I live on Bogue Banks, an island off the mainland of
the United States, separated from the mainland by Bogue Sound. The separation
is not a vast distance, a mile or two at best, but until the first bridge was
opened in 1928. a boat was needed to make the crossing. This crossing is
characteristic of the nature of travel in eastern Carolina, a characteristic
that has defined its development for centuries. This part of eastern North
Carolina is not an easy place to get to.
Current day visitors from
elsewhere in the nation often remark upon arriving, “You’re three hours from the nearest
Interstate Highway!” Some see the island’s remoteness as a benefit and others as
a frustration. Factors that cause difficulty in getting here and efforts to
address these conditions tell a story of great ambition and hard reality. There
were times when getting here was easier than today and other times
exceptionally difficult.
Settlement of the nearby
mainland started more then three centuries ago, but was slow in forming and limited
in size, because the area was almost completely isolated from the interior.
Beaufort, originally a fishing village and port of safety dating from the late
1600s, was established in 1709[i],
Morehead City was a dot on the map known as Shepard’s Point as early as 1723[ii],
Newport was a river landing and small settlement as far back as 1720[iii],
and several other settlements prospered for awhile in the 17 and 18 hundreds.
Early explorers and settlers
came by foot and horseback, but found the going difficult and slow because many
rivers and wetlands had to be crossed. Eastern Carolina is a land of water.
Carteret County’s boundary encompasses 1,341 square miles. Of this total, 61%
or 821 square miles the area consist of bays, sounds, lakes, wetlands, rivers, or
estuaries[iv].
Before the early settlers, Giovanni
da Verrazano is credited with being the first European to see and set foot on
Bogue Banks. In 1524, he travelled from France on a voyage that took 50 days,
and during the trip, he lost two of his three ships. His flagship made it to
our coast and remained off the beach, sending a small boat ashore for a brief
stay.[v]
Beaufort was the main
settlement on this part of the coast in the early 1700s. The attraction was a sheltered
harbor with access to the Atlantic Ocean. Trading goods—mainly ship stores,
lumber, food provisions, and salt—could be brought to town by wagon or small
boat and transported by ship to customers in need. In those early times,
Beaufort and other settlements in these parts were remote and cut off from the
rest of the growing population of the colonies. It was reported that it took 14
days for word of the signing of the Declaration of Independence to reach Beaufort.
The early roads were little
better than wide sandy paths. Eventually, a few were paved with wood planks, and
in some places, shells were used. Wooden bridges crossed some small streams,
while a ferry of sorts was needed at any large river. Until the mid-19th century
the customary form of long distance passenger travel was by boat, wagon or
stagecoach. The stagecoach offered a crowded compartment, limited space for
luggage, and a rough and unstable ride over roadways that were dusty in dry
weather and muddy in wet.[vi]
A dramatic change to available
transportation options in North Carolina took place during the administration
of Governor John Motley Morehead in the 1840s. He spearheaded construction of
railroads throughout the state. His efforts resulted in extending the Atlantic
& North Carolina Railroad to Shepard’s Point in 1858. Shepard’s Point was
eventually named Morehead City.
The train terminated at the
Atlantic Hotel Station, located between 1st and 4th
streets on the sound front. North Carolina’s railroad system was quite
progressive for the day. When the train reached Morehead City, there were less
than 30,000 miles of track in the US. Track mileage peaked in 1916 at 254,000.
Rail passenger miles traveled in the US peaked in 1944 at 98 billion. By 2000, that
number had fallen to 15 billion. A decline of a similar magnitude happened in
Morehead City, with passenger rail service ending in March 1950[vii].
During its existence, steam locomotives always powered the trains.
Early on, the expanding
network of railroads along the east coast made travel to Morehead City a
convenient and pleasant experience. From the 1880s through the 1930s, Morehead
City was a mecca for the social and political elite of central coastal states. Resort
hotels on the Morehead City sound front during that era had a reputation for
fine accommodations and a lively cultural and party atmosphere. Lower summer
temperatures and cooling breezes of the coast, when compared to the conditions
elsewhere in the states, were a powerful attraction.
Alice Hoffman had a home on
Bogue Banks from 1915 to 1953, during which time she traveled by train to and
from Morehead City for regular trips between here and New York City and for
points beyond.
The next change came about in
the early 1900s with motorized vehicles replacing horse-based transportation. As
the popularity of automobile and truck transportation grew, a system of better
roads grew. Better roads gradually made their way to this part of the coast.
More change came starting in
mid-century. After World War II, passenger rail travel in the US plummeted as
the automobile took its toll and the budding commercial airlines impacted
traffic for longer trips.
The building of the
Interstate Highway System, begun after World War II, by-passed the eastern
Carolina coastal region in favor of an interior route connecting major cities.
For fourteen years, this coastal
region had commercial airline service. Piedmont Airlines provided regularly
scheduled passenger airline service from Morehead-Beaufort airport beginning on
May 8, 1948, and ending September 30, 1962. There were daily flights offering
direct connections to all major airports on the east coast.
Passenger accommodations from
this region, on stagecoach, ships, railroads and commercial airlines all could
be had at one time, but no longer. Travelers today come by car via US 70 from
the west or US 17 from the north or south. The nearest major hub airport is
Raleigh-Durham, a 3 ½ hour drive. Regional airports at New Bern (one hour
drive) and Jacksonville (1 ½ hour drive) offer connecting flights to major east-coast
hubs. Those with their own aircraft can land at Michael J. Smith Field in
Beaufort. The nearest passenger train can be boarded in Wilson, a two-hour
drive, with service to New York, Savannah, Charlotte, points in between, and
connections to other destinations.
In spite of these impediments
to convenient travel, thousands visit every year to our coast and its
easy-going, relaxed living. This remoteness, in a way, is one of the area’s
attractions.
Post Author: Walt
Zaenker
To
contact the author or the History Committee
[i] A
brief Summary of the History of the Town of Beaufort, NC
[ii] A
Pictorial Review of Morehead City, 1981, Morehead City Woman’s Club
[iii]
Souvenir Program from Newport Centennial Celebration, January 29, 1966
[iv]
Carteret County Economic Development Council, Inc.
[v]
The Biography.com website, A&E Television Networks
[vii]
Morehead Dedicates Old Train Depot, by Jannette Pippin, The Daily News,
Jacksonville, NC, June 3, 2006 http://www.railfan.net/lists/rshsdepot-digest/200606/msg00005.html