The Florida fishing village known as Cortez has long been populated by folks with surnames that have for even longer been associated with the Bogue Sound area of North Carolina.
Culture & History
Island centenarian and a pirate shared a name, maybe more
William Howard, who purchased Ocracoke Island back in 1759, had the same name as a notorious pirate who, decades earlier, was Capt. Benjamin Hornigold’s quartermaster and sailed with Blackbeard, but was this mere coincidence or were they one and the same?
More than recipes: ‘Island Born and Bred’ a slice of life
The award-winning cookbook, which was originally intended as a church fundraiser nearly 35 years ago and is now available again, contains not only recipes but also sketches and stories that provide a glimpse of life in a coastal N.C. fishing village that has seen dramatic change.
Black soldiers’ role in Civil War raid gets new recognition
A Civil War raid of Elizabeth City that led to liberation of hundreds of enslaved North Carolinians is set to be commemorated Saturday with the dedication of a new North Carolina highway historical marker.
Perquimans County offers a quieter trip back in time
While sometimes overshadowed by neighboring counties of the Albemarle Region in terms of attractions, Perquimans boasts rich history and historically significant figures and structures of its own.
Cemetery threatened by erosion now features photo exhibit
The outdoor display features images from a photography and reporting project that investigates the effects of sea level rise and erosion as seen from the small cemetery at risk of being lost to the waters of Pamlico Sound.
Roanoke-Hatteras Algonquian: The tribe that never left
Marilyn Berry Morrison, an outspoken advocate for the Roanoke-Hatteras Tribe of the Algonquian Indians of North Carolina, has led the effort for official state recognition of the tribe she calls “keepers of the land” and is still represented here on the Outer Banks.
NC’s roots were in Albemarle Settlements, not ‘Lost Colony’
The role of Chowan County in North Carolina’s early Colonial history is often overshadowed by the first English settlement in North America, but it was here where the Tar Heel State had its true beginnings.
Whitehurst fishery: A Down East community on Lake Erie
Historian David Cecelski illustrates with photos and family lore the story of fishers from Down East Carteret County who found their way to Lake Erie more than a century ago.
1913 storm thrashed ships, and a rescue led to accusations
The fourth Atlantic hurricane of the season this month 108 years ago resulted in a handful of ships lost or aground along the Outer Banks, including one daring rescue that led to allegations of piracy.
Our Coast’s History: Varnamtown’s Fishermen 1938
Photographer Charles Farrell captured how mullet fishermen in the fall of 1938 “made do,” as historian David Cecelski explains, on Bald Head Island during the Great Depression.
Manteo museum a snapshot of Pea Island Station History
The tiny Pea Island Cookhouse Museum in Manteo tells the bigger picture of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station, manned by an all-Black crew from the 1880s to 1940s.
Our Coast’s History: Remembering 1930s Sneads Ferry
Through Charles Farrell’s photographs of Sneads Ferry in the 1930s, historian David Cecelski learned the stories and people of the Onslow County fishing village.
Aviation, history buffs to celebrate Orville Wright’s birthday
In honor of National Aviation Day, Aug. 19, the public can purchase rides on one of the famous “Warbirds,” or World War II aircraft, the Avenger “Doris Mae.”
Family researcher discovers Bertie County ancestor’s secret
John Bunch of Tampa, who spoke Saturday at the 10th Family History and Genealogical Fair at Hope Plantation, found answers in his research that confirmed what his relatives had long denied.
David Stick was an example of the ideal coastal historian
David Stick, who literally wrote the book on Outer Banks history and founded the Outer Banks History Museum, represents an endangered species of local historians in the modern publishing world.