Description
Book SynopsisA longtime coast watcher tells the story of the beautiful and ever-changing coast of North Carolina—rich in culture, history, and landscape—with words and photographs.
This gorgeous, richly illustrated book for visitors and residents alike details the charms and controversies of the “banks” of North Carolina. Hatcher highlights the current wonders of the famous coast, as well as an intriguing history that includes the familiar Outer Banks legendary Wright Brothers flight, the Graveyard of the Atlantic, and the picturesque lighthouses, as well as the lesser known Chitlin’ Circuit beach resort, a 1898 coup d’etat, and a controversial sea bird. Told with an ear for the native language and local lore, with a taste for the water and its riches, and above all, with an eye toward the preservation of a vanishing environment and culture, this will be the go-to book for readers who want an overview of the North Carolina coastal region.
Table of ContentsPreface
Introduction
Chapter 1: “The Goodliest Land”
A Long and Diverse Coast Line: From the Outer Banks to Down East and Beyond
The Inner Banks, Southern Banks, and the Crystal Coast
Sand: Forever Shifting
The Landscape for The First Flight
Move of the Millennium: Rescuing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Pocosins, Swamps, Quagmires, and Refuges
Chapter 2: Aqua Vita Est, Water is Life
The Shapes of Water: Sounds, Inlets, and Rivers
America’s Intracoastal Waterway: Safe Passage for Mariners
The Gulf Stream: The Great Blue Engine of NC’s Coast
The Atlantic Ocean: Architect and Matriarch of Coastal NC
Chapter 3: The Weather, "Red Sky at Night"
A Weather of Wind and Change
A Fisherman’s Nightmare
Storms Through History in North Carolina
Rating Storms
Hurricanes in the Busy 1950s and 1960s
1970s and 1980s: Relative Quiet
The Active 1990s
A New Century Brings More Storms
Most Recent Storms
Chapter 4 - Shaping a Culture
A Different Way of Life
The Allure of the Ocean
Chapter 5: The Past Shapes the Future
Early Inhabitants: The Coast's First People
Europeans’ First Explorations of the North Carolina Coast
From First Contact to First Colony
Privateers, Pirates, or Pyrates?
Chapter 6: Saving Lives in Dangerous Water
Danger, Destruction, and Death: The Graveyard of the Atlantic
Saving Lives on a Treacherous Coast
Saving Lives with Light: Lighthouse Keepers
Chapter 7: Commerce and Tourism
"Red and White" Commerce: 155 Years and Counting
The “Flipper” Factory
Beach Cottages of Old Nags Head: Unpainted Upper Crust
More Old Houses and Old Money: Wilmington and Beyond
Portsmouth Island: Bugs, Fish, and Heathens
Buffalo City: Good Water, Good Wood, Good Whiskey, Good-Bye
Chapter 8: Planes, Piers, and Boats
More than Sand and Wind: The Bankers’ Connection to the Wright Brothers
The North Carolina Ferry System: Lifeline for Thousands
The Carolina Flare and the Long Tradition of Boatbuilding
Liberty City: Ugly Ducklings and the Mothball Fleet
Piers: Another Legacy Lost
Chapter 9 – Controversy, Conflict, and Water Access
Disputed Lands and Waters
Water Access: Drawing Lines in the Sand
Chapter 10 – Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Recreation Area: The Long (Winding, Confusing, and Difficult) Road from Idea to Reality
Early Concepts and Initial Government Involvement
Establishment of the Park and the First Seashore Commission
World War II-Era Developments
A New Social Contract
The Seashore Park Becomes a Reality
Chapter 11 – Trying to Fish
Bluefish, Bluefin, and the Blues
The Unwinnable Battle for the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
North Carolina’s Menhaden: The Unsavory Smell of Success
Chapter 12 – Plovers, Politics, and Plutocrats
Surf Fishers
Little Birds on the Beach
Plover Politics
Mixed Results
Chapter 13 – Legacy of Black North Carolinians on the Coast
The Roanoke Freedman’s Colony
The 1898 Wilmington Coup d’Etat
Black Resorts, Beaches, and New Music
Beaufort’s 21st Century Land Grab
Chapter 14 – To Build or Not to Build
The Saga of the Bonner and Mid-Currituck Bridges
The Megaport Project: Unveil or Unload?
Nutmeg: A Tasty Spice or a Just a Bad Idea?
Rockets, Fuel, Oil, and Gas: Odd Coastal Cousins
Beach “Nourishment”
Chapter 15: On the Horizon
Global Warming and Sea Level Rise
Scientific Initiatives to Measure Sea Level and Coastal Changes
The Horizon
Appendix: NC DOT Maps of the North Carolina Coast
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
