It's hard to believe that it's March already, be here we are! And March is Women's History Month, the month when the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and other government agencies come together to celebrate the role that women have played in American history. And when you've got a place as rich in history as the Outer Banks, you know that there are sure to be countless women who have played an essential role in making the Outer Banks the thriving, beautiful community that it is today. Keep reading as we take the time to honor the important contributions of some amazing women to the history of the Outer Banks and the country!
Eleanor Dare, 1568
(Photo credit: NCPedia, "Photograph, Accession #: H.1938.68.2." Photograph. 1937-1938. North Carolina Museum of History.)
When celebrating the women of the Outer Banks, it makes the most sense to start right at the beginning with the woman who was there at the start of it all. Eleanor Dare was the daughter of John White, who would later become the governor of the Roanoke Colony and wife to Ananias Dare. If these names sound familiar, not only will you hear them when you go see The Lost Colony, but many of the streets in Manteo are named after these famous figures! Eleanor came to North Carolina with her husband, as well as sixteen other women, to help ensure the success of the colony on Roanoke Island. While we don't know much about her, and she is one of the people to have "disappeared" with the Lost Colony, we do know that she gave birth to the first English child in North America, Virginia Dare. Carrying and having a child is difficult enough on its own in the 21st century, but consider that left England already pregnant, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, then gave birth in an unfamiliar place without much of a support system or the comforts of home, all at the age of 19 or 20.
Betsy Dowdy, 1752-1836
(Photo credit: Currituck Chamber of Commerce)
While not a lot is known about Betsy Dowdy, what we do know makes her the North Carolina equivalent of Paul Revere! At the age of 16, Betsy is believed to have ridden more than 50 miles in December 1775 from Currituck to Hertford to alert the North Carolina militia of British troops planning to move south from Virginia. The result of her ride and the passing of her message was a military show of force that encourage the Royal Governor of Virginia to retreat and consider the Outer Banks unattainable and not worth the trouble. If you're heading north after your vacation, be sure to spot the recent "Legends & Lore" marker that was sponsored by the William J. Pomeroy Foundation to commemorate Betsy's ride.
Crissy Bowser, 1830-1914
(Photo credit: Victor Meekins Collection via The Outer Banks Voice)
The history of Crissy Bowser is one inextricably linked with the successes and growth of Roanoke Island. Crissy is believed to have been a free black woman who lived and worked on what is now refered to as Island Farm. The history of slavery in North Carolina suggests that the Bowser family, when kidnapped by pirates and brought to the English colonies in the 1600s, worked as indentured servants and it is believed that Crissy Bowser's mother was a free black woman, ensuring Crissy's status as a free person. When she was twenty years old, historians believe that she left her childhood home to be a cook at the Etheridge farm, what is now known as Island Farm. She built a cabin on the two acres rented out to her by the Etheridges and never married or had children. Crissy would not have been allowed to vote or had many tangible rights as a black woman, but she lived through slavery and the Civil War, coming out on the other side as a someone who would have seen the ways that Roanoke Island changed all while forming the foundation of a daily life in the 19th century.
Irene Tate, 1897-1984
(Photo credit: Irene Tate - Courtesy of Wright State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives)
No more than a little girl when Orville and Wilbur Wright showed up at her front door, Irene Tate would grow up with the Wright Brothers and the knowledge of their adventures acting as a backdrop to her childhood before accomplishing her historical feats as a pilot. Irene, whose family lived in Kitty Hawk, would become the first female pilot to to fly round-trip between New York and Miami. She also was the chair of the Women's Division of the National Aeronautic Association and an advocate for the Wright Brother's Memorial.
Nellie Myrtle Pridgen, 1918-1992
(Photo credit: Beach Combing Magazine; Glassing Magazine September 2017)
Like many of the women on this list, Nellie Myrtle Pridgen is known for her activism and determination to fight for the preservation of the Outer Banks. Her ongoing legacy on the Outer Banks is her collection of seaglass, WWII flashlights, and other pieces of history that she collected over sixty years of near-daily beachcombing. She also served as one of the only female hydraulic mechanics at Naval Air Station Nofolk during WWII. As the Outer Banks became more of a tourist destination through the years, Nellie was a constant backdrop to the change and she was generally against it. The Nellie Myrtle Pridgen Beachcomber Museum and the grocery store which houses her collection were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 and 2004, respectively, marking her life and her legacy as part of the origin-story of the Outer Banks.
Carolista Baum, 1940-1991
(Photo credit: North Carolina Parks and Recreation)
Carolista Baum made a name for herself when she put herself physically between Jockey's Ridge and a bulldozer that had been hired to remove sand from the dune. She was the most vocal advocate for the protection of the dunes and worked with other local activists to form the People to Preserve Jockey's Ridge, which led to the designation of Jockey's Ridge as a state park several years later. Her achievements in the creation of the park and the preservation of the dune are recgonized in the Visitor's Center where visitors can see a framed portrait in her honor and the original sign that she used to help raise money for the cause.
Cora Mae Basnight, 1910-1988
(Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon & Suzanne Tate)
If you're ever driving from Downtown Manteo to the Roanoke Island Festival Park, you may notice that you're driving across the Cora Mae Basnight Bridge. And if Basnight sounds familiar, Cora Mae's son was Marc Basnight, who grew up to serve 13 terms as a North Carolina State Senator. But Cora Mae was more than just a mother. She was an important and unforgettable Outer Banks local in her own right, having played the role of Agona in The Lost Colony for twenty-seven years, more than any actor who has played a single character and a role for which she was honored by Governor Jim Hunt. She was also an activist, writer, and supporter of local success.
Virginia Tillett, 1941-2021
(Photo Credit: The Coastland Times)
Virginia Tillett was the epitome of a powerful woman of the Outer Banks. An educator, elected official, activist, mother, and local legend, during her lifetime, Virginia Tillett received Dare County Citizen of the Year and Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award. She was the first black person to be appointed to the Marine Fisheries Commission and spent much of her life working towards the preservation and celebration of the history of the Roanoke Island Feedmen's Colony. Both Virginia and her husband's heritage can be traced back to the Freedman's Colony. Virginia transformed the culture and education system of Dare County was an important figurehead in the county. The Virginia Tillet Community Center was renamed in her honor after her death in 2021.
Cheryl Shelton-Roberts, 1950
(Photo credit: Outer Banks LIghthouse Society)
Cheryl Shelton-Roberts is an author, historian, and former teacher who is also the co-founder of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society. Her ongoing research surroudning the lighthouse families of the Outer Banks and the histories of lighthouses, as well as her dedication to the preservation of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the 1990s, makes her an invaluable member of Outer Banks society. She's the author and co-author of several books on the lighthouses of the Outer Banks including North Carolina Lighthouses: The Stories Behind the Beacons from Cape Fear to Currituck Beach and Lighthouse Families. Her ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the lighthouses of the Outer Banks make her a symbol of the success and power of women on the Outer Banks.
Find Out More & Come Explore
And if you're looking for an even deeper dive into the lives of the unbelievable women who've changed history from our beautiful barrier islands, be sure to grab your copy of Hannah Bunn West's Remarkable Women of the Outer Banks, which was the main secondary source for this post! Find out more about the book and West's other work here.
And whether you're hoping to come for a short stay getaway or you're excited to introduce the kiddos to some important North Carolina history, we've got the perfect place for you to stay while you're in town. Keep an eye on our specials and deals and book now before your dream Outer Banks beach house fills up for the summer. Give our wonderful Guest Services Team a call today at (866) 884-0267 or take a look at our available rentals to get started planning your next historic adventure to the Outer Banks. And don't forget about our layaway plan, which makes booking your dream vacation easier than ever.
About the Author: Lauren is a mom, author, and travel enthusiast. An Outer Banks native, Lauren has a Masters in History from the University of Nebraska, which she earned after completing an undergraduate degree in History at UNC-Chapel Hill and serving a tour in the Coast Guard. When she isn’t writing for the Seaside Vacations Travel Blog, Lauren can usually be found with a book and cup of tea in hand, planning her next travel adventure.
