Wokokon History

It is past time to talk about Wokokon history. This is about a place that is very dear to my heart.

It seems that the first instance of the island being called Wokokon happened on the White/Debry map in 1585. The origin of the name Wokokon appears to have come from some Algonquian Indians that visited but never settled.

The same reasons that Indians visited but never settled are some of the reasons the Pirates loved Ocracoke. Wokokon History is filled with the lore of the infamous Blackbeard the Pirate.

Blackbeard who often anchored off of Ocracoke island is what is now known as Teach’s hole. He must have been an imposing figure as it has been reported that he was tall and liked to tie fuses to his long flowing beard for boarding purposes.

No doubt if you were about to be boarded and you saw Blackbeard’s flag I am sure you were intimidated.

The reasons that Blackbeard chose to fly his flag in the waters of Ocracoke I am sure are some of the same reasons that raiders have felt comfortable there again.The raiders in the 1940’s were the German u-boats.

These guys intimidated the entire east coast of the US during the war. Wokokon history was drastically changed by the US Navy building a base there. Not only did it allow for paving of a lot of roads it also provided a huge influx of cash.

This cash was used for a lot of things and had a huge impact on the future tourism industry. The tourism industry on Ocracoke is the thriving heartbeat of the island. This has attracted what I call the outlaws. The outlaws are the type of person that enjoys the simplicity of life and not the trappings of modern convenience.

Despite being selected as the #1 beach in the US in 2007 the only “chain” you will find is the Texaco gas station.