep unauthorized people out. At each apron the Navy built wooden sheds where they stored the ammunition. The sheds were nestled against a sandy ridge, and more sand was banked up around them.
After the war the base and ammunition dump areas were abandoned. Cousin Blanche remembers exploring that area with friends. They would climb up the ridge to gain access to the roofs of the ammunition sheds. From that vantage point they could see all the way to the ocean.
Eventually all of the Navy buildings were either dismantled or moved. Eventually, the Ammunition Dump Road was repaved and widened to two lanes.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
The road across from the Ocracoke Library, the one that passes by the side of the Ocracoke Coffee Company, and dead ends at a "T" (left to Oyster Creek, right to Jackson Dunes) is listed on our official island map as "Sunset Drive." Many islanders know it as "Firehouse Road" (although the firehouse was relocated to NC 12 a couple of years ago). Older islanders still call that road "Ammunition Dump Road," and are adamant that it should still go by that name. "The Complete Illustrated Map of Ocracoke" (available at Village Craftsmen and other island businesses) continues to include the designation, "Ammunition Dump Road."
In 1942 the US Navy built a large facility on the island. It was designed to stop U-boat attacks off the North Carolina coast. In addition to construction of the base (near the Coast Guard station) the Navy paved the first road (a one-lane concrete strip) on Ocracoke. A portion of that road ran from the former firehouse (which now houses the school industrial arts program), alongside where the Ocracoke Coffee Co. is situated today, to the "T" at the end. Off the "T" the Navy paved short aprons. It was there that they stored ammunition. The road became known as "Ammunition Dump Road."
Although the word "dump" suggests spent ammunition, this was an area set aside to store live ammunition. A security gate, with gatehouse, was erected several hundred feet before the "T." A security guard was posted there to keep unauthorized people out. At each apron the Navy built wooden sheds where they stored the ammunition. The sheds were nestled against a sandy ridge, and more sand was banked up around them.
Photo courtesy Ocracoke Preservation Society |
After the war the base and ammunition dump areas were abandoned. Cousin Blanche remembers exploring that area with friends. They would climb up the ridge to gain access to the roofs of the ammunition sheds. From that vantage point they could see all the way to the ocean.
Eventually all of the Navy buildings were either dismantled or moved. Eventually, the Ammunition Dump Road was repaved and widened to two lanes.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Thursday, October 08, 2015
HYDE COUNTY, NC PUBLIC NOTICE
Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - 2:30 p.m.
Ocracoke Island Open to Visitors Starting October 8
Hyde County officials are pleased to announce that Ocracoke Island will be open to visitors starting Thursday, October 8, 2015.
NC HWY 12 on Ocracoke is currently closed between the Pony
Pens and the Hatteras Ferry terminal but will reopen Thursday morning,
October 8.
The Ferry Division will make one run from Ocracoke to Cedar
Island at 4:00 p.m. and one run from Swan Quarter to Ocracoke at 5:00
p.m. this afternoon. As a reminder, visitors are not allowed access to
Ocracoke until tomorrow, October 8, 2015.
The Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferry routes will resume
normal operations at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, October 8. A final
decision about the Hatteras ferry will be made later this afternoon, and
if conditions allow the Hatteras-Ocracoke route will also resume normal
operations at 7:00 a.m. Thursday, October 8. Please check the NC Ferry website for updates and schedule information.
Fiddler Crabs
I have been re-reading Carl Sagan's excellent book The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a Candle in the Dark. Sagan devotes four pages to recognizing "the most common and perilous fallacies of logic and rhetoric." The fallacy of "Confusion of Correlation and Causation" reminded me of the following photo I took more than a month ago.
As I was walking along the Hammock Hills Nature Trail in August I noticed hundreds of these small fiddler crabs scurrying along the path. It was difficult to negotiate the trail without crushing the little guys! According to island folklore, when fiddler crabs (also called mud crabs) congregate in great numbers, it is a harbinger of an impending hurricane; not a causation but at least a meaningful correlation.
As I was walking along the Hammock Hills Nature Trail in August I noticed hundreds of these small fiddler crabs scurrying along the path. It was difficult to negotiate the trail without crushing the little guys! According to island folklore, when fiddler crabs (also called mud crabs) congregate in great numbers, it is a harbinger of an impending hurricane; not a causation but at least a meaningful correlation.
So, did a hurricane ensue? Well...a month or so later Joaquin did travel offshore, affecting weather patterns and at least indirectly bringing us copious amounts of rain. Of course, the fiddler crabs did not cause the hurricane or the rain, but is there a meaningful correlation?
I am convinced that fiddler crabs appear in large numbers every year at about the same time (does it have something to do with their life cycle?), and that this simply coincides with the peak hurricane season. I doubt if the fiddler crabs somehow "know" that a storm is brewing. I doubt it. What do you think?
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
1775 Hurricane
This week's rain and tide from hurricane Joaquin pale in comparison to the October 6 storm of 1775:
According to The South Carolina and American General Gazette, October 6, 1775, "We learn from North Carolina that the damage done by [a recent, devastating] hurricane is incredible; the whole shore being lined with wrecks; upwards to 100 dead bodies have drifted ashore on Occacok Island."
Sonny Williamson reports in his book Shipwrecks of Ocracoke Island that "a violent hurricane out of the northeast struck at about 6 a.m. with winds steadily increasing until 2 p.m. Then the wind came around to the WNW (the eye of the storm had passed). From then until 4 p.m. the winds were most severe."
Ships that "wrecked at the Bar" included vessels from Massachusetts; Glasgow, Scotland; Virginia; and North Carolina.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
According to The South Carolina and American General Gazette, October 6, 1775, "We learn from North Carolina that the damage done by [a recent, devastating] hurricane is incredible; the whole shore being lined with wrecks; upwards to 100 dead bodies have drifted ashore on Occacok Island."
Sonny Williamson reports in his book Shipwrecks of Ocracoke Island that "a violent hurricane out of the northeast struck at about 6 a.m. with winds steadily increasing until 2 p.m. Then the wind came around to the WNW (the eye of the storm had passed). From then until 4 p.m. the winds were most severe."
Ships that "wrecked at the Bar" included vessels from Massachusetts; Glasgow, Scotland; Virginia; and North Carolina.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Correction
Please note: Our original, earlier post today, from Hyde County, was incorrect. The following corrections have now been made:
Visitor access to the island is still prohibited and will continue to be tomorrow, October 7, 2015. A decision about allowing visitors to Ocracoke starting Thursday, October 8, 2015 will be made tomorrow afternoon.
Visitor access to the island is still prohibited and will continue to be tomorrow, October 7, 2015. A decision about allowing visitors to Ocracoke starting Thursday, October 8, 2015 will be made tomorrow afternoon.
HYDE COUNTY, NC SEVERE WEATHER ADVISORY
Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - 1:30 p.m.
High Water Lingering in Hyde County
Hyde County officials
believe the worst of the flooding from a recent low pressure system has
passed, although high water continues to linger creating hazardous
driving conditions.
At present time all ferry routes serving Ocracoke Island are
currently suspended due to inundation of roads. Visitor access to the
island is still prohibited and will continue to be tomorrow, October 7, 2015. A decision about allowing visitors to Ocracoke starting Thursday, October 8, 2015 will be made tomorrow afternoon.
Mainland Hyde County:
- The National Guard and a swift water rescue team are still in place in Swan Quarter to help with rescues and check on people in their homes.
- The swift water rescue team has successfully completed four rescue missions since arriving in Hyde County.
- An emergency shelter with showers and cots is open at O.A. Peay School, 1430 Main Street, Swan Quarter. Call 911 or the Hyde County Sheriff's office for assistance.
Ocracoke Island:
- NC HWY 12 on Ocracoke is closed between the Pony Pens and the Hatteras ferry terminal with 4-12 inches of water on the roadway.
- The Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department will conduct an assessment of Ocracoke village tomorrow and report back to Hyde County officials.
Flood
With so much rain these last couple of weeks Ocracoke now seems like Venice. David Tweedie took this photo yesterday.
The roads have become canals, and the main means of transportation is kayaks!
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
The roads have become canals, and the main means of transportation is kayaks!
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Monday, October 05, 2015
Weather Update...
...from Hyde Co.:
Heavy Rain and Flooding for Hyde County
Expected to Persist
Hyde County, NC continues to brace for additional rain and
flooding forecast for the next 24 hours. All ferry routes serving
Ocracoke Island are currently suspended and visitor access to the island
is still prohibited. Widespread flooding of local roads has created
hazardous driving conditions through Hyde County. Drivers should
exercise extreme caution and avoid water if possible.
Ocracoke Island:
- NC HWY 12 on Ocracoke is still closed between the Pony Pens and the Hatteras ferry terminal. Beach erosion resulting in another dune breach last night, ~100 foot in length.
- Coastal Gas is on Ocracoke to secure gas tanks if need be. Please report any floating natural gas tanks to Coastal Gas by calling 252-491-2625.
Pirate Jamboree
This from the Ocracoke Civic & Business Association:
Pirates to invade Ocracoke!
Chart your course to beautiful Ocracoke Island for the 3rd Annual Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree and a weekend of swashbuckling fun Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. Help us celebrate our unique piratical heritage! The centerpiece of the Jamboree is an historically-accurate pirate encampment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, by Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew, an 18-member living history organization from Hampton, VA., on the grounds of the historic Berkley Manor. Dressed in authentic costumes from the 17th and early 18th centuries, pirates will engage the audience with storytelling, sea chanteys, navigation, medicine, and more.
Visitors will see demonstrations of pike drills and vintage black-powder weapons. Activities at the encampment and in the historic Community Square will include bands of roving pirates, a “Scallywag School” for kids, a “Brigands’ Bazaar” featuring pirate-themed wares for sale, and swordplay performances. Two beer gardens will offer Heavy Seas grog—sponsored by The Ocracoke Youth Center across from Community Square, and at ‘SMacNally’s on the docks at the Anchorage Marina. The main event will be the re-enactment of “The Battle at Ocracoke,” taking place at 1 p.m. Saturday on the island’s beautiful harbor, Silver Lake.
Three ships will re-create the last hours of Blackbeard and his crew as Lt. Robert Maynard brings them to battle with cannons blazing. Among the professional pirate crews attending will be Sinbad in his Meka II, the historic skipjack Ada Mae, the Shadow Players, the Beaufort Oars in their sloop The Ranger, the Motley Tones minstrels, and Chris Suttle as Blackbeard.
The Jamboree kicks off Friday with a “Meet the Pirates!” evening of facts and fun. Historian Kevin Duffus will give updates on his pirate research, the “Pirates Follies” will compete for the biggest laughs, and the Motley Tones will sing seafaring and piratical songs! At Ocracoke Community Center starting at 7 p.m. Admission is $5; refreshments will be available.
Sunday, Nov. 1, will conclude with the pirate march at 10 a.m. to Springer’s Point for a ceremony commemorating the fall of Blackbeard Nov. 22, 1718. Join the pirates for lunch afterward at Howard’s Pub! All visitors are encouraged to get in touch with their inner pirate and wear their best pirate gear.
This is an annual event, held the last weekend in October, leading to the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s demise in 2018.
Public parking is available at the NPS Visitors lot at the south end of the island, 4352 Irvin Garrish Highway. For more information, contact 252-928-6711 or email info@ocracokevillage.com A complete schedule of events is available at www.ocracokevillage.com. Like us on Facebook for more updates: @ Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoke Island.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Pirates to invade Ocracoke!
Chart your course to beautiful Ocracoke Island for the 3rd Annual Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree and a weekend of swashbuckling fun Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. Help us celebrate our unique piratical heritage! The centerpiece of the Jamboree is an historically-accurate pirate encampment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, by Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew, an 18-member living history organization from Hampton, VA., on the grounds of the historic Berkley Manor. Dressed in authentic costumes from the 17th and early 18th centuries, pirates will engage the audience with storytelling, sea chanteys, navigation, medicine, and more.
Visitors will see demonstrations of pike drills and vintage black-powder weapons. Activities at the encampment and in the historic Community Square will include bands of roving pirates, a “Scallywag School” for kids, a “Brigands’ Bazaar” featuring pirate-themed wares for sale, and swordplay performances. Two beer gardens will offer Heavy Seas grog—sponsored by The Ocracoke Youth Center across from Community Square, and at ‘SMacNally’s on the docks at the Anchorage Marina. The main event will be the re-enactment of “The Battle at Ocracoke,” taking place at 1 p.m. Saturday on the island’s beautiful harbor, Silver Lake.
Photo by Melinda Fodrie Sutton |
Three ships will re-create the last hours of Blackbeard and his crew as Lt. Robert Maynard brings them to battle with cannons blazing. Among the professional pirate crews attending will be Sinbad in his Meka II, the historic skipjack Ada Mae, the Shadow Players, the Beaufort Oars in their sloop The Ranger, the Motley Tones minstrels, and Chris Suttle as Blackbeard.
The Jamboree kicks off Friday with a “Meet the Pirates!” evening of facts and fun. Historian Kevin Duffus will give updates on his pirate research, the “Pirates Follies” will compete for the biggest laughs, and the Motley Tones will sing seafaring and piratical songs! At Ocracoke Community Center starting at 7 p.m. Admission is $5; refreshments will be available.
Sunday, Nov. 1, will conclude with the pirate march at 10 a.m. to Springer’s Point for a ceremony commemorating the fall of Blackbeard Nov. 22, 1718. Join the pirates for lunch afterward at Howard’s Pub! All visitors are encouraged to get in touch with their inner pirate and wear their best pirate gear.
This is an annual event, held the last weekend in October, leading to the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s demise in 2018.
Public parking is available at the NPS Visitors lot at the south end of the island, 4352 Irvin Garrish Highway. For more information, contact 252-928-6711 or email info@ocracokevillage.com A complete schedule of events is available at www.ocracokevillage.com. Like us on Facebook for more updates: @ Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoke Island.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Friday, October 02, 2015
Joaquin
I know that long-time readers of this blog are accustomed to checking here for hurricane information. As it turns out, I am not on the island. I left to go to the dentist and to visit family, not because of the storm. However, as a result, I do not have any current photos, although I know that Ocracoke has had steady rain and flooding for days. I posted a storm link from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on our Facebook page.
As almost everyone knows by now, Joaquin is forecast to continue off shore, but Ocracoke might still get tidal flooding. In this day and age Facebook can be your best source for current conditions.
Many thanks to all who have written or contacted us with wishes for our safety and protection of property.
As almost everyone knows by now, Joaquin is forecast to continue off shore, but Ocracoke might still get tidal flooding. In this day and age Facebook can be your best source for current conditions.
Many thanks to all who have written or contacted us with wishes for our safety and protection of property.
Bones the Pirate
You may have seen Bones the Pirate this summer. Bones is a self-appointed roving ambassador for Ocracoke. Dressed in his red bandanna, pirate shirt, and pirate pants (he is barefooted, and carries a large pirate flag...and usually acquiesces to donning wrap-around sunglasses), Bones walks through the village chatting with visitors & residents. Children love to have their picture taken with him.
It does my heart good to know that colorful characters still call Ocracoke home!
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
It does my heart good to know that colorful characters still call Ocracoke home!
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Thursday, October 01, 2015
"Ping Pong Balls" on the Beach
On Sunday, during a brief period of clear blue sky, we went to the beach. Just north of the "Lifeguard Beach" we spied about a dozen and a half "ping pong balls" washed up near the dunes.
Upon picking one up, of course, I quickly confirmed that they were leathery turtle eggs which had been washed out by our recent high tide. Not far away, lying in the sand, was one of the signs that had been erected to protect the nests from human interference.
Unfortunately, the turtle eggs were no longer viable. Most were squashed or dented, and saturated with seawater. However, according to Irene Nolan in the Island Free Press (August 5, 2015), "It's official -- sea turtle nesting on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has set a record and the nests keep on coming. According to today's resources management report [August 5, 2015], 269 sea turtles have nested on the seashore -- 15 more than the record 254 set in 2013."
So, although the loss of this nest is unfortunate, the future of sea turtles is not so dim.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
Upon picking one up, of course, I quickly confirmed that they were leathery turtle eggs which had been washed out by our recent high tide. Not far away, lying in the sand, was one of the signs that had been erected to protect the nests from human interference.
Unfortunately, the turtle eggs were no longer viable. Most were squashed or dented, and saturated with seawater. However, according to Irene Nolan in the Island Free Press (August 5, 2015), "It's official -- sea turtle nesting on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has set a record and the nests keep on coming. According to today's resources management report [August 5, 2015], 269 sea turtles have nested on the seashore -- 15 more than the record 254 set in 2013."
So, although the loss of this nest is unfortunate, the future of sea turtles is not so dim.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a reproduction of a 1960s booklet titled The Great Ocracoke Cat Hunt. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092115.htm.
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