The story starts with native
people, the age of exploration, and the first to homestead on the land—Meginnises,
Royalls and Abonita adventurers. Those stopping in this area of the exhibit
need to be careful not to scare the alligator, typical of wildlife once common
on the island.
Alice Green Hoffman finds
Bogue Banks in 1915 and leaves a light environmental footprint. Visitors can
ignore her “No Trespassing” sign and approach her in the outfit she frequently
wears here but dare not go too close since she is armed with one of her
pistols. Admiring her steamer trunk filled with clothes she might wear, one can imagine the high life she enjoys in New York City and Paris. Before moving on, some may imagine
they hear Polly, her parrot, cuss in both French and English.
When Alice is living here full-time and the grandchildren of President Roosevelt are trustees of her property, World War II brings
its share of changes—roads, utilities, and the introduction of thousands of
people from around the country. When walking through the World War II area, visitors see,
but cannot shoot, a mounted gun, similar to ones deployed on Bogue
Banks during the war.
The exhibit ends with the
Roosevelts and some North Carolinians who work with them to build the town we know today.
Current photos and artifacts reveal not only the look but also the way of life
in this beach town in a forest.
A touchscreen adds pictures
and stories for those who want more.
