Plantations that bordered coastal North Carolina’s creeks, rivers, and sounds often possessed fisheries that were operated by both free and enslaved peoples. While a few studies have provided some insights into the functioning of these fisheries, no one has analyzed labor management at them. Drawing...
Four guest clam chowder cooks and four cornbread bakers compete in the annual taste-off at the Watercraft Center. Participants will taste samples of the chowders and cornbread and vote for their favorite. Beer and wine included. Limited tickets will be available at maritimefriends.org....
In the late 19th century, North Carolina promoted the cultivation of oysters to provide a sustainable oyster industry. Large corporate interests quickly became involved and purchased thousands of acres of "submerged lands" in the state's sounds and rivers. These giant oyster gardens triggered rampant speculation...
In 1891, North Carolina created the Shell Fish Commission with the purpose of promoting and protecting North Carolina's most valuable fishery: oysters. To enforce the state's oyster laws, North Carolina leased several vessels to patrol the sounds until it purchased Lily, the state's first official...
In 1867, W. J. Bushall moved from Beaufort, North Carolina, to Core Creek to farm and fish. He left behind a diary from 1867 that details his life farming, fishing, and transporting his agricultural products by boat to market. The diary provides a view of...
Join Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly to learn about the wreck of the Caribsea, a casualty of World War II. On March 11, 1942, this cargo freighter was sunk by the German U-boat 158 off Cape Lookout while heading from Santiago de Cuba to Baltimore, Maryland....
In the 1870s, George Washington Creef of Roanoke Island developed what came to be known as the "North Carolina Shad Boat." He went on to influence generations of boatbuilders by sharing his design and expertise. The boat design spread throughout northeastern North Carolina, becoming one...
Join Museum Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster for an informal discussion about the biology, behavior, and conservation issues affecting "Beaufort’s Dolphins." Bottlenose dolphins occur in the waters off Beaufort year-round but they’re not the same individuals all year. We are learning a lot about these...
Following World War II, the Congress of Industrial Workers embarked on a campaign to unionize the South. As a part of that campaign, the International Fishermen and Allied Workers of America, a small Seattle-based labor union, attempted to unionize North Carolina’s commercial fishing industry. The...
Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly will talk about the history of the Cape Lookout lighthouse, an iconic landmark of Carteret County. The presentation will cover both lighthouse structures at Cape Lookout, the extant 1812 tower, and the still standing 1859 tower. Many images of the lighthouse...