Topics Related to Outer Banks

On December 24, 1902, Reginald Fessenden, who had previously engaged in experiments on the Outer Banks, made the first intentional wireless radio broadcast, playing his violin and reading a passage from the Bible.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first successful powered flight in a heavier-than-air craft. The story of the Wright brothers began in Dayton, Ohio, where they owned and operated a bicycle store. Seasonal slumps in sales forced the brothers to expand, and they decided to try designing a self-propelled aircraft.

On December 6, 1955, Russian immigrant Dr. Igor Bensen made the world’s first gyrocopter flight at Kill Devil Hills.

On November 24, 1877, the USS Huron ran aground near Nags Head, en route for Havana from New York. Commander George P. Ryan chose to sail close to shore to avoid having to travel against the Gulf Stream or taking the time to plot a route beyond the strong currents.

On June 3, 1905, Lumina, a pavilion on Wrightsville Beach known as the “Fun Spot of the South” opened for the first time.Lumina had its roots in February 1905 when the Consolidated Railways Light & Power Company purchased a train track along the waterfront. On the land it purchased, the company constructed the pavilion to promote beach tourism and electricity, and to better accommodate the patrons of its trolley line.

On May 22, 1939, work began on Jennette’s Ocean Pier in Nags Head, the first fishing pier on the Outer Banks.The 750-foot wooden structure was built by Elizabeth City’s Warren Jennette, Sr., who purchased the former site of Camp Weaver, a WPA transient camp that housed workers who built sand dunes in the area. Some buildings were converted into overnight accommodations for fishermen.

Each summer , thousands of tourists descend on the Outer Banks for fun in the sun. Though the region is long on history, many visitors don’t grasp the rich past of North Carolina’s coastal region while on their beach trips.

From the early explorations of the Carolina coast in the late 1500s to the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island in 1863 to the impact of modern hurricanes like Frank and Floyd, the central Outer Banks region has a long and storied past.Earlier this month, Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz, local elected officials, members of the Roanoke Island Commission and others celebrated the reopening of the Adventure Museum at Roanoke Island Festival Park, which tells the story of the area’s history in an interactive way.

A 16th century cruise with elementary school students, a visit with animals on a living history farm and a historic lighting were all part of Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz’s recent trip to the coast.

The story of the German Enigma machine and how you can see one for yourself in Hatteras.