In the lobby of the Wilmington Cape Fear Museum is this giant sloth who was discovered in the area.
He weighed 3 tons; 20 ft. tall; claws were 12 inches long; feet 36 inches.
Yaupon Holly leaves were used by the Indians to make black drink.
Regional products used for trade in the 1700's.
Interesting facts about a lady who bought 1 1/2 gallons of molasses every 9 days. She bought 1 quart of rum every 6 days. She may have made "small beer" with the molasses and sold that and the rum at her tavern.
I thought it was amazing that at the time of the 1760 Stamp Act protest there were American born people. But then read Wilmington was settled about 1725. In 1750 there were 4,000 people living there.
During the American Revolution the colonist could no longer get salt from England. They boiled 1,000 pounds of sea water in the cast iron pot to get 27 pounds of salt. The trough in the front was used to layer meat with salt to preserve the meat.
Ingrained in our minds is the date of 1776. That is when the colonists broke from Great Britain. In 1783 they won their independence.
Civil War Confederate blockade runner.
U. S. flag with 34 stars, Kansas joined the Union in 1861. Throughout the Civil War the Union kept the 13 seceded states on the flag. At the start of the War the population of free and enslaved was 31 million. The Army had 16,367. 2.9 million men took up arms over the four years. Twice as many died of disease than bullets.
The Second Confederate flag was created in May of 1863. The first flag, Stars and Bars, was too similar to the Union's flag. The flag of your country is a rallying point for the soldiers to see during battle.
Secession cockade worn to show support for the Confederates.
Music cover for the song Bonnie Blue Flag.
Interesting map of Fort Fisher.
Table croquet from 1880 and badminton racquet from 1900.
Cuirass respirator used in 1920 to help polio patients breathe. An airline attached to the hole would apply pressure and vacuum.
The Cape Fear area built 243 ships for WW II from 1941 to 1946.
Anyone recognize the TV from 1950?
Steamer used in 1950 to make felt hats.
Michael Jordan who grew up in Wilmington and his family donated the money for the Ecosystem Gallery.
Sometimes the ocean waters look like they sparkle. The waves break up microorganisms and that gives off the "cool lights." This was a very interesting Museum. We will be traveling up the "Crystal Coast."
Early 1790's flag was donated to the Beaufort Historic Site. The design is not the traditional design because guidelines were not yet set. The stripes are linen and the stars cotton.
Beaufort is a quaint seaport town with lots of old houses. This one built in 1835.
Incredibly inserting Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
Life car was designed in 1840 used to rescue shipwrecked passengers and/ or crew.
U. S. Revenue Cutter collected duties for imports. The Coast Guard created by combining the Revenue Cutters and the U. S. Life Saving Service in 1915.
Interesting to see an old photo of the soldiers at Fort Moultrie firing on Fort Sumter. We learned the history as we visited both Forts.
Scott's Great Snake was to blockade the Confederate ports so they could not receive supplies from England and France.
The blockade runner would sneak past the Union ships in the night.
Interesting to read about the centuries of fishing in this area. America's first industry was fishing. Oysters, scallops, shrimp, clams, mullet, menhaden, river herring (alewives) and more.
Blackbeard the pirate was captured and killed in this area in Nov. 1718. Recently they discovered his sunken ship and have items in the Museum.
Recovered barrel hoops.
Model of his ship
Pirates captured ships and sold their goods.
Interesting to see oyster shells used as mulch.
Interesting "Old Burying Grounds" from 1731.
Abigail Parker, 1756, may be the oldest legible marker. During the Revolution Anglican loyal to the King fled to England and took the records for the Burying Grounds.
Shape of the stone represents a gate...the gateway to heaven.
Young girl buried in barrel of rum in the 1700's. She and her Dad visited their homeland of England. She died on the return trip. Rather than be buried at sea her father bought a barrel of rum so he could bring her back as he promised his wife.
The water always calls to me.
Driving to Morehead City where spent the night at Walmart, not many open campgrounds along the coast. North Carolina was a state we had not visited. We certainly are learning a lot about it.
Location:Wilmington, Beaufort, Orcacoke & Hatteras Islands, N.C.
