Lost Colony

Sadly, I have been remiss in stretching my writing bones but I will try and do better.

This past couple of weeks there have been visitors galore at my home here on the Outer Banks. Some had considered visiting Manteo on Roanoke Island to watch the nation's  longest running symphonic drama, The Lost Colony. Symphonic Drama? Well that seriously sounds boring.

If you haven't heard of it or it sounds familiar but just can't pinpoint it here goes...in 1587, 114 people re-established a colony on Roanoke Island in the Albemarle Sound off the coast of what is now North Carolina. The colonists began having problems with the natives in the area. In hopes of procuring help from England, The Govenor of the colony left 115 people behind, including his granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas.

After troubles of his own at home, Govenor White returned, three years later, in 1590-coincidentally on August 18th, his granddaughter's 3rd birthday, to discover the colony had been abandoned. Many of the houses had been dismantled and there was no sign of struggle or battle. Although the 'trouble' code was a Maltese Cross, the only clues left behind was the word "CROATOAN" carved on one of the forts main posts and "CRO" carved in a tree.

It is theorized that the locals took the entire colony to a safer place, possibly due to a storm. Reports, years later, of blonde haired and blue eyed 'natives' were made in the wilds of North Carolina.  Since no real search was ever undertaken this mystery will remain unsolved.

Don't you just love a great mystery?

(411 years ago)