NC 12: Gateway to the Outer Banks

by Dawson Carr

Overview

Connecting communities from Corolla in the north to Ocracoke Island in the south, scenic North Carolina Highway 12 binds together the fragile barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks. Throughout its lifetime, however, NC 12 has faced many challenges—from recurring storms and shifting sands to legal and political disputes—that have threatened this remarkable highway's very existence. Through the unique lens of the road's rich history, Dawson Carr tells the story of the Outer Banks as it has unfolded since a time when locals used oxcarts to pull provisions from harbors to their homes and the Wright Brothers struggled over mountainous dunes.

Throughout, Carr captures the personal stories of those who have loved and lived on the Outer Banks. As Carr relates the importance of NC 12 and its transformation from a string of beach roads to a scenic byway joining miles of islands, he also chronicles the history of a region over the last eighty-five years, showing how the highway and the residents of the Outer Banks came to rely on each other.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469628141
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	04/11/2016
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	1,032,617
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dawson Carr is author of The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Sentinel of the Shoals.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A fascinating cultural history that is far more than a tale of a strip of asphalt. Dawson Carr captures the interplay between human life and the delicate and dynamic natural ecosystem of the Outer Banks, where people live, work, and play." —Karen Lisbeth "KaeLi" Schurr, Outer Banks History Center

In his finely crafted and practically poetic book, Dawson Carr tells the story of the Outer Banks, situating the region's history around the modern-day difficulties of access and of the construction of Highway 12. Recommended reading for all visitors to the coast." —Michael Hill, North Carolina Office of Archives and History

Editorial Reviews

With extensive research the author examines how NC 12 came into being. . . . Will appeal to readers of North Carolina history and those who want to know more about the effects of development on fragile ecosystems in general." —Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2016
Carr (The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse: Sentinel of the Shoals) tells the background of North Carolina Highway 12 (NC 12), which connects the Outer Banks to the mainland. The title is not a guidebook to the area; those looking for a comprehensive history might refer to David Stick's The Outer Banks of North Carolina. Was the highway a threat, or the savior of the region? With extensive research the author examines how NC 12 came into being, the effects of its construction, how it's endured, and what the future holds for the road and the region. For years, the residents lived in isolation, cut off from the mainland. It was only when the Wright Brothers tested their plane at the town of Kitty Hawk in 1903 that the rest of the county became aware of the Outer Banks. The area remained secluded during World War II, and the U.S. government considered using the location as an atomic test site. When Cape Hatteras National Seashore was designated in 1953, tourism increased, and government finally felt pressure to combine 130 miles of local roads and bridges to form Highway 12. VERDICT This book will appeal to readers of North Carolina history and those who want to know more about the effects of development on fragile ecosystems in general.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

Library Journal