Local historians say that settlers were established in what is now called Salter Path by the mid-1800s. As there was no community or laws, they simply squatted and set up homesteads and worked the sea and land where they lived. As the local whaling industry slowly failed in the late 1800's, some bankers moved their houses to Bogue Banks from Diamond City out on Shackleford Banks, either board-by-board or floating them across on boats. The exodus picked up speed after a devastating hurricane in 1899. One NC history book says "most of the folks on the other end of Shackleford Banks went down to Bogue Banks, to a place called Gillikin, now known as Salter Path."
Gillikin? Like many of the Outer Banks fishing villages there is some debate over how Salter Path got its name. The one heard most often is perhaps a bit too logical; "Over the years, where the fishermen went from their homes on the soundside to work in fish camps on the beach there was worn a permanent path by Riley Salter’s home and it was called Salter Path." Apparently, the path got a name and so, too, did the town.
From the 1920s to 1950s, the Banks’ most prominent resident was Alice Green Hoffman, a New York socialite who lived in what is now Pine Knoll Shores. Dubbed the “queen of Bogue Banks,” Hoffman lived in a large house with modern conveniences like “electric lights” on her estate facing Bogue Sound. To run her household, she employed many from Salter Path, including the legendary “Aunt Charity” who worked as her cook. Aunt Charity was the matriarch of the community,” says Kemp, who loves to spin stories about the native and her husband, George Smith. In the back of Hoffman’s large estate, which included much of the island, local fishers used an old shack — nicknamed “Mrs. Hoffman’s tearoom” — for their nets. Some local folks despised Hoffman because she did not allow them to roam about, collecting firewood, as they had for generations. She wanted her share from the fishing and would call the sheriff to make the residents, residents she called squatters, leave her property. Determined to end the controversy over the land, Hoffman filed suit in Carteret County Superior Court. In 1923, the court settled the dispute, allowing 35 squatters to stay on the land.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the village began to grow. Fishers gathered at Irvin Smith’s store and exchanged fishing stories. Most of these fishers were competitive. The competition was not for money. The competition was for who caught the prettiest scallops and shrimp. Salter Path women would get together at each others’ houses, share village news and eat homemade biscuits. Sometimes, they also would sing on their front porches.
As more development occurred during the 1970s and 1980s, the community began to change. Before, the residents thought they owned the island. They hunted and got wood. They walked where they wanted to. Then they found out that the island belonged to other people. Today, the community is built up with many businesses and houses. However, it is still home to many of the same families who occupied it for generations, including the Frosts, Smiths, Guthries, Willises and Lewises. And, while many residents trace their roots to the founding fishing families who settled here over 100 years ago, only a few work the water and when they do, they do so only on a part-time basis. For example, each fall, Henry Frost, his son, Joey, and their crew fish for mullet using beach seines along the Atlantic Ocean. Using a “stop net” that is designed to stop migrating schools of fish, the crew pull in striped mullet, using a farm tractor to haul the net.
With the demise of the fishing industry, the seafood businesses also are disappearing. During the 1960s, there were about eight fish houses here, Now, only Homer’s Point Marina & Seafood and Willis Seafood Market are still open. Some natives aren’t happy about the new residents or surge in tourism. They often reflect on the changes. “It was nice growing up here,” says Homer Smith. “Now tourists and dingbats have taken over.” Despite the changes, the old-timers still treasure the community. People from Salter Path still care about being from Salter Path and preserving memories of fishing,
Want to retire or move to the Crystal Coast? Salter Path is an enticing option. Filled with primarily residential neighborhoods and an overall quieter atmosphere, this community is tight-knit but friendly, with plenty of water views to go around. Salter Path is a beautiful representation of the Outer Banks culture at its most pure. With a small town feel that’s sprinkled with enticing gift shops, restaurants, and charter fishing services, this destination will appeal to anyone who wants to experience the Crystal Coast at its most authentic best. To learn about residential and commercial real estate opportunities in Salter Path, or to subscribe to my newsletter, call or text your email address to: 919-308-2292. To learn more about real estate elsewhere along the Crystal Coast of North Carolina sign up for my blog on my website, www.EIHomesforSale.com, and subscribe to Emerald Isle Vacation Home Specialist on You Tube at the end of this video. Stay well and stay safe.
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