Hatteras Island (historically Croatoan Island, sometimes referred to as Hatorask) is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Cape Hatteras.
It is part of North Carolina's Outer Banks and includes the communities of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras. It contains the largest part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. At the time of European settlement, the island was inhabited by Croatoan Native Americans.
The island has a land area of and a population of 4,322, as of the 2010 census. It lies in parts of Kinnakeet Township and Hatteras Township in Dare County, and Ocracoke Township in Hyde County. Hatteras Island is known for sport fishing, surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding, and Hatteras Village is known as the "Blue Marlin Capital of the World". The island, because of its function as a barrier island and its low lying profile, has experienced significant coastal erosion because of sea level rise. Some sections have significantly eroded already, with portions of Hatteras Island at 25% of its original width as of 2014. The Croatoans were composed of two groups: the Hatterask and the Kinnakeet. As Native Americans were often named by either their main town, their language, or by what they called themselves, Kinnakeet referred to an area on Croatoan Island (modern day Avon) as did Hatterask (modern day Frisco, not modern day Hatteras village). The central village was called Croatoan (council town, which is modern day Buxton), which is why the Native Americans and the Island were referred to by the English as Croatoans from Croatoan. It is logical that the colonists left on Roanoke had gone back to Croatoan, as they had already lived there and had had a strong relationship with the natives, some of whom had visited England.
John White, who made maps showing both Croatoan and Roanoke, wrote in 1590:
White had instructed them that if anything happened to them, they should carve a Maltese cross on a tree nearby, indicating that their disappearance had been forced. As there was no cross, White took this to mean they had moved to "Croatoan Island" (now known as Hatteras Island). Upon finding the message of CROATOAN carved on the palisade, White also wrote:
However, he was unable to conduct a search, as a massive storm was brewing and his men refused to go any further. The next day, they instead left the area without looking further for the colonists.
American Civil War
In the early months of the American Civil War, the inlets around Hatteras Island were used by Confederate commerce raiders as routes for attacking Union merchant shipping. The Confederates eventually built two forts on the island, Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark, to protect the inlets, but the forts had inadequate defenses. In August 1861, Union forces took control of Hatteras Island in the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries.
The following October, a small Confederate force attempted to retake the island. In a two-day engagement known as the "Chicamacomico Affair" or "Chicamacomico Races", a Confederate regiment chased a Union counterpart along the island, only to be forced to retreat back to its boats the next day by Union reinforcements. Hatteras Island would thereafter remain in Union hands.
Communities
While there are no incorporated places on Hatteras, there are several resort communities along the length of the island. From north to south these are:
- Chicamacomico is the older name for a contiguous settlement now divided into three villages. Together, they form what is known as the "tri-villages":
- Rodanthe
- Waves
- Salvo
In November 1963, the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge was completed, connecting Hatteras Island to the northern Outer Banks. The $4 million to build the bridge was financed by the State of North Carolina, the U.S. Commerce Department, and the National Park Service. The bridge was repaired by February 1991.
In March 2016, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) began construction of a bridge to replace the Bonner Bridge. The replacement bridge, named after Senator Marc Basnight, was opened in February 2019.
Education
Residents are zoned to Dare County Schools. Zoned schools are Cape Hatteras Elementary School and Cape Hatteras Secondary School.