Roanoke Island was first 'discovered' more than 420 years ago...
In 1584, an English fort and settlement of over 100 men was established on the north end of the island. It didn't last long. Weather, lack of provisions, and poor relations with the Native Americans lead to the settlement being abandoned. In 1587, another party, this time 117 men, women & children came to Roanoke Island to establish another settlement.
Just one month after they arrived, one of the colonists, Eleanor Dare, gave birth to the first English-speaking child in the New World - Virginia. Eleanor's father, John White, returned to England shortly after the birth for needed supplies. He left his daughter and grand daughter here on Roanoke Island and promised to return as soon as possible. Because of war, it was three years before White returned. When he got here, none of the colonists nor the settlement were left, and the only sign that the settlement had even been here were the letters, "Cro" and "Croatoan" carved on two trees. To this day, no one knows what happened to the 117 brave colonists.
Manteo and Roanoke Island play an important role in history.
It was not until the mid-1600's that Roanoke Island was permanently settled yet again. And many of the family names from that time - Etheridge, Baum, Daniels - are still here today. Roanoke Island, along Shallowbag Bay (now Manteo) became the center of local government in the next century. Manteo and Roanoke Island even played an important role in the War between the States when in February of 1862 The Burnside Expedition fought on the western shores of the Island and the 37th US Colored Troops were recruited from the Freedman's Colony on Roanoke Island to be part of that battle. The Manteo post office was established in 1873 and the town, was incorporated in 1899 when it was a bustling center for business and trade that grew from the docks on the downtown waterfront. The area was booming and there were regular ships going to and from Elizabeth city and other ports.
The Lost Colony is born.
In 1937 the first production of The Lost Colony was performed at Fort Raleigh. A play depicting the struggle of the first English settlers, it was written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Green and was the first symphonic drama of its kind. Commissioned by local residents who had a long tradition of celebrating their place in American history, The Lost Colony was born out of a desire by locals to commemorate the 350th Anniversary of the birth of Virginia Dare.
On July 4, 1937, The Lost Colony opened to a packed house, despite the economic hardship of the Great Depression. The outside theatre was built with the help of the WPA Administration which gave jobs to local men during the Depression. The performing roles were all played by locals. Several families have worked in the production for generations.
The show was intended to run only through the end of that summer. But when Franklin D. Roosevelt attended on August 18, 1937, sitting in his convertible on the top of the theatre's hill looking down on the stage, it gave life and energy to the production that has kept it running ever since.
Manteo is a small, coastal town that thrives on its history.
Fire ravaged the Manteo waterfront five times in the last century. The presence of oil storage tanks caused great problems when the town caught fire. All that was available to put out the early fires was an old-fashioned bucket brigade, with volunteers forming a line and handing buckets of water from one person to another. The only mercantile building to survive all five fires is the little building on Budleigh Street, where E. R. Midgett Insurance operated till early in 2008. Adequate fire-fighting equipment, a modern water system, and brick construction were introduced to the town when rebuilding began in the 1930s. Even now, the concern for a fire is key to most building, marina and waterfront-related decisions.
In 1999, the Town celebrated its centennial birthday with the publication of a historical collection of memories by many families who had seen the community thru the last century; and a centennial clock on the corner of Sir Walter Raleigh Street and Queen Elizabeth street.
This is a small, coastal town that thrives on its history - most streets in downtown Manteo have a historical significance - and its sense of family and community. Most residents are on a first name basis and you can never go far without seeing someone you know. The Manteo Post Office was moved from the Waterfront area to a spot on the main road with more parking, but it's still a place to meet friends and neighbors and where the Postmaster knows most on a first name basis. The warmth and feeling of this community has remained intact waiting for more history to be written.
