Abstract:
Although coastal life-saving activities date back to 1848 in New Jersey and New York, the United States Life-Saving Service was not officially established until April 20, 1871. Construction of the first three of eleven life-saving stations on Hatteras Island began in 1874. Stations were usually built five to seven miles apart to insure as much coverage of the beach as possible. The article includes a map which locates the eleven stations and a chart which positions the stations by longitude and latitude.