The resident named for her father’s mule or a family member held values characteristic of Hatteras Island life, such as deep religious beliefs. Activities betraying the time in which she grew up included her mother sewing clothes for a family of twelve. Ways she made a personal mark on her world included opening her home to tourists and village newcomers alike. From such acts of hospitality, a life commonly lived might also be called an uncommon life.
A fading art kept alive yet by quilters such as Mrs. Charlotte Balance. Tales told by Mrs. Nettie Gibson revealed changes in quilting standards. Decades ago, the summer and winter quilting parties noted by Mrs. Ballance made it a commonly collective activity. The experience, then, was quite different from the common contemporary practice of quilting as a solo project.
This article, part of a series for this edition, chronicled Hatteras Island’s encounters with well-known 1933 and 1944 hurricanes. This recollection by Ernal Foster, included photos illustrating the 1933 storm’s impact, proved pictures can be worth a thousand words.
Maurice Bernard Folb, Chief Pharmacist's Mate with the U.S. Navy, first came to Hatteras Island in 1920. In this SEA CHEST interview, he talks about his arrival in Buxton, midwives and their remedies, dipping vats and cattle drives, baseball, and other pastimes.
A true down homer was about more than just being born in a local town or having one’s name affiliated with a local building. What made Charlie Gray Sr. so included turning down job offers after graduation from North Carolina State College, so he could own a local grocery store. Being a down homer was also reflected in his promotion of education for the area. During his almost fifty year career as a school principal and teacher, he professed a hope for Hatteras Island to have a central accredited high school.
General Billy Mitchell’s efforts to establish airplanes in naval operations included building an airstrip at Cape Hatteras. The first mission, taking place during the summer of 1923, was proving sinking battleships possible. Ironically, for many people living in the area, it was regarded as much entertainment as witnessing an historic event.
Outer Bank's oldest store, Burrus Red & White Supermarket, is located at the southern end of Hatteras Island. For nearly 150 years, the store has served the small community in Hatteras and remains an important part of the town's heritage.
Boat building was described by way of steps such as chime plank cutting and bending the sides of the boat and parts such as transom, keel, ribs, bow stem, bottom, and washboards. Accompanying the textual description were pictures of these parts. Included were pictures of the steps in the boat building process such as bending the boat sides and cutting chime plank.
Called the gateway to Hatteras Island, the bridge built in the 1960s and named after Senator Herbert Bonner was experiencing the wear and tear of commuting use. Limitations on its daily use were imposed during its repair period. Such an occasion made Island residents all the more aware of the bridge’s importance in their way of life.
For the author, the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge is more than a connecting point between the North Carolina mainland and its Outer Banks. As indicated by his photographs, the bridge that opened up transporting options besides the ferry can also be appreciated for offering a scenic view.
On paper, particularly newspaper, what Captain Bernice Balance might be best known for was his bravery. This characteristic was chiefly expressed during his career in the Life Saving Service, now called the Coast Guard. The life-saving incident that made the papers was his role in the rescue of Coast guardsmen adrift after a hurricane struck the North Carolina coast in September 1944. Incidents perhaps just as worthy of print included his catch of a seventy five pound channel bass, touted as the "world's record for drum caught in the surf."
Toys common during her great grandmother’s childhood were rag dolls for girls and carved boats for boys. These objects had the role toys typically play in any culture: to prepare children for anticipated gender roles to take on as adults. As to another cultural aspect revealed, the toys reflected a time perhaps regarded as simpler by many younger generations.
The isolated situation and culture of Hatteras Island, North Carolina has contributed to the preservation of speech patterns characteristic of the early English and Scottish inhabitants of the island.
Weather observations have been taken on Hatteras Island since 1874. Much of the information on this period is contained in the weather station's log books, which are housed at the Cape Hatteras Weather Service. The books contain material on weather, shipwrecks, and local happenings. THE SEA CHEST staff compiled entries from 1874 and 1875 to give the reader a feel for what life at a weather station was like.
Queen Elizabeth personally supplied ships for an expedition which landed at Hatteras on July 27, 1585. The English attempted to challenge Spain's dominance in the New World and their initial settlement, headed by Lieutenant Governor Ralph Lane, landed at Hatteras on July 27, 1585. This colony would fail when too much emphasis was placed on finding gold rather than nurturing a permanent settlement.