Photo: Seaview Pier, North Topsail Beach
Topsail Island: History
The island has had several names over the years, such as The Banks, Ashe Island, Sand Pit, and Sears Landing, before the final decision was made for the island to be named Topsail Island (Stallman, 1996). In the beginning, back in the 1700s, there were only Indians that went to the island for seasonal hunting and fishing trips (Topsail Island Historical Society, 2009). It is known that Indians were there due to arrowheads and artifacts that have been found on the beach and are now located at the Missiles and More Museum in Topsail Beach. After the Indians, it was known that farmers would occasionally bring their cows and pigs across the shallow waters in the channel, between the island and mainland, for their animals to feed on the island (Topsail Island Historical Society, 2009). However, it was not until the Gold Hole, Camp Davis and Operation Bumblebee that people truly began coming to the island.
|
Photo: Canoe found on beach from Indians
Photo from: Missiles and More Museum
Photo from: Missiles and More Museum