Traveling to Bogue Banks
By Walt Zaenker
W§T«BY §TR W
Reflections of Pine Knoll Shores
The following appears as a post with footnotes and graphics on pineknollhistory.
blogspot.com.
The separation between Bogue Banks and the mainland 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. Water crossings are characteristic of travel in eastern North
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 two hours from the nearest interstate highway!” Some see the island’s
remoteness as a benefit arid others as a frustration. Factors that cause difficulty in
getting to Bogue Banks 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 when it was much more difficult.
Settlement of the nearby mainland started more than three centuries ago and was
slow 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; Morehead City was a dot on the map known as Shepard’s Point as
early as 1723; Newport was a river landing and small settlement as far back as 1720,
and several other settlements prospered for a while in the 1700s and 1800s.
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, and of this total, 61% (or 821 square miles) of the area consists of bays,
sounds, lakes, wetlands, rivers or estuaries.
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 traveled 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.
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 thp 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 method 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 when wet.
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 bn 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 declirie of a similar magnitude happened in Morehead City, with
passenger rail service ending in March 1950. During its existence, steam locomotives
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 its 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, and until she settled
here permanently in the late1930s, she traveled by train to and from Morehead City on
regular trips between here and New York City and for points beyond.
In the early 1900s, motorized vehicles replaced horse-powered transportation. As
the popularity of automobile and truck transportation grew, a system of better roads
grew as well. 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 budding
commercial airlines impacted traffic for
longer trips.
The building of the Interstate Highway
System, begun after World War II,
bypassed the eastern Carolina coastal
region in favor of an interior route
connecting major cities. However, for 14
years, this coastal region had commercial
airline service. Piedmont Airlines provided
regularly scheduled passenger 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.
At one time, passenger accommodations
from this region included stagecoach,
ships, railroads and commercial airlines,
but no longer. Travelers today come by car
via limited access highways. The nearest
major hub airport is Raleigh-Durham, a
3Y2-hour drive. Regional airports at New
Bern (one-hour drive) and Jacksonville
(UA-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 2012, Amtrak initiated bus
service from Morehead City to its Wilson
train station.
In spite of all the impediments to
convenient travel, thousands visit our coast
every year to enjoy its easy-going, relaxed
living. Remoteness, in ,a way, is one of the
area’s attractions.
Th.» b«stn«» tlm« yov
eon ba turned Into
nior« doilon for you.
Ijeastfre
TtiB Potomakor 1$
•o larg* w«b of roeotlon
and scenic routes;
For shippins tost minute
mofertoi or orriyfng on
timoy Piedmont's tops.
' fly!ihel famous DCS Pacemaker
. , .Jt saves you vatuable time.
ynitr trip
Irlifids'ot'hdino,''‘ ^ *
CAROLINA ,K.„
;A>#,0ny:,oth«r;AirItn«p
COi
AND
Of*6RATIONS> ..
base'\"'.
1 wwswh.jaum.^'h; c. '
'•Mim ■ssttvict MvmrwHtM
piBnmonr /tmunes
A 1950s ad for Piedmont Airlines showing
routes to eastern North Carolina, which
appeared in The State magazine
(now Our State)
24 The Shoreline I January 2017