Duck

By Suzanne Tate

Situated on the Atlantic Flyway, Duck was given its name by the first postmaster, Lloyd Toler, who operated a tiny store in the community. While Duck is the Outer Banks' newest town, officially established in 2002, it has a long and interesting history, one that has always focused on fishing. Duck was once a quiet little village, with both able-bodied men and women actively engaged in maritime activities. Located on a narrow strip of land between Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, the town has a thriving commercial district, and visitors enjoy the boardwalk along the sound, six miles of pristine beaches, and a town park. Duck showcases the evolution of this community, from a small fishing village to a popular resort destination on the North Carolina coast.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: May 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781439651391

Suzanne Tate

Suzanne Tate first came to Duck in 1953 when Everett Tate brought her to his childhood home. She has been a resident of North Carolina's Outer Banks for 50 years. Images in this title are courtesy of the Tate family collection as well as other local collections.

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INTRODUCTION

Duck, a popular resort town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, was once a quiet little fishing village. Until the 1950s, the only way to reach Duck was by a sand road along Currituck Sound. The village was so small that its residents called it a neighborhood. Nestled between the sound and the Atlantic Ocean, Duck was a natural place to make a living by fishing. Many different species of fish were caught in the ocean or sound according to the season. When speaking of fishing, the people at Duck had the habit of making verbs out of nouns related to fishing. If a person went in the sound with a pole, he or she was hook and lining. Going after certain species of fish was referred to as mulleting (catching mullets) or perching (catching white perch). Beach-fishing, of course, was at the ocean.

In the early days of Duck, children—as well as adults—could make money wading in the sound and catching soft crabs with a dip net. They sold them to men in the village who had a fish house and dock where they bought fish and crabs for resale. There were floating wooden boxes (called cars) in the sound where eels were kept live for sale to New York dealers who came to get them at the end of the fishing season. But it was a slippery business; there were times that the venture failed when the eels managed to dislodge a board in the eel box and escape.

Near the fish house was a grocery store kept by Ned Rodgers. He sold all kinds of grocery items and feed supplies for animals. Both men and women came to Ned’s store to visit in the evenings after supper. In the general population at Duck, there was a sense of laid-back acceptance of whatever life might bring. Money was valued but not important for contentment.

Besides fishing, the residents of old Duck engaged in hunting and gathering of natural bounties from the waters lining its shores. People trapped and sold native species, such as muskrats, raccoons, mink, otters, and turtles. Before it was outlawed in 1918, market hunting—shooting wild ducks and geese—was a big moneymaker. The wildfowl was plucked and dressed before shipping to northern outlets. There were barrels full of duck and goose feathers. The feathers were used to make pillows and feather beds for domestic use.

Duckers never went hungry, even during the Great Depression. They were an independent lot and could always find something to eat. Small fish, especially spots, were salted to preserve them for winter consumption. Children gathered wild duck eggs—prized for their red yolks and rich taste—from nests along the sound. The men were proud of their large gardens where they buried small unsalable fish, a natural fertilizer for their crops. Women canned enough vegetables to last through the winter. The only time that they had beef to eat was when someone came through the neighborhood with butchered meat for sale. Then the beef was canned, as there was no way to keep it without refrigeration. Only a few people in the village kept cows. Hogs were raised and kept in pounds. Hams were cured in smokehouses.

Early houses in Duck were often built of lumber cast off of ships and picked up on the beach. Neighbors helped one another in building the houses. Most of them were simply built but usually had a porch. The porches were equipped with a swing for relaxation after a day’s work and were prized additions for sitting and visiting with neighbors. Inside old Duck houses, bare wooden floors made it easier to sweep out the water