Webs around a vent in the tiled storefront wall of the old, now vacant, M. Mann’s & Sons building in Newport create a ghostly appearance peering out slightly menacingly at passersby from the longtime home of the former C.M. Hill Hardware, where Chatham, East Chatham and Market streets all converge with the North Carolina Railroad Co. line and East and West Railroad boulevards. Photo: Mark Hibbs
history
As timber declined, Buffalo City loggers made ’shine
Recently detailed by “When Ghosts Made Moonshine” author Chris Barber, loggers in the remote, deeply forested northeastern region of North Carolina supplied highly regarded whiskey to speakeasies up the East Coast during Prohibition.
Earl Slick: Airline founder, Banks developer, outdoorsman
The president of Slick Airways and son of a successful Oklahoma oil wildcatter purchased a longstanding Outer Banks hunt club in 1972, a decision that would have lasting effects here.
Reflections on 50 years of NC Coastal Area Management Act
When first considered 50 years ago, North Carolina’s Coastal Area Management Act was hotly controversial environmental legislation, and despite challenges past and present, it remains the state’s only attempt to forge a partnership for regional resource management.
In ’76, oilman Walter Davis made a bet on the Outer Banks
He grew up on a soybean farm near Elizabeth City and his billion-dollar empire included for a time Southern Shores in Dare County, a different sort of asset that paid off.
Dolan, Godfrey: Scientists proved Outer Banks are moving
Findings more than 50 years ago by coastal geologist Robert Dolan and husband-and-wife researchers Paul and Melinda Godfrey changed barrier island understanding and led the National Park Service to reverse longstanding policy.
Officials explore historic district designation for West Hertford
The town council voted unanimously last week to accept a proposal from Landmark Preservation Associates to perform the work needed to secure the designation.
Manager says Corolla horses look ‘marshy’ for good reason
Meg Puckett, who manages the herd for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, knows well the challenges and the horses themselves, but she says the work never gets old.
Beaufort’s quiet but rich history has become its big draw
North Carolina’s fourth oldest town was sparsely populated for generations but turned itself into a destination for visitors, new residents and environmental study.
Artifacts appear to confirm ‘first contact’ at Roanoke Island
A copper ring and bits of pottery recently found in a layer of soil 3 feet deep on Roanoke Island are consistent with the site of the Algonquian village where English explorers arrived.
From pivotal beginnings, Brunswick County history lives on
While the southernmost county on the North Carolina coast shares features similar to other coastal counties, its historic destinations, charming towns and recent rapid growth help make it unique.
1898 Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station must go, but where?
The N.C. Aquariums system, which owns the historic structure at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, is looking to move and preserve it.
New Bern commemorates centennial of Great Fire of 1922
A quarter of the city went up in flames 100 years ago, the largest urban fire in North Carolina history.
Story of flight on Mars has parallels to Wrights’ challenges
A replica of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter recently took flight at the national memorial in recognition of National Aviation Day and the Wright brothers’ ingenuity.
Coast Guard Station Elizabeth City set to mark 82nd year
The Coast Guard’s largest aviation facility, Air Station Elizabeth City has grown from 249 to 800 acres, and from 60 to 2,000 personnel and employees since being commissioned Aug. 15, 1940.
U-boat artifacts, divers reveal history of Torpedo Junction
Items that divers retrieved from German submarines sunk off the Outer Banks and are now on display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum help tell the story of Torpedo Junction, where fiery World War II battles were fought off the East Coast.