Homegrown Skills
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Creating a Way of Life at the Coast
Articles by Karen Willis Amspacher*
Life at the coast today greatly differs from
what it would have been one hundred,
fifty, or even twenty-five years ago.
These days, the modern conveniences of
communication, transportation, and
commerce are readily available to everyone
who visits or lives along the coast of North
Carolina. But throughout history, people there
have depended on the coast's natural
resources — beautiful and productive waters,
abundant seafood, and wintering grounds for
waterfowl — to survive.
In the past, certain skills existed that were
very important to a coastal family's way of
life. Income and survival depended on these
skills and the ability to use the waters nearby.
A community's food traditions relied on the
area's natural resources. Even a young
person's entertainment and fun would be
based on their knowledge and skills. For
example, in the early 1900s, a teenager would
need to be able to handle a boat to go on a
date in another community. There were no
roads or bridges to get from place to place in
many parts of the coast. A young boy's winter
fun might be hunting waterfowl along the
coastal marshes, which required knowing
how to shoot, how to handle a boat, and
maybe even knowing how to make decoys.
Let's look more closely at life one hundred
years ago in North Carolina's coastal
communities. At that time, hunting and
fishing supplied a family's food and income.
It was important to have hunting skills; to
know about waterfowl like ducks and geese
and their habits; to understand the ways of
fish and how to catch them; to know where to
find oysters and clams; to grasp how to handle
(and even build) a boat; and to know plenty
about local waters, feeding groimds, and
navigation channels. People needed carpentry
skills to build a house for shelter and a boat
for transportation. Creativity and ingenuity,
along with basic know-how, could make life
easier and more enjoyable in many ways.
The Tar Heel coast looked very different as
late as the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. The region
featured great expanses of marshes, creeks,
rivers, and sounds scarcely touched by
humans. Roads and bridges had not yet come
to every area, so everything (including peo¬
ple) was still moved around by boat. Each
neighborhood had its own store, and doctors
came in boats to treat the sick. Communica¬
tion usually meant one telephone in the local
store, with a radio in almost every home. It
took work and effort to get anything. Life
centered on family, school, and church. Chil¬
dren grew up in a limited world.
After World War II, in the mid-1950s, life
started to change. Coastal communities
began to shift from "living off the land and
the local waters" to a more diverse econo¬
my. More and more people moved into the
area. Vacationers found the unspoiled
waters and open beaches. More jobs with
the government — such as the Coast Guard,
teaching, civil service, and state agencies —
mixed with the traditional coastal trades of
commercial fishing, boatbuilding, hunting,
and local commerce, such as running small
stores and other businesses. Women joined the
workforce and helped provide families with
money to buy food and other needed items.
Even traditional coastal occupations began
to change, becoming more trade oriented and
specialized. Men became boatbuilders, decoy
makers, net hangers, fishermen, and hunting
guides — and most times, a combination of
those roles. Coastal communities' economies
continued to depend on these skills, but men
usually focused on certain trades to make a
living instead of using several skills just to
provide for their families. The North Carolina
Museum of History's current exhibition, Work-
boats of Core Sound, highlights this era and
these skills, as well as the ways that these
coastal traditions continue to provide income
for many families in the small town of Atlan¬
tic, in Carteret County.
For generations, coastal
families used decoys to
attract ducks and
geese, so they could be
hunted for food or for
sport. Image courtesy of
Core Sound Waterfowl
Museum and Heritage
Center, Doily Fulcher
Collection.
* Karen Willis Amspacher serves as the executive director of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and
Heritage Center on Harkers Island. She has edited several books related to coastal heritage and history,
including The Mailboat, Island Bom and Bred, and Morehead City Heritage Cookbook.
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