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Down East

"Down East" is the local name for the land that stretches from the North River on the east side of Beaufort to Cedar Island, which marks Carteret County's northeastern boundary. This beautiful part of the county contains marshes, canals and undisturbed places filled with wildlife, particularly as you get closer to Cedar Island. The portion of US Highway 70 that runs through Down East is a Scenic Byway, so designated by the NC Department of Transportation because it offers breathtaking scenery and a chance to see something a bit different than the fast traffic and commercial areas along major Interstates. It is well worth your time to take US 70 to Cedar Island, especially in the autumn when the afternoon light is magical.

In the past the livelihood of the Down East people depended on the water. Today some people still rely on the water for their livelihood, but many are now employed in Beaufort or Morehead City or travel to the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock. Still that tie and love for the water is obvious by the number of boats, fish houses and seafood businesses.

None of the towns in Down East is incorporated, so the area is governed by the county. Activities center around the schools, churches, volunteer fire and rescue squads, post offices and local stores. Most of these fishing communities, which were settled by watermen, lie along U.S. 70, the main road running through Down East. The history of this area is rich and could fill volumes. We'll just give you a very brief taste and invite you to explore on your own.

After leaving Beaufort on U.S. 70, Bettie is the first Down East community you reach. It lies between the North River Bridge and the Ward's Creek Bridge. The next community is Otway, named for famous Swansboro privateer Otway Burns, who is buried in Beaufort's Old Burying Ground.

As you turn off U.S. 70 onto Harkers Island Road, Straits is the community you see flanking the road to Harkers Island. It is also the name of the body of water that lies between the Straits community and the island. The spelling of Straits is shown on early maps as "Straights." Later cartographers probably noticed the name was not applicable to a water course and changed the spelling to Straits, meaning narrows. Years ago Straits was a farm community, and a substantial amount of cotton was grown here. Straits United Methodist Church, c. 1778, was the first Methodist Church built east of Beaufort.

Originally called Craney Island, Harkers Island once was the home of a thriving band of Tuscarora Indians. By the turn of the 20th century, all that remained of the Native American settlement was a huge mound of sea shells on the island's east end, now called Shell Point. Folks say the Native Americans were attempting to build a shell walkway through the waters of Core Sound to Core Banks. Standing at Shell Point today, you can see the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and nearby islands.

In 1730 George Pollock sold the island to Ebenezer Harker of Boston, Massachusetts, who moved to the island. Later he divided the island among his three sons, and the divisions he used, "eastard," "westard" and "center," have remained unofficial dividers. The Harker heirs did not part with their land for years, so the island population remained sparse.