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Record #:
2172
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When David A. Stallman began researching Topsail Island's history, he uncovered a well-kept military secret. Between 1946 and 1948, the island was a test site for Operation Bumblebee, the Navy's project to develop a supersonic surface-to-air missile.
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Record #:
5352
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Topsail Island has been a haven for clandestine activities over the years. Blackbeard helped give the island its name by hiding his ship on the sound side where only the \"top sails\" could be seen. Between 1946 and 1948, the Navy used the island for a top-secret missile program. Weather conditions, increased shipping, and a growing population caused the Navy to close the facility in 1948. Had they not moved to Cape Canaveral, Topsail Island might have been home to the space program and the moon launching.
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Record #:
7984
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On Topsail Island, off the central coast of North Carolina, eight concrete towers sit an average of 2.4 miles from each other. Few people are aware of what the purpose of these towers once was. Some locals have perpetuated rumors that the towers were used to observe German submarine activity in World War II or that they were used for the Cape Canaveral space program. But the real purpose of these towers relates to the United States missile program in the last years of the Second World War. The towers housed photographic equipment which was used to track missiles. The site was active from 1946 to 1948, when it was relocated to Florida.
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Record #:
13158
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Recently divided into several real estate developments, Topsail Island, located between New River Inlet and New Topsail Inlet, is the longest stretch of coastline in North Carolina entirely surrounded by water. Located in Onslow Bay, Topsail Island is removed from river sources, making it a premier spot for clear water and fishing. Used as an early cargo port as well as by the Navy during war, Topsail Island has a varied history that extends throughout the 20th-century.
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Record #:
16377
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Topsail Island has long been considered Blackbeard's favorite base on the North Carolina coast. Fishermen around Hampstead will tell you that this pirate city at the \"White Hills\" numbered over 2,000 villains, and that Blackbeard actually gave the island its name.
Source:
North Carolina Folklore Journal
(NoCar GR 110 N8 N6), Vol. 22 Issue 3, Aug 1974,
p111-112, il
Periodical Website
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Record #:
28549
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Eight concrete towers were built on Topsail Island in the 1940s as part of Operation Bumblebee. The operation’s goal was to test the ramjet engine in a more isolated area so they could measure the flight path. From the towers, the rocket’s performance was measured. The towers are still present on the island with some having been turned in vacation homes and others left vacant since the 1940s.
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Record #:
34900
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In the mid-1940’s, the Navy worked with Johns Hopkins University to test ramjet engines called Operation Bumblebee. Topsail Island was seized as a testing area, and for two years, over 200 rockets left the launchpads. Several of the towers used to test the engines are still standing on Topsail Island and have been reutilized as vacation properties.
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