As the story goes, when the first English
explorers arrived at Ocracoke, the island
was attached to Hatteras Island and
jointly they bore the name of Croatan. Old
maps indicate that Ocracoke may once
have been connected to its southern
neighbor, Portsmouth Island, and together
the islands were called Wokokon.
Names are great history trackers, and
while there are many stories as to how
Ocracoke was named, two theories hold
most popular. One is that the name
descended from Wokokon, not a far
stretch from the island's current moniker.
The Wokokons, a tribe of Native Americans, journeyed to Ocracoke to feast on
seafood, historians say. A survey map from
1657 showed the island as Wococock. A
more fanciful story surrounds the legend
of Blackbeard, the pirate. It is said that on
the morning of Blackbeard's demise, his
assassin impatiently awaited the dawn and
the coming of his enemy, looking ashore to
the island and yelling, "O Crow Cock Crow!
O Crow Cock!" The legendary Blackbeard,
aka Edward Teach, is only a small part of
Ocracoke history. And while there are several shops and a museum dedicated to his
legend, some Ocracokers today don't care
to place importance on the 18th-century
villain. His fleet included four boats and
400 crewmen, and by the mid-1700s he'd
plundered at least 25 ships.
During Blackbeard's era the need to improve trade and navigation along the coast became clear to the colonists of North Carolina. The Colonial assembly passed an act in 1715 to establish Ocracoke Island as a port and to maintain pilots and their assistants who helped guide ships safely from sea to shore at "Ocacock Inlett."
It was not until 1730 that the pilots actually came. Their numbers increased over the years, and 33 years later these "squatters" were given 20 acres of land for themselves and their families. By November 1779 the Ocracoke Militia Company was established to protect the inlet (see our History chapter).
In the colonial era, Ocracoke initially was owned by several inhabitants. Three successions of absentee owners followed. The fourth owner, William Howard, bought the island in 1759 and at his death deeded all his land to his son, Wallace Howard. Land was sold by both Howards to various families on the island. Descendants of the Howards reside on the island today. A family graveyard is near Village Craftsmen on Howard Street, a craft and gift shop run by Philip Howard. Walking down Howard Street is a step back in time, with its stately live oaks, the Howard Cemetery, the oldest homes on Ocracoke Island, right down to the oyster shells embedded in the narrow and rutted dirt road.
Ocracoke history is filled with stories of shipwrecks and lost lives. The islanders worked to rescue stranded sea travelers and ships, housing and feeding survivors. Crabs and a wide variety of seafood kept their bellies full. While the island inhabitants were forced to witness the ocean's wrath as it smashed ships and stole human life, as if in repayment the sea also provided for them, though sometimes in the most unlikely way. Wrecked ships tossed up goods, including lumber, shoes, clothing, and bananas. But these island luxuries were small in contrast to the toll the sea took as the churning waters swallowed not only sailors but also women and children.
In response, the Ocracoke Inlet Lighthouse was constructed in 1823. The white- brick structure has stood in Ocracoke Village for 181 years, guiding sailors to safety and housing residents during hurricanes (see our Attractions chapter). Also, several lifesaving stations were built on the island in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1940 a Coast Guard station was erected. Coast Guardsmen continue to watch over Ocracoke waters today, but the island lost eight Coast Guard families within the last few years when federal budget cuts forced a closing of the island's Coast Guard building. Service is still provided around the clock by a rotating group of 10 men, but the families were relocated to Hatteras Island. Modern technology has helped diminish the number of wrecks these days. When accidents do occur, they usually involve offshore fishing vessels caught by foul weather.
The dredging of Cockle Creek and creation of Silver Lake Harbor in 1931 played a role in Ocracoke's development as host to a sizable fishing industry. Access to the village was improved, and fairly large boats could safely enter and dock at the village. In 1953 most of the island became part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, with the exception of the village. The first hard- surfaced road was constructed four years later, connecting the village to a spot near Hatteras Inlet. These changes came during a decline in the fishing industry.
Though tourism replaced fishing as Ocracoke's main source of income, islanders continue to ply the sea for food, fun, and livelihoods. Two fish houses operate throughout the year, and a variety of species including Spanish and king mackerel, bluefish, red drum, cobia, amberjack, tuna, and billfish are caught in sound, inlet, and ocean waters.
Gas and water shortages in the 1970s and '80s caused a decline in Ocracoke's boating traffic. Gas shortages were, of course, widespread, but water shortages were specific to Ocracoke Island. At that time, the only freshwater sources were individual wells and cisterns. With increased tourism and more demand placed upon wells, so much water was drawn that saltwater intrusion resulted. The ensuing severe water restrictions limited personal use to specific times of the day and forbade any outside use. Therefore, no water was available at the boat docks.
The water district has since constructed a water desalination plant, and
now the island has enough fresh water for
locals, tourists, and boaters. As on any
island, electrical outages are not uncommon. Many local businesses operate their
own electrical generators, and a municipal
generator provides power in the event of
extended outages due to storms. The
generator is used in the event that an outage lasts more than four hours.
The year-round population of Ocracoke has not changed dramatically since
1850. Today about 750 people call Ocracoke Island home. Children in grades K-12
attend classes at the Ocracoke School.
Community concerns are aired at the
Ocracoke Community Center, where the
Ocracoke Civic and Business Association
meets. Welcome progress to the barrier
island includes the addition of several
vegetable stands, and the once totally isolated community supports two grocery
stores and a hardware store.
Ocracoke Island's real estate market is
busy. Even though a recent revaluation
brought about tax increases of 200 to
300 percent for some property owners,
the limited amount of property available is
in high demand. The few available lots are
mostly inland; it's rare to find a waterfront
lot for sale. Only one to two canalfront
lots sell per year. The island's beauty and
isolation will always be a major drawing
card. Situated on the eastern flyway of
migrating land and waterbirds, Ocracoke
is a birder's paradise, with brown pelicans
flying in formation over the waves, sandpipers leaving thin footprints in the sand,
herons gracing the salt marsh, and warblers, grosbeaks, and cardinals adorning
the trees. Live oaks lend majesty and a
sense of strength to the fragile isle.
Famous for its legendary wild ponies,
Ocracoke has 180 fenced-in acres set
aside for the small herd to roam, and visitors to the island can see a group of them
at a special lookout midway down NC 12.
The National Park Service rotates four
ponies at a time from the range to a pen
to let admirers get a close-up view (see
our Attractions chapter).
