Wreck of the USS Huron

Kitty Hawk, NC

On the windswept dunes of Kitty Hawk, Orville and Wilbur Wright lived and labored over the flying machine that would make history. It was near here, in December 1903, that they achieved the first sustained, controlled, powered flight, and an obelisk-style monument now marks the ground where the age of aviation began.

Corolla, NC

On January 31, 1878, the steamer Metropolis ran aground off this stretch of the Outer Banks in heavy surf, and 85 people lost their lives despite rescuers' efforts from shore. The scale of the tragedy shocked the nation and spurred major reforms and expansion of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. The wreck's remains lie about three-fifths of a mile to the southeast.

Virginia Beach, VA

On the narrow barrier strip of False Cape near the North Carolina line, Wash Woods grew up in the late 19th century as a remote fishing and surfman's community, reportedly settled in part by families who salvaged timber and goods from ships wrecked along this treacherous coast. By the early 20th century it supported a church, a school, and a U.S. Life-Saving Service station, all sustained by the sea. As the maritime economy faded and the dunes shifted, residents drifted away, leaving the village to the elements within what is now False Cape State Park.

Washington County, NC

Established in 1735, Mackeys Ferry carried travelers and goods across the broad waters of Albemarle Sound, taking over a route first opened by the earlier Bells Ferry. For two centuries it stitched together the isolated communities of northeastern North Carolina, running until bridges and modern roads finally retired it in 1938. Its southern landing lay about three miles to the northwest.