In the article, I wrote, "When I was a youngster there was only one telephone on the island -- at the Coast Guard station. According to cousin Blanche the US Coast Guard had a ship-to-shore radio telephone as long as she can remember, probably from the time of the construction of the village station in 1905."
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| The Old Ocracoke Village USCG Station from OcracokeNavigator.com |
I recently came across a transcript of part of a US Coast Guard log about calls made from the station's telephone during four days in February, 1941. Calls included several to Bells Drug Store in Beaufort, NC, "in regards to medicine," one to the Fisheries Commission "in regards to [an officer's] patrol," one to Atlantic, NC, "in regards to fish," one to City Grocery in Beaufort, NC, "relative to groceries," and one to Betts Bakery in Beaufort, NC, "relative to buying bread [for Clarence Scarborough's island grocery store]."
One incoming call from the Commander of the Norfolk District directed the Ocracoke Station to be on the lookout for a "possible thief" flying an airplane. Another incoming call to Mrs. George F. O'Neal from W. M. Hodges said simply, "Meet me at Atlantic Monday if I am not there wait until I get there."
What a difference from today's instant communication!
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is about the 1977 recording of traditional Outer Banks folk music. You can read the article here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032116.htm.
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