Happy Holidays!

We wish you and yours a Very Merry Christmas

(December 25 - January 5) 

a Happy Hanukkah

(December 16 - December 24)

a Radiant Winter Solstice

(5:03 pm, December 21)

and a New Year filled with all Good Things!

 

As has been our custom for several years, we will be taking a hiatus during the holiday season to spend quality time with our family and friends. This is our last post for 2014. We will return January 5, 2015, with more stories, news, photos, and glimpses of Ocracoke Island life.

Be sure to join us in the New Year.

Old Christmas

The  "Julian Calendar" was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar. The year was reckoned to be 365.25 days long (so a leap day was added every four years). However, the tropical, or solar year, is a few minutes shorter than the Julian year. As a result, the calendar year gained approximately three days every four centuries. By the 16th century the calendar was out of sync with the tropical year by ten days.

To correct the discrepancy, in 1582 Pope Gregory decreed that Catholic lands should adopt the "Gregorian Calendar." The new calendar dropped ten days. Thursday, October 4, 1582, was followed by Friday, October 15, 1582. According to Wikipedia, "The Gregorian calendar improves the approximation made by the Julian calendar by skipping three Julian leap days in every 400 years, giving an average year of 365.2425 mean solar days long."

A number of Protestant countries were reluctant to make the change, seeing the change as an attempt by the Pope to control them. However, by 1752 England and its colonies adopted the more accurate Gregorian calendar. By then the discrepancy amounted to 11 days. Christmas Day (December 25 in the "old style" calendar) then fell on January 5 (in the "new style" calendar).

Many residents of the Outer Banks resisted the change. One Ocracoke Island family refused to conform for many years, and continued to celebrate Old Christmas (January 5) into the twentieth century.

The small village of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island is one of a very few US communities that continue to celebrate Old Christmas, even today.

In 2015 the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is 13 days. Thus, Old Christmas will technically fall on Jan 7, 2015. However, the residents of Rodanthe continue to celebrate Old Christmas on January 5, or the Saturday closest. In 2015 that would be January 3, although I have not seen any news about a 2015 event.
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The Rodanthe Old Christmas celebration is traditionally a time for family and friends to gather for an oyster roast, live music, dancing, the arrival of "Old Buck," and occasionally a drunken brawl. It is not a tourist attraction. Yes, at least in the 1970s, a Rodanthe Old Christmas sometimes escalated to fist fights. I believe the celebration has been tamed in recent decades.  

For more information, do an Internet search for "Rodanthe Old Christmas." Or click here to view some vintage photos of the event: https://www.flickr.com/photos/obhc/sets/72157622933955821/.

You can read several pages about Old Christmas in Rodanthe in Jan DeBlieu's excellent book, Hatteras Journal,...or better yet, buy her book and read the entire chapter there!

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

The Importance of Art

As some our readers may know, recent cutbacks in state funding for public education led to the elimination of the arts education program at Ocracoke School.

In an effort to continue arts programming for Ocracoke School students, Ocracoke Alive has made a commitment to work with the Ocraocke school to provide weekly classes, beginning in January of 2015 for grades pre-K through 8th.

There are several ways for Ocracoke residents and off-island friends to help make this program a success.

If you are an artist interested in applying to teach in the Arts Partnership Program, or if you just want more information, click here: http://www.ocracokealive.org/community-programming.

To make a financial contribution, click here: http://www.ocracokealive.org/home.

Art is an important part of a fulfilled life. Ocracoke students deserve an art education.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Early 1700s to 1845

In November, the Ocracoke Preservation Society gave islander Earl O'Neal the Society's first annual Cultural Heritage Award. Earl was honored for his numerous books, articles and collections that preserve and share the history of this island that Earl loves so much.

Below is just one short paragraph from one of Earl's articles, "Ocracoke Island History":

"The Island was first annexed to a county precinct government in 1770; it having been observed by a member of the Colonial Assembly that "those lawless bankers on Occacock Island are not paying taxes anywhere." At that time it was annexed to Carteret Precinct which had been formed in 1722 from Craven. Carteret also included Core Banks. Occacock Island prior to 1770 had belonged neither to Currituck, Craven or Carteret; it was an isolated, independent island until all the area south of Old Hatteras Inlet was put into Carteret. It was not until 1845 that Ocracoke Island, that portion of the Outer Banks below Old Hatteras Inlet down as far as Ocracoke Inlet, between it and Core Banks, was moved from Carteret County into Hyde County, and it has been in Hyde geographically and politically since that time."

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the murder of Willis Williams. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Paws and Tales

Island resident, Pat Garber, has just published her latest book, Paws and Tales.

From the back cover:

"Set on Ocracoke Island, Paws and Tales is an endearing story told in the words of Kali, a sailboat cat, and Harvey, an island dog. When Kali sails into the Ocracoke harbor with her person Sam, she senses that something unusual is about to happen.

"When a goofy but loveable Doberman pinscher called Harvey chases her off the edge of a dock, she finds herself adrift in an underworld of homeless cats, while Harvey and his person Emily ruefully regret the whole incident. What follows changes the lives of them all."

This book is not yet in our catalog, but you can order it from Village Craftsmen by calling 252-928-5541, Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. 122 pages, $14.95 + $3.50 shipping (shipping fee offer valid through Dec. 31, 2014).

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Chocolate Cake

Monday, December 8, was cousin Blanche's 95th birthday! I was off the island (driving home from my visit with Lou Ann, and had to detour to Swan Quarter because of overwash on NC12), so I didn't get to celebrate with her.

Blanche & Amy, several years ago

But I did stop by to say hello and wish her a Happy Birthday as soon as possible. Blanche is in good spirits, quite independent, still living at home, and taking good care of herself. She has frequent visitors, is always gracious, and loves to chat with family, friends, and visitors.

She told me her nephew's wife, Laurie, baked her a chocolate cake...and she saved a piece for me.

Now, if you are not from Ocracoke you might object that this is yellow cake with chocolate icing. But if you are from the island you know this is definitely a chocolate cake! That's the way it's always been here, and that's the way native islanders insist it shall remain. This is chocolate cake!

And, I might add, it was "good some." Thank you, Blanche...and thank you, Laurie.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

'Tis the Season

Island Holiday Events are already well underway.

Earlier this month local businesses and organizations hosted open houses, a gumbo & rice fundraiser, a women's Christmas potluck dinner, book signings, a cookie swap, OPS Wassail party and tree lighting, storytime for children, and other events.

Ocracoke Preservation Society organized another Holiday Historic Homes Tour (this year on Lighthouse Road & Creek Road) that was an unqualified success.  

And...there is more, of course. If you live on the island or are visiting be sure to take in the following events:

• Dec 11th: Santa at the Variety Store. 3 – 5pm. No donation or money needed. Come get your picture taken with Santa! Also Dec 11th is the Scholastic Book Fair Family Night at the Library at 6:30pm. The Scholastic Book Fair continues from Dec 11th – 16th, and is open weekdays 8am – 7pm and Saturday 9am – 1pm. 

• Dec 12-13th: Holiday Basketball Tournament at Ocracoke School. 

• Dec 13th: Community Christmas Concert, 7pm at Community Center. Performers of all ages! Let Sundae (921-0283) know if you'd like to be in the show. Free, though we are asking for donations of non-perishable food items for the food pantry. And Ocracoke School's 2nd grade will be having a bake sale. Sponsored by Ocracoke Civic & Business Association. 

• Dec 14th: Breakfast with Santa to benefit Ocracoke Child Care. 8 – 10am at Topless Oyster Restaurant. Also Dec. 14th is the Christmas program at Ocracoke Assembly of God Church, 7pm. Free. All are welcome. 

• Dec 17th: Christmas Caroling, meet at Methodist Church at 5pm. They are hosting the chili supper after the caroling. 

• Dec 18th: Ocracoke School Christmas program, 7pm in the gym. 

• Dec 19th: Choral Concert with the Joyful Band of Singers. 7:30 at the Methodist Church. Free. Donations to church accepted. Sponsored by Ocracoke Alive. 

• Dec 20th: Live Nativity at the Methodist Church, 6 – 7pm. Also Dec 20th is the Community Potluck and Dance with the Ocracoke Rockers at Topless Oyster Restaurant. 

• Dec 21st: Live Nativity at the Methodist Church, 5:30-6:30pm

• Dec 24th: Christmas Eve service at the Methodist Church, with the children's Christmas pageant. 7pm. 

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Dr. Morgan

In the past I have written about Dr. Morgan.

Sometime around the turn of the twentieth century a Dr. Morgan came to Ocracoke and stayed for some time at the old Pamlico Inn.

Dr. Morgan was clearly well educated and quite refined, but he seems to have been suffering from alcoholism. He came to the island to recover, not to set up a practice, but naturally, when islanders discovered his profession, they sought him out during times of illness.

Dr. Morgan's best remembered treatment was curing young Billy Scarborough of lockjaw. Folks around these parts considered it a miracle. It was the first known cure for lockjaw that anyone here had ever heard of.

Islanders could not help but notice Dr. Morgan's preference for gourmet foods (he enjoyed terrapin stewed in wine) and impeccable dress.  Scuttlebutt on the island suggested that he was part of the wealthy and respected J.P. Morgan clan, and had been "exiled" to Ocracoke as a black sheep of the family. He died only a few years after moving to Ocracoke, and is buried in an unmarked grave on Live Oak Road. Only one member of his birth family attended the funeral. Reports indicate that this relative created quite a stir because of his fine suit and expensive shoes.

I have done a little Internet research on the J.P. Morgan family. Many sites say that J.P. (1837-1913) was the only son of Junius Spencer Morgan (1813-1890). It turns out there was one other son, Junius Spencer Morgan. Jr. who was born in 1846, but he died when he was just four years old.

JPM had only one son, "Jack" (1867-1943) who was a well known banker and philanthropist.

JPM, Jr. had two sons, one of whom died in 1960, and the other in 1972. Of course, these two Morgans are not candidates for Dr. Morgan of Ocracoke. They died too late. Neither one is buried on the island.

I still am intrigued by our local oral history. It seems clear that Dr. Morgan was not a member of J. P. Morgan's immediate family. But we still might discover that he was part of the extended Morgan clan. I will post again if more information becomes available.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Capt. David Williams

Ocracoke Island native, Captain David Williams (1858-1938), served in the United States Life Saving Service, and continued his service after the USLSS joined with the US Revenue Cutter Service to become the United States Coast Guard.

Capt. David Williams

Captain Williams was chief of the 1903 station that was built in Ocracoke Village. Capt. Williams, his wife Alice Wahab Williams, and their children lived in the house that is now the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum.

OPS Museum

Captain Williams is buried in his family cemetery adjacent to the British Cemetery.

Andrew Stern Attacking Vines in the Williams Cemetery

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the murder of Willis Williams. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Leonard Meeker

On November 29 island resident, Leonard Meeker (1916-2014) died peacefully in his home on the shore of Silver Lake Harbor. Leonard, who was 98 years old, led a distinguished life of public service, most notably as legal adviser to the US State Department. In that role he played a crucial role in defusing the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Leonard Meeker, 2005 by Oliver White

In recent months, Leonard, with his wife Beverly, continued to entertain family, friends, and other visitors at his bedside on Ocracoke. It was always a delight to chat with him, discuss current events, and listen to his stories as legal counsel with the State Department, and as ambassador to Romania.

Leonard Meeker was a statesman, a gentleman, an active member of our community, and a delightful friend.

We will miss him.

You can read a more comprehensive article about Leonard, and listen to a recording of his first-hand account of  the Cuban Missile Crisis ("one of the most important meetings in American history"),  here: http://ocracokeobserver.com/2014/12/05/leonard-meeker-1916-2014-2/

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Rosin-Stringing

A reader's comment on our post for November 19 about the difference between resin and rosin reminded me of an old Ocracoke Island prank.

Rosin is the solid, amber-colored substance formed from the gummy resin of pine trees. Although rosin has a variety of uses, including one ingredient in inks, soaps, chewing gum, soldering flux and some medicines, most people recognize it as the small, hard block used to rub along the bow hairs of fiddles and other stringed instruments. It is applied to help the bow grip the strings.
 
Island children of several generations ago used rosin to play a trick on their neighbors. This is how it is done:

Obtain a long thread. A sturdy sewing thread (perhaps one for repairing sails) works well. Tie a wooden matchstick to one end. After dark, sneak up to a neighbor's house (in the 21st century this is best done in a neighborhood not known for suspicious activities, Peeping Toms, or easily spooked or armed homeowners!). Quietly and carefully wedge the matchstick as high as practical between a window sash and its frame.

Sneak away some distance from the house, stretching the string as you retreat. In a well hidden place (in a thicket of shrubs, perhaps, or behind a fence) begin rubbing the rosin on the taut thread. A vibration will be transferred along the string, creating a haunting, moaning sound that reverberates throughout the house.

Some friends and I played this prank a number of years ago (we even dressed in black!). Through the window we could see our neighbor sitting in his living room watching television. When we started rubbing the rosin on the thread he turned off the TV, got up, and began looking around the room. We stopped immediately.

As soon as he sat back down and resumed watching TV we began again.

After several attempts to locate the source of the strange, on-again, off-again eerie sound, he stepped outside. We had fastened the string high enough so we could lift it above his head as he walked around the building.

Of course, we all had a good laugh when we revealed ourselves and explained our prank.

Oh, for the simpler times when children (and adults) entertained themselves playing harmless pranks on friends and neighbors! 

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Dr. Morgan...Again

On Wednesday, December 10, 2014, I wrote about Dr. Morgan. Since then I've found two newspaper reports about him.

From the (Raleigh, NC) News and Observer, Fri., Oct. 16, 1903:

"Dr. Taylor is Safe -- After a Rough Passage He Reached Ocracoke All Right (Special to News and Observer)

Washington, N.C., Oct. 15 -- A message from Belhaven declares that Dr. Joshua Tayloe is safe. The schooner-yacht Grechtin [sic] on which he left here for Ocracoke reached her destination without serious mishap. Dr. Tayloe had been summoned to the bedside of Dr. A. T. Morgan, of New York, who was critically ill at Ocracoke. At the mouth of the Pungo river a storm was encountered, but the little vessel weathered it magnificently and Captain Toler, an experienced navigator, made good his word by landing Dr. Tayloe safe and sound on Ocracoke.

"Dr. Morgan, however, though the object of unremitting care, passed away, leaving among the people an enduring regret. He came to Ocracoke a year ago seeking health, and endeared himself to the community by giving freely of his professional services to rich and poor alike."

From the Washington (NC) Progress, Thu., Oct. 22, 1903:

"At a regular meeting of Ocracoke Lodge No. 194, I.O.O.F., held at their Hall on this the 12th day of October 1903, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted; to wit:

"Whereas, the sad intelligence has reached this Lodge of the death of Dr. A. T. Morgan, for sometime past a resident of Ocracoke, who by his numerous acts of kindness in ministering to our people in their hours of sickness, both day and night, giving freely of his professional services and counsel with a liberality born of a noble man with a kind and tender heart, therefore, be it resolved:

"That in the death of Dr. Morgan, Ocracoke Lodge No. 194, I.O.O.F. has lost a well wisher and the people of the entire island of Ocracoke a kind and sympathetic friend whose death has brought a pang of deepest sorrow to the hearts of all, and be it further resolved,

"That as a mark of our respect and esteem these resolutions be spread upon the minutes of our Lodge and a copy of the same transmitted to the father of our beloved friend and published in the Raleigh News and Observer and Washington Progress.

"G. P. Hassel, M. L. Piland, T. F. Smith, Com.

"Attest: W. E. Howard, Secretary"

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

International Space Station

One of the delights of spending time on Ocracoke, especially at the beach, is the opportunity to gaze into the night sky and marvel at the profusion of stars, star clusters, galaxies and planets.

Milky Way over Ocracoke Beach by Craig Roberts

Satellites and other man-made objects, including the International Space Station, are sometimes visible also.

In case you haven't heard, NASA is now providing live video from the International Space Station. 

According to their web site, the video "includes internal views when the crew is on-duty and Earth views at other times. The video is accompanied by audio of conversations between the crew and Mission Control. This video is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground. During "loss of signal" periods, viewers will see a blue screen. Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it experiences a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes. When the station is in darkness, external camera video may appear black, but can sometimes provide spectacular views of lightning or city lights below."

You can watch the video here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-iss-stream.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

T-Shirt

As most of our readers know, numerous t-shirts & sweatshirts have been designed with Ocracoke logos and themes. In fact, I created several designs myself. This is a wrap-around image that we sell at Village Craftsmen.

But, I mention these designs, and include the image above, not to promote our original t-shirts (though we like that idea also), but because I failed to take a photo of an Ocracoke sweatshirt I saw recently in Indiana.

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with Lou Ann and her family in northeastern Indiana. It was cold, with a little snow, but the house was filled with warm embraces, laughter and good cheer. All three of Lou Ann's children and their families were there for a feast of wild turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, corn casserole, deviled eggs (and much more!). Of course, there was also pumpkin pie and fresh apple cider.

In addition to copious amounts of delicious food, there were many other delights. Lou Ann had an hour-long performance at a turn-of-the-20th-century mansion in Fort Wayne, we played "archery tag," visited with friends, and rode a horse-drawn wagon into the fields to cut a beautiful Christmas tree.

One afternoon, while strolling in downtown Angola, Indiana, I passed a woman wearing an Ocracoke Island sweatshirt (it had warmed up to above freezing, but was still too cold for t-shirts!). I had to stop and chat. She and her family have been vacationing on Ocracoke for about a decade. It turns out the island is their favorite vacation destination. And Village Craftsmen, their favorite place to shop. She and her husband also make it a point to attend Molasses Creek performances whenever they are on the island.

It is fun to be reminded of my island home (even if I failed to get a photo), when I am nearly 1,000 miles away!

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Rescue & Honor

This post is a bit late (the Thanksgiving holiday intervened), but I think it is worth sharing. In case you missed the news, on November 18, 2014, seven crew members of the North Carolina ferry, Cedar Island, were honored with the Governor's Award for Excellence in Safety and Heroism.

As it happened, on September 26, 2013, a pleasure sailboat capsized in the dark near Ocracoke in Big Foot Slough during rapidly deteriorating weather.

After departing Ocracoke at 8 pm, ferry Capt. Steven Goodwin spotted the unfortunate sailors, John and Renee Hoffman. Goodwin maneuvered his vessel close by, and his crew launched the ferry's 16-foot rescue boat. It was piloted by crew members Glenn Salter and Daniel Smith. According to reports, the wind was gusting to 30 knots, and seas were building at 4 to 5 feet. The Hoffmans were safely pulled from the water and brought to the Cedar Island where they were brought aboard by the other crew members.

In addition to Goodwin, Salter, and Smith, Gerry Gilliken, David Styron, Randy Willis and Paul Morris were presented with awards and honored for their bravery.

Our thanks and respect go out to the crew of the Motor Vessel Cedar Island.  We are so fortunate to have knowledgeable and dedicated captains and crew in the North Carolina Ferry Division.

You can read more of this story here: http://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/article_2a334282-7000-11e4-8352-6b8e7da31994.html.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Books

In late October I listed some of the books I had recently read. That post generated 15 comments. So I thought...maybe our readers like to discuss books, and share what books they are reading. Below is a list of books I've read since October 20. You might notice that I've been reading a little bit more fiction. This time I added one sentence describing each book.

Leave a comment and tell us what you've been reading and/or what you recommend.

Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell (A 1932 classic American novel about Georgia sharecroppers)

A Historian's Coast by David Cecelski (Delightful essays written by a coastal North Carolinian)

21 Stories by Graham Greene (Thought-provoking short stories by a celebrated writer described as "the ultimate chronicler of twentieth-century man's consciousness and anxiety.")

My Notorious Life by Kate Manning (An historical novel loosely based on the life of a Victorian-era midwife and abortionist described as the "wickedest woman in New York")

Pilgrim's Wilderness by Tom Kizzia (The story of a highly dysfunctional Christian family living in the Alaskan wilderness)

The Watery Part of the World by Michael Parker (A novel set on "Yaupon Island" [Portsmouth Island])

What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell (A somewhat controversial evangelical pastor shares his views about God)

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (A classic English-language novel written by a Polish author [1857-1924] with a brilliant command of his third language)

Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman (As the subtitle says, "The story of America's most Secretive Religion")

Ghosts Among Us by James Van Praagh (See http://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/talking-to-the-dead-james-van-praagh-tested/ for an exposé of this man)

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (A short novel; Sophia, a six year old girl, and her grandmother spend the summer on an island in the Gulf of Finland)

God Bless America by Karen Stollznow (Best described by its subtitle: "Strange and Unusual Religious Beliefs and Practices in the United States")

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Camp Meeting

Camp Meetings, outdoor religious services characterized by enthusiastic hymn singing, rousing preaching, long prayers, and an "altar call" were held periodically during the 19th century on Ocracoke and other communities on the Outer Banks.

Crude tents were made from sail canvas. Benches were fashioned from lumber washed up on the beach, or from upturned fish boxes.

A pious Ocracoke gentleman heard that a camp meeting was to be held in Kinnakeet (now Avon) on Hatteras Island. At the boat landing, where several folks had gathered for the departure, one man showed up highly intoxicated. “What,” the pious islander exclaimed, “you’re going to a camp meeting, and you’re drunk already?” “Yes,” the man slurred, “I believe that if you’re going to be ready to ask forgiveness, you should make an early start of it.”

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Thanksgiving

We at Village Craftsmen wish all of our readers a very Happy Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, and healthful food.

If you are on the island tomorrow and/or this weekend, be sure to stop by and say hello as you enjoy a walk down Howard Street.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Iced Taters

My good buddy, Wayne Teeter (1944-2014), loved to cook. Even as a child he relished food...clams, oysters, fish...any kind of seafood, really...and a variety of vegetables grown in his back yard. I remember him talking animatedly about those delicious "iced taters," fresh from his family garden.

If you are not from the South you may be wondering what "iced taters" are. With a little imagination you might guess they are "Irish potatoes," a staple of many an island dish, from old drum "Ocracoke style" to clam chowder.

Gardens are not as plentiful on the island as they once were, but a number of my neighbors still cultivate impressive vegetable gardens, many with iced taters.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Progging

"Progging" is a term that has been around since the 16th century, although its origin is unknown.

Ocracoke Islanders in bygone years used the word to describe searching for food, often for turtles. Dictionary.com defines "prog" as "to search or prowl about, as for plunder or food; forage."

Walt Wolfram, in his paper, The grammar of rural and ethnic varieties in the Southeast, comments on this unusual word: "Particular lexical differences may also characterize specific enclave communities such as the use of...progging for ‘looking for artifacts’ on the islands of the Chesapeake Bay...."

David Wright & David Zoby, in their book, Fire on the Beach," point out that "...Roanoke Island blacks [in 1867] described themselves as fishermen, hunters of fowl, and 'proggers'...."

Ocracoke Islander, Frank Treat Fulcher (born, 1878), in his autobiography recounting his years at sea, tells about coming home and engaging in "several years more of progging" "in the oyster and fishing business."

Ocracokers occasionally go out progging for oysters or for items washed up on the beach, but it's rare to hear the word "progging" spoken nowadays.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Newsletter

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the seldom told story of the 1837 murder of Willis Williams by Jacob Gaskill. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112114.htm.

Coconut

The sea tosses many different gifts upon the shore -- seashells mostly, but sometimes messages in bottles, coins, even cargo from passing ships.

Not long ago I stumbled upon a water-logged, weathered coconut. Of course, it came from some tropical shore, probably from Florida or the Caribbean, carried to Ocracoke by the Gulf Stream and stormy weather off-shore.

In the past I've picked up apples, onions, and other fruits and vegetables that were perfectly fit to eat...but I left this coconut lying on the beach among copious amounts of seaweed.  It didn't look like it was worth the time to break it open.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.  

1933

In 1985, Melinda Tolson and Steve Cobb, students at Cape Hatteras School, interviewed Capt. Ernal Foster (1910-1996). Capt. Foster was the Hatteras Island native who launched the Outer Banks offshore sport fishing industry in 1937. In that year he carried fishermen into the Gulf Stream in his 37' vessel, the Albatross. Today, the Albatross fleet continues to cater to sport fishermen in three boats. You can read more about the Albatross Fleet here: http://www.albatrossfleet.com/albatross-history.html.

In the 1985 interview, Capt. Foster tells about being stranded at the Green Island Club at Ocracoke, 3.1 miles southwest of Hatteras Inlet. The hunting club was located on a marshy island in Pamlico Sound, not far from shore.

The incident happened in 1933, when Foster was 23 years old. He and several friends were fishing in the Sound when the wind started to pick up and the water got rougher. Foster and his friends decided to seek shelter at Green Island, but the wind velocity kept increasing, and the tide rose rapidly.

In no time at all the tide rushed inside the building. When water reached their waists the men went upstairs. The hurricane winds eventually undermined one side of the house, causing the whole structure to tip over so that one side of the roof was down in the water. The men retreated to the roof, staying on the leeward side. They remained on the roof throughout the hurricane, and into the next day, until the water receded and the wind abated.

When the fishermen finally located a castaway boat (theirs was destroyed), and returned to Hatteras, they discovered widespread damage, but no injuries. Capt. Foster described his ordeal as the worst experience of his life.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.  

Naval Stores

If you are like many modern landlubbers, you probably think "naval stores" are commercial establishments that sell anchors, rope, dinghies, life jackets, bottom paint, and anything else associated with sailboats and motorboats.

In fact, naval stores are products derived from pine sap. That's right, "naval stores" means turpentine, paint, varnish, various soaps & lubricants...even shoe polish and linoleum.

The term "naval stores" originated because resin-based products were essential for the construction and maintenance of sailing ships. Naval stores were used to caulk between hull planks, to weatherproof  various items, and to help preserve lines and ropes. Sailors, of course, were often called "old tars" because they were so often begommed with the stuff.

And pine sap came from pine trees; and pine trees grew in abundance in North Carolina.  In the mid-nineteenth century North Carolina produced more than 95% of all the naval stores (turpentine, tar, pitch, and rosin) in the United States. Most of that came from twelve tidewater counties. Many of the schooners from Ocracoke carried naval stores up and down the coast, to the West Indies and to Nova Scotia.

Like so many other human endeavors, over-exploitation of North Carolina's pine forests (at one time longleaf pine forests covered 130 million acres, from Virginia to Texas) led to ecological disaster and financial collapse. By the late 1800s the North Carolina naval stores industry had moved to South Carolina and Georgia...and later to the deep south and Texas.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm. 

Ocracoke and the American Revolution

Ellen Fulcher Cloud has collected a prodigious amount of information about the history of Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands. In her 2006 book, Portsmouth, the Way it Was, she writes this about Ocracoke pilots in 1777:

"Ocracoke Inlet was one of the most important inlets of the Revolution. The British soon became aware of this, and in 1777 Ocracoke Inlet...was threatened when the British unsuccessfully attempted a blockade. Vessels continued to slip in with supplies and privateers were sneaking out. However the British were successful in capturing some of our vessels. On April 14 the British ship LILY, captured the vessel POLLY, and a privateer on the same day recaptured the POLLY and disarmed the LILY. The Pilots at Ocraocke Inlet showed their determination to keep the inlet open for shipping. For three days a group of armed pilots manned five whale boats, proceeded out of the Inlet and captured both vessels and took them to New Bern."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is about the Unionist North Carolina State Government established at Hatteras in 1861. You can read all about it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092114.htm. 

Cormorants

Not long ago I was on the early morning Swan Quarter ferry, passing the spoil island near the wreck of the dredge Lehigh.  A steady line of cormorants was on its way to the ocean. Thousands of black birds, flapping their wings just inches above the water, flew steadily along. As the ferry approached, the line broke, as some hurried on ahead, and others veered away to rejoin their line behind the ferry.

Double-crested cormorants winter near Ocracoke Inlet in the thousands...probably in the tens of thousands. Every morning they leave the low-lying sandy islands in the sound and head out into the ocean. By mid-afternoon they are returning in a seemingly endless line. If you enlarge the following photo you can see more than a dozen cormorants just off-shore as they are traveling in for the evening.

Sometimes cormorants fly higher, usually in a ragged V pattern.

Cormorants are coastal (not pelagic) birds that eat fish, and can often be seen diving for their prey. World wide, there are at least 40 species of cormorants, and (according to Wikipedia) some are known to be able to dive as deep as 145 feet!

I found this YouTube video of cormorants flying near Salvo, NC. It is described as a Cormorant Feeding Frenzy, but I'm sure they are just traveling out to their feeding grounds. But the video will give you an idea of their numbers and their habits. Enjoy.



Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Leonard Bryant

Below is a reprint of the obituary for Ocracoke Islander, Leonard Bryant (August 11, 1874-November 15, 1960), who died 54 years ago tomorrow:

White Friends Hold Last Rites For Negro Man
Ocracoke -- Leonard Bryant, 82 [according to my sources, he was 86], a member of the only Negro family on Ocracoke, died last week.

Funeral services were conducted Nov. 16 in the Methodist Church, of which he had been a member and sexton for many years. Since there is no segregation in the church, he had taken communion with the white members during that time. All pallbearers at the funeral were white.

He was buried in the unsegregated community cemetery.

Bryant came to Ocracoke at the age of 19 to help the late George Credle run the old Ponder Hotel. He lived alone in a home adjacent to that of other members of his family; his wife, who has been ill, has been living with a daughter in Winston-Salem.

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Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Persimmons

Many years ago, one of the island teenagers offered me my first persimmon. It had not ripened, and my mouth immediately began to pucker! You can imagine the hilarity that evinced.

Persimmons contain very high levels of soluble tannins which make the unripened fruit quite unpalatable. The tannins can also combine with stomach acids to produce a "foodball" (called a phytobezoar), which can be medically dangerous. Needless to say, I never consumed enough of the unripe persimmon to present any problem.

Persimmon Tree at Ocracoke Methodist Church

Persimmon trees are relatively common on the Outer Banks. The following recipe was printed in the Spring, 1974 issue of Sea Chest.

Persimmon Pudding

Collect persimmons after frost has hit them and they are soft. Cook as any fruit and push through a colander. One cup of fruit is needed for the pudding mix.

1 3/4 cups of sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 egs
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cream shortening and add sugar gradually. Beat eggs and add spice. Add flour and milk to sugar mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Add the persimmon pulp.

Pour into a greased pan and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 35 to 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or a lemon sauce.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm. 

Songbirds for Supper

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is about wildfowl hunting in 1910. At one time, wild birds were so plentiful on the Outer Banks that it seemed their numbers were inexhaustible. In the late 1800s market hunting with shotguns allowed the taking of dozens of geese and ducks, sometimes by mounting several guns on a boat or sinkbox. In one day hundreds of birds could be killed, then shipped to northern markets.

Of course, we now know that indiscriminate killing of wild birds leads to ecological disaster. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 1934 put an end to market hunting and the wholesale slaughter of waterfowl.

Bird hunting is a long tradition on Ocracoke. Ducks and geese were the primary targets, but small songbirds such as robins were also hunted for food, even within living memory. As late as the 1970s island boys routinely shot small birds within the village.

As David Cecelski writes in his book, A Historian's Coast, "[h]unting coastal birds was an old custom in North Carolina. Long before market gunning, watermen's families savored wild bird dishes ranging from fried tern to stewed blue heron. In fact, few bird species eluded the cook pot."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm. 

Lords Proprietors, John Lovick, & Ocracoke

In 1663, eight English noblemen received a charter from King Charles II to establish the colony of Carolina in the New World. These eight men were the "Lords Proprietors," and their job was to oversee the colony on behalf of the King.

The eight Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina were:

• George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608–1670) 
• Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1609–1674) 
• John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1602–1678) 
• William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven (1608–1697) 
• Sir George Carteret (c. 1610–1680) 
• Sir William Berkeley (1605–1677) 
• Sir John Colleton, 1st Baronet (1608–1666) 
• Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury (1621–1683). 

On November 11, 1719 (295 years ago today) the Lords Proprietors granted the island of Occacock, containing 2,110 acres, to John Lovick, Secretary of the Colony of North Carolina and a Deputy of the Lords Proprietors.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

More Music

A few days ago David, Amy & Lachlan, as well as several other friends, came over to my house, and brought food and musical instruments. Michael Stanwood, a frequent visitor to the island, was there. After supper he and David filled my living room with fiddle and autoharp music.

Michael plays guitar, autoharp, and several exotic instruments, including the didgeridoo. He is also an artist and storyteller. You can read more about Michael here: michaelstanwood.com.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Shark's Teeth

I posted this photo on our Facebook page two days ago, and it received 7,000 views, a record for us. It was so popular that I decided to post it here for those of our readers who are not on Facebook.

I was walking along the beach several days ago, and stopped when I saw this tiny bundle of shark's teeth. I was surprised because I had never before found a shark's tooth on Ocracoke.  There were 75-100 small teeth, all connected and obviously from one animal.

I brought them home, and laid them outside, hoping ants would attack the cartilage and separate them for me.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Mattie

I was biking around the village last week when I noticed a group of artists working at their easels in front of the lighthouse. More "plein air" painters, I thought, and wondered what was going on.














So I stopped to take some pictures and ask a few questions. Immediately I spied my friend Anita from mainland Hyde County. Then I discovered there were three other islanders in the group of a dozen or so artists. They were being tutored by Mark Hierholzer, colorist and fine art oil painter from Swan Quarter.

The group was part of a program of the Mattie Arts Center which was established in 2012 and housed in the old Hyde County court house in Swan Quarter. MATTIE is an acronym for Mattamuskeet Artisans, Teaching, Training, Instructing, and Educating.

Classes at Mattie are dedicated to creating a venue where artists can grow artistically in their craft, communicate creatively with one another, and be inspired by nature.

It certainly looked as if they were accomplishing their goals. I hope I have an opportunity to see some of their finished products.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Three Photos

Just a couple of photos taken crossing Pamlico Sound on the Wilma Lee (More information on yesterday's post)...

...And work being done on the Simon & Emma O'neal house on Lighthouse Road:

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Wilma Lee

On Tuesday, October 28, I accompanied Captain Rob, Tom, Chuck & Gary to Jarrett Bay Boat Yard in Beaufort, NC. We were going to pick up the Wilma Lee, now ready to bring back to Ocracoke after repairs were completed.

It was an impressive sight, seeing the Wilma Lee propped on jack stands where the work was done.

Then the travel lift arrived. Heavy duty straps were attached under the Wilma Lee's hull, and she was lifted up and carried slowly, very slowly, to the water. 

Carefully, the skipjack was lowered into the basin and set free.

We crossed Pamlico Sound. Here is Rob at the helm, Chuck by his side, and the setting sun behind us. We arrived back at Silver Lake about 9:30.

With the addition of new sails, and fully rigged (not exactly sure when that will be), the Wilma Lee will again be ready for sunset cruises and educational programs. Stop down at the Community Square docks to take a look at her.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Pirates

What a fun weekend! Tricorn hats, flintlock pistols, swords and pewter tankards were to be seen everywhere throughout the village. There were cannons, naval battles, madrigals, bawdy songs, history lessons, scallywag school, sword fights and beer gardens. The 2014 Pirate Jamboree was a great success. A few photos:

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm. 

Shark

I am not sure why, but it is rare to find sharks' teeth on Ocracoke's beach. However, several days ago I found an entire mouthful of one shark's teeth!

This critter was lying on the beach, not too far above the high tide line. If you enlarge the picture you will see that he still has an impressive array of sharp teeth. I did not try to retrieve any of them.

I am not sure what species of shark this is. Perhaps one of our readers can enlighten me.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm. 

Sheperd's Pie & Banjo Music

It is not often that someone I don't know sets up Dutch ovens in my side yard, fills our plates with shepherd's pie & hot biscuits, and graces my living room with fast-paced banjo music!

In fact, it's only happened once...just this past Monday. As it turned out, fiddler Dave recently struck up a conversation with Jim Huskins and his wife Beverly because of their mutual love of music. Then Jim offered to feed our family and the Molasses Creek band members. I didn't meet Jim until he arrived carrying cast iron Dutch ovens. They were soon set up in my yard, heated with charcoal briquettes...and the cooking began.

Jim made the biscuits on my picnic table as the shepherd's pie cooked nearby.

By 7 o'clock we were all gathered around my dining room table enjoying the fruits of Jim's labor.

But another treat was waiting for us. All of the musicians brought their instruments. After dessert (David had baked an Ocracoke fig cake, and Marcy brought home-made Halloween cookies) we repaired to the living room for an hour of lively music. 

Towards 10 o'clock, Jim retrieved his hat, and he & Beverly helped us carry the utensils back to their "motor home," a converted 40' airport shuttle bus.

(You can take a look at Jim's bus building blog here: http://www.nomadicista.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2541. His travelogue about their trip is here: http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=28203.0).

Everything about Jim and Beverly's visit to my home was memorable...delicious food, wonderful conversation, and fantastic music! Sometimes the unexpected can be the most enjoyable.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Rehabilitation

There is good news to share this week. Several years ago the Ocracoke Preservation Society received a bequest from the David and Geraldine Beveridge estate designated to help preserve an island structure. The Society used the money to purchase the Simon and Emma O'Neal house on Lighthouse Road.

The house was subsequently sold, with conservation easements, to a private buyer. He has received approval for the rehabilitation of this house to historic preservation standards, and work began just last week.

This building is a typical turn-of-the-twentieth-century island house, and is located across the street from the Assembly of God church.

We are delighted that OPS saved this house, and we are looking forward to seeing it fully restored and returned to occupancy. Take a look at the progress being made when you walk, bike, or drive down Lighthouse Road.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.

Costumes

The annual Halloween Parade was held Friday afternoon at the School Circle. Below are a couple of photos. The first is Lachlan as Lizardman and Bones (Bones was just his normal piratical self).

My favorite (he won the award for "Most Original Costume") was Austin, the little mouse in the trap.

Here are a few other images courtesy of Sally Beachy:

Halloween is just a few days away. Make sure your costume is ready! If you are on the island be sure to stroll down Lighthouse Road to see the children (and adults) in costume...and maybe get a few treats.

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1910 article about waterfowl hunting. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102114.htm.