Rescues

Among the most compelling and dramatic stories from the Outer Banks of North Carolina are accounts of shipwrecks...and the rescues performed by the men of the US Life Saving Service.

Tales of bravery and courage include stories of the "Mighty Midgettes" of Hatteras Island, the accounts of the wrecks of the George W. Wells and the Ariosto on Ocracoke, the rescue of more than 400 people from the Vera Cruz at Portsmouth, and the awarding of gold life saving medals to the surfmen at Cape Lookout for the rescue of the six crewmen from the Sarah D. J. Rawson.

The history of the US Life Saving Service has for too long been neglected. For more information visit your local library, or search the Internet for any of the stories above. You might want to begin your search here: The Chicamacomico Life Saving Station on Hatteras Island -- http://www.chicamacomico.net/ Be sure to check out the photo gallery of pictures and videos.

A list of books about the USLSS is available here: http://www.lifesavingservice.org/books.html. If you have a local independent book store in your area, ask them to order one or more of these books for you. Books to be Red, on Ocracoke (252-928-3936), and Manteo Booksellers on Roanoke Island (http://www.manteobooksellers.com/) can also help you. I especially recommend "U.S. Life Saving Service: Heroes, Rescues, and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard" & "Fire on the Beach: Recovering the Lost Story of Richard Etheridge and the Pea Island Lifesavers."

Philip standing beside the Surf Boat at Portsmouth:



The Interior of the 26' long Rowing Surf Boat:



(Click on either photo, by Jim Fineman, to view a larger image.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Schoolhouse

The National Park Service at Cape Lookout has done a marvelous job presenting the history of Portsmouth Island. Among their recent projects has been furnishing the one-room schoolhouse with student desks, a teacher's desk, blackboard, period maps, and reproductions of textbooks from the 37 year period when Miss Mary Dixon taught all of the island's children.

A View of the Interior of the Schoolhouse:



(Click on the photo, by Jim Fineman, to view a larger image.)

A visit to Portsmouth will carry you back in time to the 1950s for a glimpse into Outer Banks life before paved roads, ferries, bridges, electricity, municipal water, and the Internet. Highly recommended!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Photo of Blanche

One of our faithful readers, island resident Leonard Conover, has been following our recent posts about Blanche, and the requests for me to post a photo. Blanche, as I mentioned, is not especially fond of having her picture taken, although she does consent now and then.

Leonard made the following picture at the 2007 OcraFolk Festival, and emailed it to me. I carried my laptop over to Blanche's yesterday morning to show it to her, and pleaded with her to agree to have it published. She is so sweet; it didn't take long to convince her...especially after I told her about all of her fans, and calls for her to be mayor of Ocracoke (she doesn't want that job, and I'm sure I couldn't change her mind!).

(Click on photo to view a larger image.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

OcraFolk Festival & Firemen's Ball Update

Ocracoke is gearing up for the 12th annual OcraFolk Festival which begins this evening at 6 o'clock with a pot luck dinner on the grounds at Deepwater Pottery on School Road. The live auction follows dinner, with music afterwards.

Saturday will be filled with music, storytelling, and kid's programs on the Live Oak Stage, the Howard Street Stage, and Deepwater Theater. Artists and Crafters will have their wares for sale on Howard Street and School Road. Food will also be available.

More music is scheduled Saturday night at the Community Square...along with the traditional Ocracoke Island square dance.

Sunday will bring us a morning Gospel Sing, followed later in the day with yet more music...and an all-star jam session at the Live Oak Stage.

If you are on the island, be sure to take advantage of this fun-filled, exciting, and creative weekend.

In other news, the recent Firemen's Ball silent auction brought in $3,285.00. The live auction netted $19,380.00, for a total of $22,665.00 (last year's total was $22,174). The final figure for the event is not yet available, but is estimated at over $60,000. Many thanks to all who participated, contributed, and attended this great fundraiser!

If you could not attend the Firemen's Ball, and would like to contribute, donations can be mailed to OFPA (Ocracoke Fire Protection Association), P. O. Box 332, Ocracoke, NC 27960.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news.htm.

Blanche

I hope I am as spry as Blanche when I am 91 years old. I stopped to see her a few days ago...and found her out in the yard, raking leaves. "Would you believe it?" she asked me, "I've gathered up 54 bags of leaves so far."

I tried to convince her that she didn't need to rake and bag leaves in this hot weather, but she insisted that once she got something in her mind she was determined to see it through! "It's what keeps me going," she said. I just shook my head, and thought, maybe she's right; maybe that's why she's made it into her 92nd year.

The next day I found her re-potting plants. But that time she was willing to stop for a few minutes to sit on her pizer and chat. She's doing great...sharp as a tack, stubborn as a mule, sweet as honey, and as active as a 40 year old.

If you see her messing about in the graveyard this summer, introduce yourself and stop to chat for a few minutes.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Latest Word from NC Coastal Land Trust

The Vote for the Land Contest is getting down to the wire! We're in a tight race with the Piedmont Land Conservancy, so every vote counts!

Vote for the Coastal Land Trust on Facebook.

The contest ends June 2nd at 11pm, so if you haven't cast your vote, go to facebook - and get all your facebook friends - to vote for the NC Coastal Land Trust. Your vote will help us secure a $500 grant to support work at Springer's Point!

Homer Howard

As a child I remember my father telling me that he had lived on Portsmouth Island when he was a young boy. My grandfather, Homer Howard, was a surfman in the US Life Saving Service/Coast Guard at Portsmouth from 1913 to 1917.

During the recent installation of new displays in public buildings in Portsmouth village, registers listing all of the men who served in the USLSS were put on display.

Below are photos of the pages documenting the years 1913-1917. Click on a photo to view a larger image and you will be able to read my grandfather's name.





(Photos courtesy of Jim Fineman.)

Although we are not descended from any of the historic Porstmouth Island families (Dixon, Roberts, Gilgo, etc.) this connection with Portsmouth still feels good.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Dolphins

I was out in Pamlico Sound Sunday on the Windfall II. We had been clamming and just enjoying the beautiful day and the warm water. On the way back to the harbor we spotted a small pod of dolphins just outside the "ditch" (the narrow channel that connects Silver Lake Harbor with Pamlico Sound). There were probably 5 - 6 dolphins, maybe a few more. They surfaced...then disappeared for a while. Suddenly one, then several, reappeared just off our port side.

It is not unusual to see dolphins off shore from the beach all winter long. And they frequent Pamlico Sound periodically. Every once in a while they even wander into Silver Lake Harbor. It is always a treat to see these playful and inspiring mammals.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Blackbeard's Anchor & Friday's Post

Just a couple of days ago I learned that marine archeologists have raised one of the large anchors from the ship believed to be Blackbeard's flagship, the Queeen Anne's Revenge. The QAR was a French slave ship called the Concorde which Blackbeard captured and renamed. It sank in Beaufort Inlet in 1718, just a few months before Blackbeard was killed at Ocracoke while in command of a smaller vessel, the Adventure.

You can read more of this story here: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2011-05-27-blackbeard-pirate-north-carolina_n.htm

Two more comments...about Friday's post --

The number of people who have endorsed the petition calling for no tolls on the Hatteras Inlet ferries has nearly doubled since I signed the petition and mentioned it in this blog. I like to think that our readers have contributed many of these signatures. If you have not already made your voice heard, and you agree, please support the petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/185/support-the-spear-amendment---help-the-citizens-friends-ocracoke/

When I posted the request to vote for Springer's Point and the NC Coastal Land Trust, Springer's Point was in 2nd place, trailing the leader by 63 votes. When I last checked the Land Trust was behind by only 26 votes. Again, I like to think that our readers have made much of this difference. If you have not already voted, please do so here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=question&id=10150173006097132

Many thanks to all of our faithful readers and lovers of Ocracoke Island! We appreciate all of your concern for Ocracoke.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Penny

Some months ago Penny Akahloun contacted me because of the following information she discovered on the Village Craftsmen web site:

"One memorable wreck on Portsmouth Island in 1903, the Vera Cruz, carried 22 crew members and 399 passengers. In this case, although a fresh northeaster and a strong ebb tide had forced the Vera Cruz into the breakers, the life saving crew was able to use their open surfboat. It took them 41 trips to bring everyone on shore. The people of Portsmouth village used four and a half barrels of flour to bake bread for the survivors, most of whom were smuggled Portuguese immigrants who spoke no English."

Penny's grandfather was one of the Portugese passengers from the Cape Verde Islands, bound for New Bedford, Massachusettes. Penny was so impressed with the hospitality of the Portsmouth Islanders (who fed and sheltered the survivors) that she made the trip to Ocracoke for the spring meeting of Friends of Portsmouth Island, where she spoke about her research and emotional connection with Portsmouth. She wanted to visit the village whose people, in 1903, went out of their way to care for her grandfather and other shipwreck victims from a foreign country.

Penny & Philip on the path into the village:



(Click on photo, by Jim Fineman, to view a larger image.)

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Ferries Again, & NC Coastal Land Trust

Today, we ask you to consider two simple actions -- first, please sign the following petition to keep the Hatteras Inlet ferries free (without more citizen protest the NC state legislature is likely to impose a toll):

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/185/support-the-spear-amendment---help-the-citizens-friends-ocracoke/

I also recently received the following information from the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, the stellar organization that saved Ocracoke's Springer's Point from development. This is a great opportunity to help the Land Trust secure needed grant money.

Please read below, and cast your vote today. It just takes a click of your mouse.



Great Outdoor Provision Company's VOTE FOR THE LAND Contest is live!



GOPC is running the Vote for the Land Contest through facebook this year, so now's the time to get all your facebook friends to vote for the NC Coastal Land Trust and help us pull off the sweep - winning for a fourth consecutive year! The winner receives a grant from GOPC and it's suppliers, so make your vote count!

Springer's Point Nature Preserve:



This year, we have brought out the heavyweight - putting our Springer's Point Preserve up against other projects across the state.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE! and make sure to tell all your facebook friends!

Many thanks!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Inevitable

I suppose it had to happen! Village Craftsmen is now on Facebook. Simply click on the link on the right to go directly to our new page. As an inaugural gesture we are offering a 10% discount on the latest OcraFolk Sampler CD, from now until June 6.

Look for more promotions and breaking island news in the days ahead.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Coming Events

This coming Saturday, May 28, marks the date of the sixth annual Ocracoke Firemen's Ball. The evening kicks off with a pig pickin', followed by a live and silent auction at 7 p.m. After the auction the Ocracoke Rockers, The Aaron Caswell Band, and the Dune Dogs will provide live music for your listening and dancing pleasure. For more information, click on the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department's web page: http://www.ocracokevfd.org/Firemansball.html.

Earlier on Saturday (3:00 - 4:30 pm), Books to be Red on School Road will be hosting a book signing by Jimmy Creech, former Ocracoke Methodist Church pastor, and author of "Adam's Gift." More information is available here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156372017763043

Coming up the following week, June 3, 4, & 5, is the 12th annual OcraFolk Festival, a full weekend of music and storytelling on Howard Street & School Road. The full schedule of events, information about musicians and storytellers, and other details is posted here:
http://www.ocrafolkfestival.org/.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Comments & Henry Piggot's House

First, a practical matter: I was unable to access the "comment" section of my blog Monday evening and most of the day yesterday. I knew there were a number of questions but I couldn't post replies. I took care of that last night...so if you posted a question, take a look back and you will see my answers.

For today I share a few Portsmouth Island photos taken Saturday by my friend Jim. Click on any photo to view a larger image. Enjoy!

Henry Pigott's Side Porch & House:



Front View of Henry's House:



View from Henry's House:



Another View from Henry's House:



Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frant Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Opening Clams

Just a few photos of me opening clams Sunday afternoon...and Amy cutting the bacon to make clams casino. (I'm probably not smiling because I'm concentrating so I don't cut myself...I didn't!)

(Photos by Jim Fineman. Click to enlarge.)

It doesn't get much better -- out in the sound for an hour or so, quiet and peaceful, raking clams...back home sitting in the yard opening clams and listening to the mockingbirds...then savoring the rewards of a fine day's work with family & friends.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

A Few Answers

I've been busy for the last several days -- Judgment Day party, Friday night poker, trip to Portsmouth, visiting with family & friends, clamming, cooking, playing with Lachlan -- and I haven't had time to reply to readers' questions these last few days. So I'll address them this morning:

Q: Is there an on going Oral History project ala Foxfire conducted by the high school journalism students? or a grant funded project by the Smithsonian documenting these events of the fabric of the island?

A: There is no large scale, or comprehensive ongoing project at the moment, although Doreen & I are planning to interview several older residents in the next few weeks & months with support from the Ocracoke Foundation. Similar projects have, over the years, been carried out by school students, the Preservation Society, local individuals, and off-island organizations. During the next month Courtney, a Duke graduate student, will be interviewing 70 islanders. I spoke with her for more than an hour yesterday afternoon...and she has scheduled time with Blanche early this week.

Q: Does OI have a recycling problem ---do people recycle ?

A: Yes. Ocracoke islanders and visitors are encouraged to recycle glass, paper, cardboard, and cans. Simply carry your recyclables to the "convenience center" (the "dump") and deposit them in the proper containers.

Q: How did the rowers [the US Life Savers] train ? Did they row together everyday? One would have to be very strong to row a boat with 14 people. Did any member of the friends of [Portsmouth Island] document the restoration project and if so have they posted digital images on the web page?

A: The life savers followed a regimented training schedule. Every day of the week was devoted to a particular aspect of life saving. They were well trained and fit when they were called to a rescue. The US life savers responded to more than 28,000 shipwrecks in the 44 years of their service, and saved the lives of more than 177,000 people (a success rate of more than 99%). I don't know if the restoration project was documented. Maybe one of our readers knows.

Q: "Cute as a bug's ear".....like it! Is this an Ocracoke saying?

A: I picked this up from Sammy Fortesque years ago. Sammy was a one-eyed Ocracoke carpenter who wore a black eye patch. He lost his eye as a youngster and was fitted with a glass eye. One Saturday night at a dance he had too much to drink and lost the glass eye. He never had it replaced. Sammy was one of many colorful characters who lived on the island in the 1970s. Sammy was smart, funny, and a talented carpenter (when sober). He died several years ago.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Portsmouth

Yesterday was a beautiful day to visit Portsmouth Island -- warm, sunny weather...hardly a mosquito (although there were a very few deer flies)...and an opportunity to step inside Henry Piggot's house. The organization, Friends of Portsmouth Island, has taken Henry's house as its current restoration project. The house is diminutive, with small rooms, tiny windows, low ceilings, almost-doll-sized front porch, and steep stair steps with incredibly narrow treads. And it is as cute as a bug's ear.

At the US Life Saving Station I had my first opportunity to see the new replica of a surf boat. At 26 feet long, designed to be rowed by eight surfmen, and capable of carrying fourteen people, it was an impressive example of the equipment used by the brave and courageous life savers who rescued so many victims of shipwrecks on our shores.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

Judgment Day!

According to religious leader, Harold Camping, and his followers, today is Judgment Day. A number of believers have sold or given away all of their worldly possessions in anticipation of this impending cosmic event. In case this day passes normally (as I expect it will), and we are still around tomorrow, I thought our readers would enjoy the following Ocracoke story:

Late in the night of New Year's Eve, 1929, Capt. Bill Gaskill's daughter, Nellie, and a friend walked out on the dock of Capt. Bill's Pamlico Inn to pump gasoline for a yacht tied up there. Someone was smoking a cigarette, and accidentally started a fire. The fire quickly escalated, spread down the dock and engulfed the tanks.

Before long a large gasoline tank exploded, sending tongues of fire and plumes of smoke billowing high into the early morning sky. Everyone nearby ran for cover as pieces of metal, hammers, wrenches, and other tools rained down around them. Even folks on the other side of the village were awakened by the explosion and conflagration.

Capt. Bill's sister-in-law, Sarah Ellen Gaskill, woke up and saw the sky aglow from the raging fire. She shook her husband awake. "Ben," she implored, "wake up. I think it's Judgment Day!"

"Sarah Ellen, go back to sleep," Ben reassured her. "It can't be Judgment Day. It's the middle of the night."

So...if today is not Judgment Day, and tomorrow dawns like any other day, at least all of the hype prompted me to share one more humorous story from Ocracoke Island. I hope you enjoyed it.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the autobiography of island native, Frank Treat Fulcher. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

May Newsletter

We've just published our latest Ocracoke Newsletter. This month I reprint the short autobiography of Frank Treat Fulcher (1878-1971), Ocracoke island native, sailor, and preacher. It is a fascinating story of life at sea, shipwrecks, near mutiny, and a new life ashore...by an interesting island character. It was written in 1965. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news052111.htm.

You can read a bit more about Frank Treat on a previous Ocracoke Newsletter:
http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news120603.htm.

Village Thrift

My daughter, Amy, always stops at thrift stores when she is off the island. She buys most of her clothes there, as well as books for Lachlan, and the occassional toy or gift.

Amy also patronizes Ocracoke's very own Village Thrift Store which is located in the back of the Ocracoke Coffee Company. Village Thrift has been a major funding source for the Ocracoke Youth Center, and has provided activities and services for island youth and families since 1995.

Although the Youth Center is in hiatus because of a federally funded youth program at the school, the Board is still active and anticipates that it will resurrect the Youth Center when grant money runs out. In addition, summer programming is almost non-existent under the grant so there is discussion about reinstating some summer activities under the Youth Center umbrella.

Meanwhile, Village Thrift continues to help finance the Youth Center in anticipation of future needs. This year, the shop has grown into the space formerly occupied by The Blue Door Antiques so there is almost twice as much room to explore. Village Thrift is a great example of recycling. Almost everything finds a new home, saves the purchaser a lot of money, and sends that money back into our community. Please stop by to browse. And volunteer if you can -- all of the staff are volunteers. Also, grab a coffee or a smoothie from Village Thrift's very generous Ocracoke Coffee Company landlord.

Thrift Store hours are Tues-Fri 10-5 and Sat 11-5. Stop in, make a purchase, and help provide wholesome activities for Ocracoke's youth!

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a history of the Ocracoke Preservation Society. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news.htm.