A handful of these projects landed right on the newly founded Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The 1930s was the era of FDR's post-depression New Deal, and countless Public Works projects sprung up along National Parks across the country to give American citizens a chance to get back to work. The government's increased involvement at the time had its perks. (The "Recreational Area" portion was eventually dropped from the title in 1954, and was changed to just "Seashore.") The Cape Hatteras National Seashore was officially established by Congress on August 11, 1937, and three years later, the park was renamed the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area to emphasize its intended purpose as a public seashore that everyone could enjoy. Locals donated huge parcels of oceanfront land, that at the time wasn't worth very much anyways, and the federal government purchased the rest, pledging to the locals to keep the National Seashore free from development, and always wide open for the public's enjoyment. Keep in mind that during this time, the central Outer Banks towns of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk were experiencing a mild wave of new visitors along with new development, and even during the 1930s, locals were concerned that their home would become just another commercially developed beach attraction.īased on these concerns, the locals partnered with the federal government and National Seashore to designate large portions of the shoreline as a National Recreational Park. Yet despite these treacherous conditions, the visitors still came, and locals began to become concerned about the future of their deserted island homes. These trips involved travelling across Oregon Inlet on a privately run "ferry," which was basically a makeshift tug boat, and then driving for miles across muddy soundside paths, soft sandy "roads," and other tricky terrain that got more than one vacationer stuck in the salty mud. More new arrivals came to the islands in the form of lifesaving station employees, as the deadly shoals that were located just off the islands, known as the "Īs a result, lifesaving stations were set-up throughout the Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands' shorelines, boosting the local population while providing help for ships that became landlocked or stranded on the drifting offshore shoals.Īll this time, tourism was still an untapped industry on the seashore, until the first small wave of adventurous hunters and fishermen began to make long, dangerous treks to the islands in the 1930s. Ports were set up along both inlets, and settlements grew based on the local lumber and fishing industries, as well as simple sustenance farming. These Native Americans set up thriving communities in virtually all areas of Hatteras Island, from the outskirts of Rodanthe, or "Chicamacomico," to the edges of Hatteras village, or "Hatterask." For centuries, they were the islands' only residents, and they carved out a picturesque life that was rich in seafood, small game, and lots of peaceful and confrontation-free living.īy the 1600s and 1700s European settlers had discovered the area, paying particular attention to the seafood rich coastlines, the lush maritime forests loaded with quality timber, and the two inlets, Hatteras and Ocracoke Inlets, which provided a reliable route from the ocean to the mainland. The first residents were small communities of Native Americans, who were satellite branches of the Algonquin Tribe. While not always a National Seashore and therefore managed and maintained under the federal government administration, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore was always a secluded destination and scenic home for centuries of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islanders. History of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Luckily, with so many secluded spots to enjoy, no matter how many people are checking out the seashore, you'll almost always feel like the only one on the beach. With plenty of places to spread out a beach blanket, and completely unobstructed ocean views, it's no wonder that this natural attraction caters to almost a million beachgoers or road trippers every year. The seashore spans from the soundside to the oceanside, and is open to everyone who adores a pristine and undeveloped length of seashore, as well as some of the Outer Banks' best birding, surfing, fishing, shelling and all around beach-going activities. Note: Find current official vehicle and pedestrian beach closings here. One of the largest preserved parcels of the Outer Banks, the National Seashore stretches across 70 miles of shoreline, encompassing seven villages on Hatteras Island, and providing visitors with miles of undisturbed, scenic beaches as well as some of the prettiest natural drives on the East Coast. Visitors to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands will simultaneously be visiting the gorgeous Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
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