Coast 10.01.2021

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OCTOBER 1, 2021

HAUNTED HISTORY Myths, legends, mysteries and ghost stories of the Outer Banks

COASTOBX.COM

Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

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3 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

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Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PRIM 5pm E RIB Frid Nigh ay t Start s! ing 9/10 !

-In Dine r i s t Ou Or Vi o To-G ! w o Wind

Celebrating Over 35 Years!

LUNCH & DINNER • ALL ABC PERMITS RAW BAR • OCEAN VIEW LOUNGE Lynn Fox and Mike Preziotti make quite the team while working the visitor services counter at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. Read more about Mike P. the security guard on Page 22.

JENNETTE’S PIER/COURTESY

The shipwreck that changed America 252.441.5955 • awfularthursobx.com

MP6 Beach Road, 2016 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills, NC

When the SS Central America sank with millions of dollars in gold on board, it sent the American economy into a tailspin, and changed presidential history. Page 14

Local artist takes dye to a new level Artist Lara Parks is turning her attention to the art of dyeing fabric, and making dye with ingredients from her garden. Page 22

We could all use a little

beach time.

OUTER BANKS VACATION RENTALS & REAL ESTATE SALES

Whether you are looking for the perfect place to vacation or seeking to invest in your own Outer Banks beach house, we offer unprecedented service in making your experience the best it can be. Kick off your shoes and stay a while!

Grab a coffee From elaborate menus to walls lines with local artwork, writer Maddie Lutz takes us to her favorite coffee shops. Page 6

ABOUT COAST COAST covers the people, places and characteristics that make the Outer Banks a beach destination for families, surfers and anglers from around the world. For more than 30 years, this publication has featured individuals making a difference in the community, highlighted the latest happenings and shared events that shouldn’t be missed – from live music to theatrics, food festivities, art shows, fishing, surfing, and more.

All local. All the time.

This is COAST.

joelambjr.com • joelambrealty.com • 800-552-6257

EDITOR Kari Pugh karipugh@icloud.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Fairbank, John Harper, Maddie Lutz, James D.“Keeper James”Charlet ADVERTISE WITH US Find out how you can engage more readers with an integrated marketing program.

John“Ski”Miller, media sales manager, ski.miller@ virginiamedia.com; Elizabeth Catoe, senior account executive, elizabeth.catoe@ virginiamedia.com

THINGS TO KNOW During the summer season (May-August), when Coast is a weekly publication, information must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of an event.

During the shoulder season (September-October), when Coast is a monthly publication — with the exception of November-December and January-February, when two months are combined —information must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of an event.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? For more information, visit coastobx.com; facebook.com/CoastOBX

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

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OUTER BANKS ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SHOP...SINCE 1967

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Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

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The Bird Store

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The Outer Banks Wildlife Art Gallery

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MP 8.5 ON HWY 158 BYPASS (1/2 MILE SOUTH OF WRIGHT MEMORIAL) KILL DEVIL HILLS

Oceanfront, Kitty Hawk • NC

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THE HOT LIST COFFEE SHOPS

By Dave Fairbank | Correspondent Outer Banks Seafood Festival | Oct. 16 Food trucks, music, cooking demos, boat and tackle displays; tickets $15 general admission, plus food and drink costs, Soundside Event Site, MP 16, Nags Head, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. www.outerbanksseafoodfestival.org Susannah Sakal Exhibit | Oct. 1-30 Resin, wood, sand, acrylic paint depicting shapes and forms of water; Dare County Arts Council, 300 Queen Elizabeth St., Manteo, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday www.darearts.org; www.susannahsakal.com Back 2 School Concert | Oct. 2 Family-friendly event with live music by Zack Mexico, Hot Sauce, Wavy Dayze, food trucks, access to playground; First Flight Elementary School, 107 Veterans Drive, Kill Devil Hills, $5 admission, 3-7 p.m. www.ffe.daretolearn.org

Local art lines the walls of Ashley’s Espresso Bar in Kill Devil Hills. MADDIE LUTZ

By Maddie Lutz | Correspondent

I

’ve “bean” around the block in search of a good study space, a good cold brew and a good vibe, and today I’ll share with you what has taken me years to reach conclusions on. While there are many coffee shops and cafes in the Outer Banks, those below are my favorite due to location in proximity to my home base in Kill Devil Hills, menu selection and/or effort to buy and support local and organic ingredients and pastry chefs.

Here’s your Outer Banks guide to the best coffee on the beach:

Waveriders Coffee and Deli — Best Food Menu

3022 S. Croatan Highway, Nags Head Waveriders Coffee and Deli has one of the best menus on the beach. From breakfast burritos to veggie burgers, kombucha to locally-crafted beer, Waveriders has it all.

Additionally, not only does Waveriders have the most extensive menus out of any OBX coffee shop, it also has one of the broadest and most unique retail selections, offering hard-to-find items from food to clothing.

My Go-To Order: Cold Brew (they make my favorite cold brew of all time) plus the Eddie V or Veggie Wrap, depending on the time of day.

Ashley’s Espresso Parlour — Best Aesthetics

100 E. Helga St., Kill Devil Hills Walk into Ashley’s Espresso Parlour in Kill Devil Hills to be wowed. Not only does local art line every wall of Ashley’s, but the parlour itself is art. The vibe is unlike any I’ve seen before - think rustic/vintage/ beachy all wrapped into one extremely aesthetically pleasing building. Almost all of the artwork is for sale alongside many delicious coffee options, ranging from cold brew shakes to delicious giant cookies.

My Go-To Order: Ol’ Helga (caramel, hazelnut and mocha coffee - yum)

Treehouse Coffee — Best Location

1177 Duck Road #34, Duck Treehouse Coffee in Duck fits the definition of a hidden gem to a T. Nestled under a canopy of trees alongside the Scarborough Faire Shopping Village’s boardwalk, you’ll discover quickly how this cafe got its name. This hip coffee shop offers drip coffee, espresso, a variety of teas and juices, frappuccinos, wellness lattes (think turmeric ginger and masala chai) as well as a scrumptious breakfast menu.

My Go-To Order: Japanese Iced Coffee with a biscuit and honey

Morning View — Best Bulk Coffee for Purchase

2707 S. Croatan Highway, Nags Head Not only is Morning View (arguably) the most dog-friendly cafe on the beach, with the coffee-shop pooch dubbed their “floor manager,” they also have one of the most extensive selections of coffee beans for purchase in the entire Outer Banks. Morning View sells everything from light roasts to organic/single origin roasts from all over the world.

Favorite local blends include the Organic Tortuga’s Lie Blend, Surf Rider Espresso Blend and the Outer Banks Booty Blend.

My Go-To Order: The Organic Fair Trade Nags Head blend by the bag OR just a black iced coffee...the coffee is so good it doesn’t need any add-ins!

The Front Porch — Best Study Space

2515 S. Croatan Highway, Nags Head The Front Porch Cafe has locations in Manteo, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head, all with great study spaces, though Nags Head is my preferred spot.These spacious coffee shops offer plenty of natural light, open air and large tables that invite you to set up shop and stay a while,which is great news foryou as you’ll likely want more than just one cup of their award-winning coffee.The Front Porch is my #1 spot when I need to write a piece, study or watch online lectures.

My Go-To Order: A tea or iced coffee with almond milk paired with a rainbow sprinkles cookie

Duck’s Cottage — Best Bookstore/Coffee Shop Combo

1240 Duck Road, Duck Duck’sCottageintheWaterfrontShopshas oneofthemostrelaxedsettingsonthebeach.

Placeyourordersurroundedbyoneofthebest selectionsofbooksintheOuterBanks.Duck’s Cottagealwayshasagreatselectionofbooks pertainingtotheOBX,whetherthatbelocal history,localauthorsorlocalguides,aswell asthebestsellingauthorsyou’dfindatbigger bookstores.Don’tleavewithoutpurchasing abatchoftheirfamousCoconutCrunch signatureflavoredcoffee,either-hereisthe onlyspotit’savailableforpurchase!

MyGo-ToOrder:Theyalwayshavecreative specialsgoingonsoIusuallytrysomethingnew.

They’vehad“ThePurpleMartin”(alavender andvanillalatte)andapumpkinspicelattein thepast,bothofwhichhavebeenamazing.

Oink and Oyster Roast | Oct. 9 Pig pickin’and oyster roast, to benefit local charities; tickets $45 in advance, $50 at door, Longboards Island Grill, 3833 N. Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk, Noon-3 p.m. www.firstflightrotary.org Bluegrass Island Music Festival | Oct. 21-23 Live music fest, 12 bands over three days; tickets $99 fest pass, $55 Friday only, $55 Saturday only; Thursday free show at Bluegrass Island Trading Co., Budleigh St., 7 p.m.; Friday 12:45-11 p.m; Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo www.bluegrassisland.com NCBBA Red Drum Tournament | Oct. 20-23 Annual Hatteras Island fishing tournament sponsored

by North Carolina Beach BuggyAssociation; $100 entry fee, $10,000 in total prize money, 60 hours of nonstop surf fishing from Oct. 21 at 12:01 a.m.-Oct. 23 at noon,various ORV ramps along shore www.ncbba.org Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation Positively Pink 5K and Fun Run | Oct. 8-12 Fundraiser being held virtually, allows participants to choose when and where to run between Oct. 8-12; entry fee $35 for 5K, $20 for Fun Run. www.hicf.org Ruth Wyand | Oct. 1, 8, 22, 29 Live music, Cravings Tap Shack, 1209 Duck Road, Duck, 6:30-9:30 p.m. www.cravingsobx.com/events/ Molasses Creek and Marcy Brenner and Lou Castro | Oct. 23 Live music, First Flight High School, 100 Veterans Drive, Kill Devil Hills; tickets TBA, 7:30-9:30 p.m. www.coyotemusic.net/calendar.html Harvest Hay Day | Oct. 30 Family-friendly events including hayride, hay bale maze, food, crafts, educational stations; Elizabethan Gardens, 1411 National Park Drive, Manteo; tickets $10 adults, $7 age 6-17, $3 age 2-5; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. www.elizabethangardens.org/events/

7 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

TOP 10 EVENTS OCTOBER

Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

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HAUNTED HISTORY

Exploring the myths, legends, mysteries and ghost stories of the Outer Banks

By Dave Fairbank | Correspondent

Many places have myths, legends, mysteries and ghost stories. Of course, a small, seaside community whose written history extends back hundreds of years and rests alongside an area called “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” will have its share of tales and mysteries.

The most famous is the Lost Colony, the 16th-century English settlement on Roanoke Island. One-hundred seventeen settlers arrived here in 1587. When British ships returned with supplies three years later, the settlement had vanished, and only a one-word clue carved into a tree remained — Croatoan. The colony and its inhabitants were never found. The story was memorialized by a long-running play held every summer near the site of the settlement.

Turn to Page 9

The moon rises over the Atlantic, off the Outer Banks, The“Graveyard of the Atlantic.” KARI PUGH

from Page 8

Ghost ship of Cape Hatteras The Carroll A. Deering and the fate of her crew remain one of the region’s enduring mysteries. The five-masted commercial schooner was returning to Norfolk from delivering a cargo of coal to Brazil in the winter of 1921.

On Jan. 29, a lightship keeper from Cape Lookout spied the ship and crew and had a brief communication with a crew member.

Two days later, a Cape Hatteras Coast Guard station surfman named C.P. Brady saw the ship had run aground on Diamond Shoals, her sails still set, lifeboats missing, and no sign of life.

Rough seas prevented anyone from reaching the ship until Feb. 4. It was as if the crew had vanished.

The ship’s log, navigational papers, and personal belongings were gone. In the galley, it appeared that food was being prepared for a meal.

Gray man of Hatteras

Dating back to the early 1900s, Hatteras Island residents periodically spot a spectral image of a man as hurricanes and heavy storms approach. He’s often seen on the beach between Cape Point and the lighthouse. He never speaks, sometimes motions, and vanishes if anyone comes close.

Some think he’s the ghost of a sailor from the island who died during a hurricane, according to the

website North Carolina Ghosts, and that he shows up to warn residents of impending danger. Others say he’s a force of nature, an extension of the coming storm.

In 2018, a video from Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills during Hurricane Florence appeared to show a figure at the end of the pier walking back and forth while the wind howled and rain came down. It created a bit of buzz on social media at the time, and was viewed 500,000 times on YouTube.

Critics say the video was a fake or double exposure or someone inside the building reflected off the glass.

Queen of the sounds

Following the Civil War, a former Army corporal named Pierre Godette settled here and amassed a tidy sum from a federal job during Reconstruction. He believed that the area needed entertainment to satisfy residents and to attract visitors, and he commissioned the construction of a palatial showboat that he christened “Queen of Sounds.”

The boat, with multiple decks, ballrooms, lavish appointments and an immense player piano, traveled the sounds and inland waterways and docked for days at a time at various coastland

9 towns.

Godette eventually took up with a woman who claimed to be a witch and was said to be increasingly intrigued by witchcraft, even hoping to enlist Satan as a partner. He docked the boat near Wanchese, but the townfolk wanted no part of a man who openly endorsed and welcomed witchcraft.

One Sunday night, at the stroke of midnight, with sounds from the player piano echoing across the water, a piercing scream was heard, and the boat exploded into thousands of flaming pieces. No bodies were ever found.

Some wondered if Satan caused the explosion, or perhaps God struck down the boat with a lightning bolt from an approaching squall.

A more reasoned explanation is that the boat’s massive boiler blew up.

Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

As All Hallows Eve approaches, here are several more mysteries and ghost stories native to the area. We leaned heavily on the books of Charles Harry Whedbee and various websites for research and details.

Five government departments conducted investigations and considered everything from hurricanes to piracy to mutiny to smuggling to communist/ Russian interference, a popular conspiracy theory of the day, even a paranormal, Bermuda-Triangle possibility.

No conclusions were reached, and the crew and its papers never surfaced. The remains of the ship were dynamited in March to prevent it being a navigational hazard to other ships, and the Deering’s capstan and ship’s bell are on display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic museum in Hatteras.

Turn to Page 10

It’s said that the North room of the keeper’s quarters at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse is haunted by the spirits of those who died there. NATIONAL ARCHIVES/ COURTESY

Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

10 from Page 9

Regardless of the cause, some people say that if you stand on the causeway between Roanoke Island and Nags Head near midnight on still, summer evenings, you can hear the player piano and perhaps even see reflection of the Queen’s lights on the water.

Haunted lighthouse keeper’s quarters The north bedroom of the Currituck Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters in Corolla has a checkered history.

Keeper George Johnson’s adopted daughter Sadie often stayed in the North room. One day in 1927, she didn’t come home, and the next day, her body washed ashore. Later, a visitor who stayed in the North bedroom became ill and died in the room. A new keeper’s wife contracted tuberculosis and was quarantined in the North bedroom, eventually losing her life.

Visitors have told stories of experiencing a peculiar, chilled feeling upon entering the room. Some who have stayed there spoke of feeling bed sheets pulled and hearing voices.

The flaming ship of Ocracoke Each September, on the night the new moon makes its first appearance, an old ship appears just off the coast of Ocracoke Island and sails northeast until it’s barely a glow on the horizon. It’s said that eerie wails accompany the sighting, the sound of mournful souls who were killed on board.

The origin of the story takes place in the late 17th century, when an English vessel brought a shipload of German immigrants bound for what is now New Bern and anchored just off Ocracoke.

When the captain, a one-time pirate, and his crew discovered that the immigrants possessed a sizable amount of gold, silver, jewels and treasure, they plotted to kill the passengers and steal their valuables.

The night before the passengers were to disembark for their journey inland, the first night of the new moon that September, the crew murdered them, gathered their treasure and boarded a longboat to come ashore.

The captain weighed anchor so that the ship would drift away on the light winds. He set fire to bags on deck, which would gradually burn the ship and its contents, and create an alibi for the murderers.

Except the ship didn’t drift away. The fire spread to the sails, which appeared to be giant sheets of flame, and the vessel sailed directly into the longboat, demolishing it and causing most of the men to drown. The few who survived saw the boat come about, with no one at the helm, and set a course to the northeast and sail away aflame.

Today, it’s said that on that particular September night, the ghost ship glows as it sails away, and if the wind is right, one can hear the wails of those who reached the New World, but not their final destination.

Above: In 1584, Queen Elizabeth -- memorialized with a statue at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo -- chartered the first reconnaissance to the New World.

The fate of some of those colonists remains a mystery. KARI PUGH Left: During Hurricane Florence in 2018, the shadowy figure of a man appeared amid the howling wind on Avalon Pier. Was it the Gray Man? OBXTODAY/COURTESY

WEEKEND

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 6TH

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Bring a friend to share in the excitement!

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SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7TH

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Under the Sea Home for the Holidays

HEAVEN AND NATURE

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Cocktails C ocktails aatt tthe he K Kringle’s ringle’s

Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

HolOidP EaNyH O U S E

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12 Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

15 + varieties of New York Bagels

Hatteras Island Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere

Homemade soups and lunch specialties Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and more Cozy coffee shop Custom cakes and pies

Salt Water Taffy ~ Truffles ~ Fudge ~ Chocolates Monday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm, Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm Hwy 12 in Buxton right before the turnoff to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 252-995-7171 • 46928 NC 12 Buxton NC

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Avon, North Carolina Dine-in Seating (Including Larger Patio) or Carryout!

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We offer a great family friendly dining experience, lively pub and unforgettable food from our scratch-made kitchen.

Our patio is dog friendly!

Our private dining rooms are perfect for large parties, special events and wedding receptions!

11 am - 10 pm daily

Hatteras Island’s favorite brunch - Sunday’s from 10 am - 4 pm

Hawaiian Shaved Ice • Italian Ice Shakes • Sundaes • Smoothies

252-995-5550 • www.froggydog.com Open Year Round

Custom Ice Cream Cakes!

Call (252) 986-5109 | Open 6 AM - 4 PM

40146 N.C 12 in Avon

Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

The perfect place to start or end your day!

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12 Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

15 + varieties of New York Bagels

Hatteras Island Pirates ~ Puzzles ~ Games ~ John Deere

Homemade soups and lunch specialties Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and more Cozy coffee shop Custom cakes and pies

Salt Water Taffy ~ Truffles ~ Fudge ~ Chocolates Monday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm, Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm Hwy 12 in Buxton right before the turnoff to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 252-995-7171 • 46928 NC 12 Buxton NC

Build your own breakfast sandwich

A Hatteras Island Tradition

ALL MADE FRESH DAILY

Avon, North Carolina Dine-in Seating (Including Larger Patio) or Carryout!

Ice Cream & Coffee Drinks

We offer a great family friendly dining experience, lively pub and unforgettable food from our scratch-made kitchen.

Our patio is dog friendly!

Our private dining rooms are perfect for large parties, special events and wedding receptions!

11 am - 10 pm daily

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Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

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14 Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

THE SHIPWRECK

THAT ALTERED

AMERICA

A paddlewheel from the SS Central America wreck discovered in September 1988. ODYSSEY MARINE EXPLORATION/COURTESY

By James D. “Keeper James” Charlet

Correspondent

T

he sidewheel paddler SS Central America sank off the coast of North Carolina on Sept. 12, 1857, now 164 years ago. The ship was ruined and 426 souls were lost. But that’s just the beginning.

This single shipwreck — for the only time in U.S. history — caused an unknown candidate from neither of the two main political parties to be elected as president of the United States. Incredibly, this was not even a third party; no third party has ever won. This was a fourth party just formed six years earlier and whose platform unashamedly and unapologetically

only represented the northeast U.S.

The setting

America had been gradually expanding west since the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, with various grueling means of travel. But the most significant and democratic improvement came with the transcontinental railroad first completed in 1869. The trip took about four days in much greater comfort and much less danger.

Before the steam trains, however, came the greatest single population migration in American history: the 1849 California Turn to Page 18

A depiction of the SS Central America that appeared in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper in 1857. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/COURTESY

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Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

18 from Page 14

Gold Rush! In less than a year, the population swelled from a few individuals to 100,000. In roughly one year, $2 billion worth of gold was excavated.

Stable companies were soon formed to become organized businesses. The gold would leave San Francisco by paddlewheel steamship bound for the Isthmus of Panama. Everything was unloaded at docks at Panama City on the Pacific coast.

Then, it was arduously transported the grueling 50 miles through the jungle to the port of Aspinwale, now Colón, on the Atlantic coast. William Henry Aspinwall had developed plans to build a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama to shorten the journey from coast to coast started in 1850 was finally finished in 1855. There the cargo was reloaded onto steamers of the Atlantic fleet bound for New York.

The shipping lines

Thus, two complementary lines evolved. One going back and forth from California to Panama, and the other from Panama to New York. The U.S. Mail Steamship Company was formed in 1848 and carried mail from New York to the Isthmus of Panama, where it would then be delivered to California. The company also carried passengers. Eventually, the successful and profitable company ordered two new large ships to be built, one of which was named the SS George Law, after the New York financier and co-owner of the company.

The George Law made its maiden voyage to Panama on Oct. 20, 1853. It returned to New York on Nov. 10 carrying 465 passengers and almost $900,000 worth of California gold. That was $31.5 million in today’s dollars. Not a bad start.

After 42 profitable voyages, the SS George Law was dry-docked at the Webb Shipyard in New York.

The engines were overhauled and some of the hull’s copper sheathing was replaced. It was during this dry dock period in 1857 that the ship’s name was changed to the SS Central America. It is unknown why the name change occurred.

Central America’s final voyage William Herndon, United States Navy captain, departed the

Engraver and publisher J. Child’s illustration of the sinking of the SS Central America. NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, LONDON/COURTESY

port of Aspinwale, Panama, on Thursday, Sept. 3, 1857. The SS Central America was carrying the now-usual 467 passengers, 102 crew members and over 6,000 pounds of gold. Several days later it docked in Havana, Cuba, for a routine stop. There, more passengers come aboard.

On departing for New York, the weather was delightful, and the sea was calm. However, on Friday, Sept. 11, the following morning, Central America had found itself in the fury of a hurricane for which the Graveyard of the Atlantic is famous. The Central America began taking on water. The violent waves rocked the ship unmercifully, making it virtually impossible to feed coal to the boilers, thus it was losing power. A bucket brigade of men was quickly formed, and they bailed.

By just after noon on Saturday, the fate of the Central America appeared to be hopeless. Fortunately, a ship was seen on the horizon. It was the brig Marine which drew closer to help. Capt.

Herndon of the Central America ordered women and children on deck to facilitate boarding the lifeboats. Due to the rough

seas, unfortunately, the Marine drifted away and was unable to help.

A few minutes past 8 p.m. a tremendous rogue wave completely engulfed the Central America, sinking it immediately.

One surviving passenger, Mr. H.H. Childs recalled, “I think some 400 or 450 souls were launched upon the ocean at the mercy of the waves.” He chronicles the fact that for several hours the group floated helplessly and silently. Then, “I saw my comrades sink fast, and at 1 o’clock that night I was nearly alone upon the ocean, some 200 miles from land.”

A total of 425 (some accounts have 426) passengers and crew lost their lives in the greatest maritime disaster in history up to that date.

Significance

This enormous loss of gold has been described as the greatest economic catastrophe in all of U.S. maritime history. It was a time when the country relied on gold to back its banking transactions. Banks closed and businesses went bankrupt triggering

the Panic of 1857, a severe recession, and a lasting deep depression. The 30,000 pounds of gold aboard the Central America was equal to about 20% of the gold held in New York banks at the time. This was an era when the currency system was not regulated by the federal government, and thus was subject to highly dangerous fluctuations. Things could almost not get any worse — but they did.

The climate of the times in the America of 1857 was not a good one. We were very close to becoming the Divided States of America. The country now had three distinct sections: the Northeast, the deep South, and the West. Each section had its own society, separate culture, and politics.

Adding to this economic instability and the social and cultural diversity and the friction of “sectionalism” was political instability. The presidential election following the Panic of 1857 was only three years later. The country was divided, giving rise to divided political parties.

A brand-new party was formed in 1854, only six years prior to the election. It nominated a virtu-

ally unknown lawyer born in the backwoods of Kentucky but now practicing in Illinois. His name was Abraham Lincoln. He was promoted by the party almost like a used-car salesman as “Honest Abe.” Since this new party had nothing to lose their platform was unabashedly and solely pro-Northern. And due to the overwhelming population of the North — 22.8 million vs.

5.5 million in the South — and by splitting the strength of the Democratic Party in half, the new Republicans won the election.

And we all know the South then seceded.

Many of those divisions, scars and sectional rivalries remain in our country today over a century and a half later. The tragic shipwreck of SS Central America unwittingly and ironically was a prime catalyst to further decentralize America.

James D. “Keeper James” Charlet is the author of Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic, released

by Globe Pequot Press in March 2020.

19

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CURRITUCK COUNTY Small Business Spotlight

Building a Business Hub in South Currituck

The Harbinger Center gives local professionals a space for success professional and businesses and out of town entrepreneurs. An increasing number of professional practices are establishing a base here in Harbinger, Gateway to the OBX. What are the biggest challenges?

We are an umbrella enterprise. Our challenge is setting and maintaining standards which support the success of our business and professional tenants. The Harbinger Center’s goal is to sustain a professional presence in South Currituck. These days, we’re responding and reaching out to the new environment escalated by Covid 19.

What are the biggest rewards?

Lilias Morrison is the owner of The Harbinger Center located in Point Harbor, NC Can you describe the business?

The Harbinger Center is a combination of office spaces fronting US Highway 158 with two storage locations and parking paddocks. We have professional offices and suites suitable for medical, business offices, private enterprises, storefront shops, legal, engineering, and law enforcement.

The Harbinger Center is strategically located to the Outer Banks and Currituck mainland.

Can you talk about the decision to start your own business.

Business is an adventure and about

“Our challenge is setting and maintaining standards which support the success of our business and professional tenants.” seizing opportunities! Owning your own business makes for independence and allows for an original approach and creativity.

Why did you choose Currituck?

South Currituck offers more space and opportunity – a wider horizon than the beach. When I purchased the property, it offered so much potential.

We have happy long-term tenants and our spaces are affordable. We cater to local business owners, local residents and a growing number of out-of-town tenants. Many of our storage unit tenants are local business owners.

Our office tenants are a mix of local

We appreciate the loyalty of our tenants, especially their referring business to us. We are a steady business and always in demand.

What sets you apart?

The Harbinger Center has long and short-term leases. New business startups like a short lease and we encourage new startup businesses.

We support our tenants and promote their interests with our marketing outreach.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone starting a business in Currituck County?

Get to know your local county officials, neighbors and nearby business people. Spread the word about your name, your product and your location.

The Harbinger Center 8845 Caratoke Highway Point Harbor, NC (252) 491-8622 www.theharbingercenter.com

Larry Lombardi, Director Economic Development (252) 232-6015 M: (301) 237-8951 Larry@ThinkCurrituck.com www.ThinkCurrituck.com

21 Coast | The Virginian-Pilot | Friday, October 1, 2021

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22

COASTAL CULTURE

Friday, October 1, 2021 | The Virginian-Pilot | Coast

Creating beautiful fabric

Artist Lara Parks explores textile arts through dye

By Mary Ellen Riddle Correspondent

Lara Parks has a new sink. The Colington artist uses it as part of her fabric dyeing process. The sink installation allowed for a new studio space where she dyes and prints fabric, dyes yarn, and uses the cloth to create napkins, dish towels, scarves and small drawstring bags.

The sink came about through an Artist Support Grant she was awarded through the Dare County Arts Council. The studio also has a massive worktable that Parks could afford to have built due to the loosening up of funds because of the grant. Prior to that, creative space was at an economy.

“I was working on the coffee table in the middle of everyone’s space upstairs,” says Parks, 42, who shares the home with her husband and two teenaged sons.

With the new setup, she no longer has to set out and pack up her project daily in a family-used space. It also helps keep the communal air space clean.

As she got deeper and deeper into the dye work, Parks became concerned with working with dyes near the kitchen where they cook and eat.

“Dyes start as powder,” she says. “You could spread it and not

even know it.”

Today, her new studio and sink that she uses to wash out her dyed fabric is on the ground floor separated from their upper living quarters. It is filled with designs she has drawn to turn into handcarved block prints she will use on fabric. Her images include hands with a seeing eye, puffer and lantern fish, squid, and waves.

These prints of varied colors are stamped onto yards of cotton.

On dye color, Parks mostly employs earth tones, turquoises and blues. Indigo is a favorite hue, she says, for its rich, artsy feel. She also collects rusted metal pieces that she puts in a vinegar-based solution to create color. She tries to achieve a happy medium with her color choices between what people will buy and what she wants.

Every piece of dyed fabric is one of a kind. Differences occur depending on how she approaches the multi-stepped process, such as how much ink is used when printing and how much pressure is applied.

“Any small detail can make it a completely different print,” says Parks.

Fabric dyeing and printing demands time and patience.

“Everything has a three-to-four step process,” says Parks. “I think

it’s difficult for people to look at textile art and really know what they have in their hand.”

Her educational background supplied a firsthand look into creating with fabric. Parks graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in textiles art. She also does directing, stage and scenery work, assistant directing and acting through Theatre of Dare and was exposed to drawing and painting through her artist mother. On top of working with fabric, Parks is the gallery manager at seagreen gallery in Nags Head.

Parks also has moved forward creatively through embracing growth. Gardening helps, she says.

“The gardening teaches me patience and persistence that I don’t have in my body necessarily,” she says. She uses some vegetables such as red cabbage and onions to achieve dyes, and she’s bought seeds as well to grow dye plants such as madder, chamomile, indigo and black eyed Susans, to name a few. “I am trying to get a little out of the box in my color schemes,” she says.

Where is Parks taking her art?

“I’m not sure, but I know what its purpose is,” she says, “to create beautiful fabric that I can apply to products as well. “I may make fabric hanging pieces, or func-

Artist Lara Parks at her home studio space, where she creates dyed creations. MARY ELLEN RIDDLE

tional pieces.”

She may create printed fabric for other artists to use in their creative endeavors. Parks is keeping an open mind and putting one step in front of another in her new venture.

“I had a teacher that said, “There’s always someone better

and there’s always someone worse, so what are you worrying about?”’

Right now, she is appreciating the yards of printed fabric she is creating with the help of her new sink.

Lara Parks’ work is available at seagreen gallery in Nags Head or reach out to her via Instagram at lara.e.parks.

JENNETTE’S PIER

Mike P. keeps ’em straight at the pier Jennette’s Pier

Mike Preziotti arrives before sunrise when it’s still calm at the oceanfront — no fishermen, beachcombers or surfers just yet.

For the past decade, “Mike P.” has kept busy as head security guard, a role that suits him well.

“I’ve been here since we opened,” he said. “I get here in the neighborhood of five o’ clock … it’s quiet, quiet.”

An avid fisherman and retired Norfolk firefighter, Mike P. has become a

fixture around Jennette’s Pier. You’ll see him behind the counter with trusted co-worker Lynn Fox or cruising the pier in the royal blue and white electric golf cart complete with shark fin on top.

He’ll have on a Columbia fishing shirt, khaki shorts, ballcap and dark sunglasses with a bundle of keys dangling from his belt. To save on calories, he drinks Diet Pepsi and munches on celery in lieu of his favorite snack … Twinkies.

On summer days, Mike

P. first unlocks everything then checks the ocean temperature. before fielding phone calls about what’s biting. He speaks to all the anglers as they file through the pier house with rods bristling and coolers leaking.

On good days, Mike P. may get to fish a little before work, but on others he’s enforcing pier rules or warning surfers who come too close to the pilings.

No matter what the task, you can always count on Mike P.

“I get to do pretty much what I love,” he said. “I get to fish and talk to people.”

He’s proud of the speckled trout and big red drum he’s caught on his days off over the years. The former Oceanview native also commercially fished and drove a head boat out of Rudee’s Inlet back in the 1990s.

He often mends the black nylon mesh pier landing nets with a net needle and ties foolproof knots on their lines. Mike P. also excels at computers and loves taking

Mike Preziotti hangs out at the end of pier waiting to retrieve the thermometer back up from the seafloor to get the daily temperature. COURTESY JENNETTE’S PIER

his “mermaid” Corinne out for meals. The Preziotti’s

reside in Point Harbor with their blonde lab Jack.

23

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