Its been over 5 decades since I moved to Hatteras Island. Things were a bit different back then. Hatteras had yet to be discovered by the masses and many locals made livelihoods from the sea. I was particularly taken by the commercial fishing industry. On the sound side of all seven villages, there were small working waterfronts where individuals could dock their boats and bring in their catch. Today those waterfronts are all but gone.

The village of Avon originally known as Kinnekeet had one of those waterfronts. That’s where generations of native Kinnekeeters had lived, and worked on the water. I saw this place as a hidden gem.

While wandering the Avon Harbor in 1977, I photographed an old wooden workboat that lay derelict in the marsh. It must have been about 40 feet long and beautiful. The Edwin Jr. had seen better days. Little did I know at that time, it was a precursor of a way of life in decline.