There have been words written to the effect that the lighthouse keepers and their families had a very lonely life; however, we did not have this experience. In fact, just the opposite would be more apt to apply. The lighthouse was always a favorite . . . — — Map (db m88495) HM
Caffey's Inlet Station was one of the original seven stations built along North Carolina's treacherous coast in 1874 when the U.S. Lifesaving Service was founded. Within a few years there were twenty-nine stations and this was the fifth one . . . — — Map (db m181032) HM
Brigadier general of the Army Air Service, demonstrated air power by bombing battleships off coast, Sept. 5, 1923. Landing field was here. — — Map (db m207712) HM
Side A:Burnside's Expedition Crossing Hatteras BarOn January 11, 1862, the Burnside Expedition left for Fort Monroe, Virginia destined for Hatteras Inlet 120 miles to the south. Two days later, the fleet of over eighty vessels was . . . — — Map (db m135883) HM
Side A:Fort ClarkHatteras Inlet, defended by Forts Clark and Hatteras, was a strategic port of entry for troops and supplies providing deep water access to the vital intercoastal waterways. In later May of 1881, the Federal Blockade . . . — — Map (db m46298) HM
Side 1
Island Veterans of the Civil War
1st Regiment North Carolina Infantry
(Names not transcribed)
Soldiers of the 17th, 32nd or 33rd Regiments North Carolina Troops
(Names not transcribed)Side 2 . . . — — Map (db m146058) HM WM
Side A:Maritime Casualties of the American Civil WarAfterJan. 15, 1862 - The Graveyard of the Atlantic claims the lives of Colonel J.W. Allen and Surgeon Weller, officers of the 9th N.J. Volunteers, and the second mate of the Ann E. . . . — — Map (db m32134) HM
Commissioned in 1945 as a US Navy repair ship, USS Dionysus was assigned to the Pacific Theater. It was one of hundreds of Liberty ships, costing less than $2 million each, produced by the US Maritime Commission in World War II and assembled . . . — — Map (db m191322) HM
Fought C.S.S. "Virginia" ("Merrimac") in first battle of ironclad ships. Lost Dec. 31, 1862, in gale 17 miles southeast. First marine sanctuary. — — Map (db m11401) HM
Hatteras Village, settled in the 1780s, with the Pamlico Sound on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, has always relied on its natural resources for its livelihood. Initially its population (primarily shipwreck survivors) depended . . . — — Map (db m191320) HM
On this day, Hurricane Irene caused water from the Shallowbag Bay to rise to this level at this location.
For more information, contact:
National Weather Service Morehead City, NC
www.weather.gov/mhx
National Hurricane . . . — — Map (db m226120) HM
The US Weather Bureau once used Coastal Warning Display towers such as this one to fly signal flags to warn mariners of wind shifts or approaching storms.
On November 10, 1904, the Weather Bureau established the Manteo Weather Station . . . — — Map (db m79795) HM
"In the years to come, as islanders mingle with visitors along the Manteo waterfront, let us remember that on this spot, where so many vessels have been built and launched, dreams still light the way. For how else can you explain how a lighthouse . . . — — Map (db m47013) HM
Recreating History
The Spirit of Roanoke Island, completed in 2000 by volunteers of the North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island, is a fine example of the shad boat. A traditional work boat built of juniper (Atlantic white . . . — — Map (db m47026) HM
Located south of Oregon Inlet, Lifesaving Station Pea Island was the only unit in the history of the Coast Guard manned by all Black crews. This marker is dedicated to the crews of Pea Island who risked their lives and endured so that others might . . . — — Map (db m48610) HM
Bodie Island Light Station
has been placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior — — Map (db m47028) HM
Nearby dangerous shifting nearshore sandbars caused hundreds of shipwrecks. Congress commissioned a lighthouse to be built to aid mariners in navigating this "Graveyard of the Atlantic".
Standing before you is the third lighthouse built in this . . . — — Map (db m176001) HM
A German submarine sank the British tanker "Mirlo" off coast nearby, Aug. 16, 1918. Coast Guard, led by J. A. Midgett, saved most of the crew. — — Map (db m11394) HM
On the 16th of AUGUST, 1918, the British Tanker MIRLO was sunk by a German U-boat 5 miles offshore. Oil and gas poured into the sea and caught fire, creating a floating inferno. In a legendary rescue, the surfmen of nearby CHICAMACOMICO Lifesaving . . . — — Map (db m233624) HM
The Chicamacomico Races
Soon after the capture of Hatteras Inlet, Union Colonel Rush C. Hawkins anticipated an assault to dislodge his troops from their new foothold on Hatteras Island. He dispatched 600 troops of the 20th Indiana Regiment . . . — — Map (db m11489) HM
Late in the afternoon of October 1st, 1861, the Confederate steamers Raleigh, Junaluska and Curlew engaged and seized the Union tug Fanny three miles west of here. Her ammunition and supplies, intended for 600 Union soldiers . . . — — Map (db m20426) HM
On a raid through western North Carolina Gen. Stoneman's U.S. cavalry fought a skirmish with southern troops at Shallow Ford, April 11, 1865. — — Map (db m65414) HM
During the early nineteenth century much of the landscape south of St. Philips Church was undeveloped or used for agricultural purposes. Beyond Salem Creek, which can still be seen running through Central Park, was Shuman's Plantation. This . . . — — Map (db m172118) HM
At the turn of the 20th century, Winston's water reservoir was located at the top of Trade Street Hill, where Eighth and Trade Streets intersected. Disaster struck in the early morning hours of November 2, 1904, when people in the neighborhood were . . . — — Map (db m52691) HM
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt knew he needed to act fast. In order to win WWII, the U.S. would need tens of thousands of new fighter planes and immense amounts of electrical power to build them But where . . . — — Map (db m155981) HM
The Cheoah River can be a tranquil forest stream…or a whitewater torrent.
The flow of the Cheoah River between Santeetlah Dam and Calderwood Lake is carefully controlled by planned releases of water from Santeetlah Dam. For most of the . . . — — Map (db m189218) HM
The Cheoah River can be a tranquil forest stream…or a whitewater torrent.
The flow of the Cheoah River between Santeetlah Dam and Calderwood Lake is carefully controlled by planned releases of water from Santeetlah Dam. For most of the . . . — — Map (db m190817) HM
The Cheoah River can be a tranquil forest stream…or a whitewater torrent.
The flow of the Cheoah River between Santeetlah Dam and Calderwood Lake is carefully controlled by planned releases of water from Santeetlah Dam. For most of the . . . — — Map (db m190818) HM
Boating industry revolutionized by his believe that large hulls could be made of fiberglass, which was considered impossible. Chose this site in landlocked High Point to found Hatteras Yacht because of its skilled furniture craftsmen. 41-foot boat, . . . — — Map (db m175482) HM
Mill may date from about 1825, built on land owned by Jesse Field. It is best known as Robbins Mill or Holton Mill, bought in 1853 by Rev. Alexander and Mary (Weatherly) Robbins. Mrs. Robbins operated it during the Civil War, negotiating a draft . . . — — Map (db m221877) HM
Eighteenth-century towns were important gatherinsg spaces for people from various backgrounds. Halifax, on the south bank of the Roanoke River and at the intersection of major roads, became a major trade center and port during this period. . . . — — Map (db m207804) HM
The Confederate ironclad Albemarle was outfitted in Halifax with machinery and guns before sailing down river into action, 1864. — — Map (db m221555) HM
Step 1
With the upper gates open and the lower closed, the boat enters the lock with the water level high.
Step 2
The upper gates are closed and the lower wickets are opened to lower the water level. A . . . — — Map (db m161913) HM
Batteaux, originating from the French word for “boat” averaged sixty feet long, eight feet wide, and two feet deep. They could carry cargo weighing up to six tons but only drafted eighteen inches. This allowed them to navigate the shallow waters . . . — — Map (db m222105) HM
Trail Highlights
(Mileage begins at Oakwood Ave. Parking Lot)
1. The western Roanoke Canal Trail head is located at the Roanoke Rapids Lake Day Use Area, which offers picknicking, trails, swimming, fishing and other . . . — — Map (db m222106) HM
Trail Highlights
(Mileage begins at Roanoke Rapids Lake Trail Head)
1. Roanoke Rapids Lake Trail Head; Constructed in the early 1950s, Roanoke Rapids Lake is used for electricity production and recreation. The . . . — — Map (db m180467) HM
The section of canal in front of you is one of the few remnants of an engineering marvel designed to revolutionize transportation in inland North Carolina. In 1819, the Roanoke Navigation Company, representing public and private interests from . . . — — Map (db m180469) HM
The Roanoke Navigation Company—a collaboration among North Carolina, Virginia, and private shareholders—began building the Roanoke Canal in 1819. The company created an inland navigation system from the upper Staunton and Dan Rivers in Virginia, . . . — — Map (db m222107) HM
Batteaux – the name originating from the French word bateau meaning boat - averaged sixty feet long, eight feet wide, and two feet deep. When fully loaded with cargo, which could weigh up to six tons batteaux had only a draft of about . . . — — Map (db m161906) HM
A Job for Big Strong Men
Batteauxmen were rugged, strong, and individualistic men who risked their lives daily transporting goods up and down the river. Their origins dated back to the first European settlers whose only means of . . . — — Map (db m161921) HM
Early channel of trade, its valley long an area of plantations. Frequent floods until 1952, since controlled by Kerr Dam. Old name was "Moratuck." — — Map (db m221569) HM
Striped bass are culturally, economically and recreationally significant to the Roanoke River and to Weldon, NC—the
"Rockfish Capital of the World!"
Once overfished, state and federal agencies, fisherman and private industry . . . — — Map (db m222109) HM
WELDON, A Regional Railroad Hub
The first railroad charter in the United States was the Baltimore and Ohio in 1827. The first car to run on this railway was drawn by horses in 1830.
Weldon has a rich railroad history that . . . — — Map (db m227054) HM
Canal and locks around river rapids completed 1834 by Roanoke Navigation Company. Highway crosses route of canal at this point. — — Map (db m222012) HM
The Weldon terminus of the Roanoke Navigation Canal was the site of the first industrial complex in Halifax County. Located between the boat basin and the river, the site utilized the canal’s constant and regulated flow to power a variety of . . . — — Map (db m222112) HM
Welcome to The Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail
The Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail is a 7 1/2 mile long indoor and outdoor museum celebrating early American ingenuity and canal history. The Roanoke Canal Trail and it . . . — — Map (db m180515) HM
Ruins remain of locks and dams built by the Cape Fear & Deep River Navigation Company in 1850s. Rapids extend upstream 1-½ miles. — — Map (db m31601) HM
This spring provided water
for people and horses that
traveled over Waynesville
Mountain between Bethel
and Waynesville in the 1800s
and early 1900s. Families
would have picnics and
reunions here. The
Community Club of
Waynesville, in . . . — — Map (db m229451) HM
This is one of the earliest residential
districts in Hendersonville, first platted as
Columbia Park in 1908 and later as Lenox
Park in 1917. The Freeze-Bacon Hosiery Mill,
City Ice Company and Wing Paper Box
Company operated in the area. . . . — — Map (db m240968) HM
In the 1890's W.A. Smith began the development of
Laurel Park as a recreational area with Crystal Spring
as the focal point. Visitors came here for many years to
picnic and drink the clear, cold water from this well
known spring. A latticed shed . . . — — Map (db m240988) HM
Pre-1800's habitat adapted to a 10-acre recreational lake in 1909 reverting to a nature park in 2018
In 1909, W.A. Smith, the founder of Laurel Park, built an earthen dam on the north end of this valley converting a native forest into a . . . — — Map (db m240976) HM
In 1888 approval was given for a bond issue, Hendersonville's first, to build a reservoir for a supply of pure water to Main Street. The reservoir, fed by pristine springs in Laurel Park, is nearby. The outflow from this reservoir travels under . . . — — Map (db m240981) HM
W.A. Smith's evolving vision of Laurel Park included the
construction of the 10-acre Rhododendron Lake and beach in
1909. A 30-foot high earthen dam was constructed blocking
the stream running down the Cascades from the Reservoir.
In addition, . . . — — Map (db m240977) HM
W.A. Smith's improvements to the Park and Amusement Grounds started in
1907 with the construction of a 5,000 square foot modern roller skating rink.
The building's foundation, erected above water level on 8-foot piers, provided
boat houses, . . . — — Map (db m240973) HM
With support of the Hendersonville Board of Trade, the Park and Amusement
Grounds were established in 1903 with the construction of a baseball field,
grandstand, and a 2-story clubhouse to “provide entertainment, interest, and
amusement for the . . . — — Map (db m240972) HM
The first lighthouse at Ocracoke Inlet was the 1798 Shellcastle Rock lighthouse located on an island in the inlet. In such a location—defenseless against storms, tides, and winds—the lighthouse was often inoperative when needed most. . . . — — Map (db m114469) HM
In the spring of 1942, German U-boats prowled the ocean off the Outer Banks and sank freighters at will. By June, they had sunk 397 merchant vessels and the area earned the name “Torpedo Junction”. In October, the US Navy responded by building a . . . — — Map (db m191344) HM
Josiah Collins, Sr., and
partners drained part of
100,000-acre tract near
Lake Phelps with 6-mile
canal, completed 1788;
mouth 2 mi. southeast. — — Map (db m11404) HM
This solid oak ship's rudder was found in July 1997 at the South Point of Ocracoke. National Park Service personnel and state officials documented and stabilized the artifact. Identity of the ship is unknown, but it is believed to be from the . . . — — Map (db m212864) HM
The Blanche is a traditional Ocracoke deadrise fishing boat, built in 1934 for Stacy Howard ad named for his daughter, Blanche Howard Jolliff. Master boat-builder Tom Neal began the work, and it was finished by Homer Howard, who added a rounded . . . — — Map (db m212861) HM
[western face:] U.S. Navy Beach Jumpers
Loop Shack Hill
Advanced Amphibious Training Base, Ocracoke (AATB)
December 1943 to January 1946
In December 1943, the U.S. Navy Section Base became the Advanced Amphibious Training . . . — — Map (db m29973) HM
U.S. Revenue Cutter in War of 1812. Patrolled Ocracoke Inlet. Escaped British ships offshore, 1813, to deliver warning of threat to New Bern. — — Map (db m67238) HM
Ocracoke Inlet is the only North Carolina inlet that has remained open since European contact. During the colonial period it was the primary gateway for goods transported between the mainland, England and other colonies.
Because of its . . . — — Map (db m191346) HM
The yellow sidebar in the upper left provides a brief background: Late in 1862, Union Gen. John G. Foster’s garrison was well entrenched in New Bern and made several incursions into the countryside. On December 11, Foster led a raid from New . . . — — Map (db m23655) HM
The Confederate ironclad ram Neuse was constructed at Whitehall (present-day Seven Springs) beginning in October 1862. In March 1863, having survived Union Gen. John G. Foster's raid and the engagement at Whitehall the pervious December, . . . — — Map (db m30533) HM
The Confederate ironclad ram Neuse was constructed at Whitehall (present-day Seven Springs) beginning in October 1862. The unfinished hull survived the fighting there during Union Gen. John G. Foster's raid in December of 1863. It was docked . . . — — Map (db m153658) HM
Confederate ironclad, built at Whitehall and floated down the Neuse. Grounded and burned by Confederates in 1865. Remains one block N. — — Map (db m70451) HM
(Front): Moored near the King Street Bridge, the Confederate States Ship Neuse, and ironclad gunboat, was outfitted in Kinston in late 1863 and early 1864. (Left): An April 1864 attempt to take her downriver in a concerted . . . — — Map (db m30538) HM
In January 1864, General Robert E. Lee wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis that "a bold party" could descend the Neuse River to New Bern at night, capture Federal gunboats and use them to assist an assault on Union-held New Bern by a . . . — — Map (db m193703) HM
When asked by superiors about the completion of the Confederate ironclad being built on the Neuse River upstream from New Bern, Gen. John Peck of the Union army stated, "Hitherto it has been a question of iron and time." Paraphrasing the general, . . . — — Map (db m33849) HM
Confederate Ironclad, built at Whitehall and floated down the Neuse. Grounded and burned by Confederates in 1865. Remains are 250 yds. S. — — Map (db m226243) HM
The 4015-acre basin below has been a world-famous forest and water laboratory since 1933. Here, a variety of forest cutting experiments have increased flow of pure water by almost a half million gallons per acre per year without increasing soil . . . — — Map (db m3260) HM
Confederate fort. Was built, 1862-1863, at Rainbow Banks to protect railroads & Upper Roanoke River valley. Earthworks 3 miles NE. — — Map (db m227090) HM
[Front] The navy shield affixed to this monument was originally installed on the
wall of the Seaboard Airline Railway freight depot, one of the several
buildings that was part of the C.S. naval ordnance works, located on the
S.W corner of . . . — — Map (db m237507) HM
On May 20, 1861, North Carolina seceded from the Union to join the "Confederate States of America." In Charlotte, the United States Mint was taken over as Confederate headquarters. Students and faculty from the new Charlotte Military Academy went . . . — — Map (db m175553) HM
The James K. Polk State Historic Site is currently 22 of the original 150 acres owned by Samuel Polk. It was on this land that Samuel and his wife Jane gave birth to their oldest son James in 1795. The family lived here until 1806. James K. Polk . . . — — Map (db m175708) HM
Steam-powered blockade-runners, usually British, made 1,300 attempts to enter Southern ports with vital supplies during the Civil War. More than 1,000 of the trips succeeded.
The most successful vessels were specially built for the . . . — — Map (db m28680) HM
The agricultural South imported many things from Europe, particularly Great Britain. The North blockaded southern ports to stop this trade. In response, the Confederates used fast ships for blockade-running. — — Map (db m28666) HM
Blockade runner. Ran aground and sank 400 yds. E., June 1862. Its salvage 1962 led state to open an underwater archaeology office. — — Map (db m125748) HM
Constructed 243 vessels at shipyard one mile west, 1941-1946. Its first Liberty Ship, the S.S. Zebulon B. Vance, launched Dec. 6, 1941. — — Map (db m77135) HM
The U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial commemorates the heroic participation of the men and women of North Carolina in the prosecution and victory of the Second World War, and perpetuates the memory of the more than ten thousand North . . . — — Map (db m83989) HM WM
Civil War Wilmington Wilmington was a minor Atlantic port when the Civil War started and the U.S. Navy did little to secure it. In fall 1862, the Confederate Ordnance Bureau designated it as the port of entry for its blockade runners. At night . . . — — Map (db m223962) HM
Confederate shipyard and outfitting station which completed the ironclad steam sloop Raleigh in 1863. Site is three blocks west. — — Map (db m28626) HM
