After church John and I went into Wilmington to visit the Cape Fear Museum. One of our big questions is why this area is named Cape Fear. Tradition is that ships’ captains were fearful of the waters in this area, hence the name.
Cape Fear is a prominent headland formed of barrier beaches and the silty outwash of the Cape Fear River as it drains the southeast coast of North Carolina through an estuary south of Wilmington. It is formed where two sweeping arcs of shifting low-lying beach intersect, the result of longshore current wich also form the treacherous, shifting Frying Pan Shoals, part of the ship graveyard of the Atlantic. Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Italian explorer sailing for France, made landfall at Cape Fear on his voyage to the New World in the spring of 1524 or 1525. (per Wikipedia) Wilmington was incorporated in 1739 and was named for the earl of Wilmington, Prime Minister under George II.
The Museum has exhibits about the history, science, and culture of Wilmington and the surrounding area. Michael Jordan is a native of the area and has funded a gallery on the region’s ecology. There is a display case of his memorabilia including his kindergarten diploma. I heard a teen-ager ask her mother if she saved her kindergarten diploma because when she was famous she wanted her diploma displayed like Michael Jordan’s.
One interesting exhibit was Civil War Photographs Redux. Willie Anne Wright has taken pinhole photographs at Civil War re-enactments reminiscent of Matthew Brady photographs of the soldiers at rest, in camp. You would believe you were seeing something during the Civil War until you spy Colonel Custer leaning on the back of a Dodge pickup.
We met the Becks at 5 p.m. and drove to Wrightsville Beach for dinner. This is another Beach that has been a vacation destination for several generations of families. Here's a postcard of the Oceanic Hotel that is no longer standing.The back of the postcard reads, "Wonderful Wrightsville Beach, the Atlantic City of the South, an island 1.5 miles from the main land is unique, being free from mosquitos and flies, offers splendid entertainment features, motion pictures over the waves, concerts, music for dancing, surf and still water bathing, boating, sailing, fishing, golf and motoring on splendid drives." Tonight I had oysters fried in a cornmeal batter and served on top of a argula salad. More leftovers for lunch tomorrow
