The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-05-23
|SOME IMPRESSIONS
OF ROANOKE ISLAND
HALF CENTURY AGO
By EARL DEAN


around today who can well remem-
Der the days when the way to Fort
Raleigh was along a winding,
sandy trail through an almost vir-
gin pine forest.
In those days a trip up to the
north end of Roanoke Island was
something of journey taking bet
ter than an hours time. Visitors to
Dare County who wanted to see
the site of the first English colony
in America usually hired a horse
and cart and set out for Fort RAJ
leigh early in the day. There was
usually plenty of time in which to
relax and enjoy the scenery on the
way up.
Such visitor was the late Col.
Fred A. Odds, the well-known RAJ
leigh historian of a couple of gen.
erations ago, who made trip to
Roanoke Island in the summer of
1901 for the sole purpose of seeing
what Fort Raleigh looked like.
On his return to the State CAPT
toll he wrote the following sketch
of his visit to Old Fort Raleigh as
it appeared 81 years ago:
"The center of the attraction
there is Fort Raleigh. Along roads
of white sand, beneath pines with
which the bright green of the holly
is mingled, the way lies to The
Fort. To the right, after going a
little distance, rises in long lines
the dunes, vast mounds of sand,
the creation and sport of the winds.
Looking from the top of these one
can almost see to the eastward the
sea, green and heaving, and the
curl of it's breakers, and borne by
the soft east wind comes the faint
thunder of the surf, like a distant
echo. At ones feet lies the tawny
waters of Roanoke Sound, yellow
as gold, three miles in width, and
so shallow that nearly the entire
distance can be waded. Looking
westward the thickly-wooded is
land seems to lie at ones feet, like
vast green carpet.
Descending from the heights
the ride to Fort Raleigh is resum-
ed. Past houses, some modern,
others gray with age, the road
winds. Presently there appears a
small sign bearing the words ITO
Fort Raleigh" 1t points eastward
to a pine thicket, and thence 100
yards away is the fort site.
Surrounded by a fence of pine
rails, with a rustic gateway of
little upright poles, is the ruin. In
its center stands severely simple
monument and low posts of gran
lite, foot high, mark the vener-
able ealthwork. The outlines are
perfectly plain. The greatest
height of the parapet above the
ditch is some two feet. Almost an
acre is enclosed by the fence, and
the fort covers little more than a
fourth of this area. The colonists'
log huts surrounded the fort,
which was their refuge in time of
attack by the Indians. Within the
limits of the enclosure are live
oak, pine, holly, dogwood, sassa-
fras, water oak and wild cherry
trees. Up the trunk of one great
live oak clamors a wild grapevine,
md at it's feet is shoot of Eng
fish ivy. The monument, or memo
rial stone, faces westward, and
bears this inscription:
Near this spot in July-August,
1885, colonists sent out by Sir Wal
ter Raleigh built a fort called by
them the New Forte in Virginia.
These colonists were the first sett-
Iers of the English race in Amer
ca. They returned to England in
July, 1886, with Sir Fracis Drake.
Near this place was born, on
the 18th day of August, 1887, Vir-
ginia Dare, the first white child of
English parents born in America,
daughter of Ananias Dare and
Eleanor Dare, his wife, members
of another band of colonists sent
out by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1887.
On Sunday, August 20, 1887, Vir-
ginia Dare was baptized. Manteo,
friendly chief of the Hatteras In
dams. had been baptized on the
Sunday previous. These baptisms
were the first known celebrations
of the sacrament in the territories
of the thirteen original states
"The land here has never been
in cultivation, and to this fact is
due the marvellous preservation of
the ancient earthworth. In America
316 years seem very great lapse
of time, but this little earthwork
| Ana