Portsmouth Island Timeline
The first settlers on Portsmouth Island were most likely native tribes, such as the Coree, who lived along the Outer Banks for at least 800 years before the arrival of the English to the area. The timeline above begins with the English involvement with the island, specifically with the transfer of ownership of the land from the crown to a private citizen, Richard Lovat, in 1738. From there, the ownership of Portsmouth Island would change hands several times until, in 1753, the North Carolina Colonial Assembly established a town on the north side of the island, planned out the lots for that town, and began selling them to citizens of North Carolina. By 1770, the village consisted of eight structures, and by 1790, 96 free white men, 92 free white women, and 38 slaves were permanent residents of Portsmouth. The people of Portsmouth mainly made their livings as lighterers at this time, helping to unload cargo from ships so they could make it through Ocracoke Inlet to the mainland North Carolina ports. Ocracoke Inlet served as the main way for larger ships to make it through the Outer Banks at this time, making Portsmouth Island the premier lightering stop due to its location. This geographic cornering of the market would fuel Portsmouth's growth until 1847, when the opening of Oregon and Hatteras Inlets would finally allow ships alternative routes through the Outer Banks, which slowly lowered the amount of ships that would come Portsmouth's way. Even with that being the case, Portsmouth's population continued to rise until 1860, peaking at 600 people.
The Civil War would drastically alter the population of the island. Initially, Confederate troops occupied a majority of the Outer Banks and built a number of forts to protect the inland waterways. By 1862, Federal troops had driven most of the Confederates out, and had a majority of the Outer Banks under their control. Ahead of the Federal occupation of Portsmouth, most of the residents of Portsmouth packed what they could and fled. Many would not return to the island after the war, serving as a major blow to Portsmouth's population. The lesssening of economic activity from lightering would steadily work at the population that remained. Hurricanes would also start to regularly adversely affect the people of Portsmouth Island, causing extreme flooding and wind damage to the remaining buildings. The 1899 San Ciriaco Hurricane completely flooded Portsouth Island, which caused another mass exodus of families.
The 1900s saw steady population decline on Portsmouth, but those that chose to remain still made the best of life on the island. In 1894, a Lifesaving Station began operating on the island, with its crew being ready to go at a moment's notice if a ship in distress was spotted. This station would eventualy become a Coast Guard station, be closed in 1937, then re-open at the onset of the Second World War, before being closed again at war's end. The residents fished and kept domestic animals for their liveliehoods, while some used what little wood they had on the island to make astonishing crafts. In 1942, another blow was dealt to the remaining population, as the closure of the schoolhouse meant that any familes with children would need to leave the island if they wanted an education for their children. Further hurricanes and lack of ways to earn a living led the population of Portsmouth to dwindle, until finally in 1971, the island was completely uninhabited.
Portsmouth Island became a part of Cape Lookout National Seashore in 1976, and remains a historic site that can be visited today. The efforts of the Park Service have allowed several buildings and artifacts on the island to be preserved. They have also received aid from the non-profit Friends of Portsmouth Island since 1989. Both organizations, along with the History Museum of Carteret County, have worked towards keeping the history of Portsmouth Island and its residents alive through preserving oral histories, hosting the Portsmouth Island Homecomings for the descendants, and through putting up exhibits that highlight the history of Portsmouth in relation to Carteret County's history. The history of this island community and its people is still being preserved to this day in an effort to ensure that one of the most important ports in Outer Banks history does not become a forgotten memory of times long past.