Ocracoke, Yesterday and Today
— Photo by Jock Honiinc.
Prior to the year 1770 “Occacock”
Island, 20 miles off the mainland, was
a little free and independent nation
belonging to none of the colonial
precincts. Currituck extended south¬
ward to Old Hatteras Inlet; Carteret
extended northward to Occacock Inlet.
But in 1770 Carteret officials be¬
came aware of the fact that "those
lawless bankers" were not paying taxes
in any precinct, and a petition to the
assembly gave Carteret its desired hold
on the Island. Then, in 1845 through
the machinations of Tilman Farrow,
an Ocracokcr then representing Car¬
teret in the General Assembly, the
transfer to Hyde was effected and
Swan Quarter became the county scat
for Ocracoke.
For many years Ocracokcrs had to
depend upon their small sailboats to
take them across Pamlico Sound which
at times is as treacherous as the At¬
lantic Ocean. During the Battle of Hat¬
teras Inlet in the War Between the
States, some of the Ocracokcrs got into
their boats and started for Swan Quar¬
ter, but turned back, fearing the waters
of Pamlico Sound more than the Yan¬
kees. And the way to the county scat
by land — mail boat to Atlantic or
ferry boat at Hatteras Inlet — was
long, tiresome, and expensive until a
state highway was completed (1957)
the length of the Island to Hatteras
Inlet.
History of Ocracoke
In acquiring Ocracoke, Hyde re¬
ceived a land rich in history. The Is¬
land originally bore the Indian name
of Woccocon or Woccocock and was
the first landfall of at least one of
the Raleigh expeditions, 1584-1587,
to Roanoke Island. Doubtless all of
the expeditions were familiar with
Woccocon. Ocracoke Inlet was the
deepest and most-used inlet in early
days. The first settlers at Ocracoke
were pilots.
“Blackboard”
With other pirates, “Blackboard”
(Edward Teach) brought his prizes
through Occacock Inlet to Bath, where,
it is said, he shared his spoils with
Tobias Knight, secretary of the colony,
and through him with colonial Gover¬
nor Eden. Carolina made no effort
to capture Teach, so in 1718 Gover¬
nor Spottswood of Virginia sent Lt.
Maynard in search of him. A battle en¬
sued in the Sound off Ocracoke; Teach
was killed, his head severed, was at¬
tached to the bowsprit of Maynard’s
victorious ship, and carried to Wil¬
liamsburg. Legend has it that the
headless body, thrown overboard by
Maynard, swam around the ship seven
times before sinking into what is now
called "Tcach's Hole." This historic
battleground is a favorite spot for
sport-fishing. The near-by wooded area
of the Island, owned by Sam Jones
of Ocracoke and Norfolk, is known as
"Tcach's Castle," and is presumed to
have been the hide-out of the pirate.
From 1790 to about 1850 trade
flourished through the Inlet. Ocean
sailing vessels were brought by the
pilots over Ocracoke Bar to safe an¬
chorage in Pamlico Sound, where
goods were transferred to lighter-draft
vessels bound for inland ports. This
Inlet was deemed not worth blockading
by the British and contraband came
through it from France and other
countries, some of this finally reaching
Washington in the terrible winter at
Valley Forge.
The Lighthouse
The first lighthouse to serve Ocra¬
coke Inlet was built in 1798 on Shell
12
THE STATE. AUOUST 24. 1957
