North Carolina historian David Cecelski searched the Forest History Society’s archives for photographs of coastal North Carolina and came across images of logging and lumber mills taken between 1900 to 1950 along the coast.
culture and history
Beaufort’s Scandinavian, Dutch Fishermen
David Cecelski writes about the “largely forgotten enclave of Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch fishermen” who, along with their families, left New Jersey to make their home in Beaufort beginning in the 1910s.
Our Coast’s History: Chloe’s Story
The only recorded passage about the life of Chloe, a woman enslaved in Currituck County in the first half of the 1800s, reveals a great deal about her and the lives of other enslaved women on the North Carolina coast.
Loss of the Bounty, A Personal Recollection
Outer Banks resident James Charlet recounts his experience seven years ago monitoring the rescue of the crew of the Bounty replica ship that was lost off Cape Hatteras during Hurricane Sandy.
Event to Celebrate Promise Land’s History
Ravaged by storms in the late 1800s and seeking opportunity, former Cape Banks islanders and founding residents of Morehead City’s Promise Land neighborhood are to be honored Oct. 26.
Remembrance Marks African Slaves’ Arrival
An event this past weekend at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site featuring Freedmen’s Colony descendants observed the 400th year since enslaved Africans were first brought to America.
North Carolina and the Turpentine Trail
Historian David Cecelski writes about North Carolina losing its stranglehold on the naval stores industry after the American Civil War, forcing workers to follow the “turpentine trail” in search of untapped longleaf pine forests in other southern states.
Event Set to Honor Diamond City’s Legacy
The Diamond City Homecoming set for Aug. 17 is a celebration held every five years to remember the community that once called Shackleford Banks home.
Work Begins on Reaves Chapel Restoration
Work began last week on stabilizing the Reaves Chapel, a former African Methodist Episcopal church built after the Civil War by formerly enslaved people.
Activities Abound For Fourth of July
Regularly scheduled and special activities abound along the coast during Fourth of July holiday week at parks, aquariums, museums and more, including fireworks shows.
The Quaker Map: From Harlowe to Mill Creek
North Carolina historian David Cecelski uses a map he found recently and other sources to explore the history of a largely forgotten group of Quaker settlements that flourished on the North Carolina coast more than 200 years ago.
The Wreck of the Nomis
Historian David Cecelski writes about the motor schooner Nomis that went aground the summer of 1935 on Ocracoke Island’s outer shoals and the successful rescue of the six crewmen by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Songs on a Nags Head Porch
Author and historian David Cecelski visits with Gerret Warner and Mimi Gredy, who are making a documentary on Frank and Anne Warner and the coastal North Carolina folksingers and musicians who shared their songs and stories with the two American folk music collectors.
Blackbeard’s Death: Part Of A Failed Coup?
With the approach of the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s death, theories abound about the mysterious pirate, but an N.C. author posits that the killing was part of a failed coup attempt.
Our Coast’s History: NC’s Oyster War
Back in the 1880s, as the Chesapeake Bay oyster fishery declined from overharvest, out-of-state shellfishermen moved into North Carolina waters, prompting swift response from Tar Heel legislators.
Marines: Last Days of a New River Village
State historian David Cecelski writes about the visit of Greensboro photographer Charles A. Farrell to Marines in 1941, soon before the Onslow County village was displaced to make way for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
