Down the Wild Cape Fear: A River Journey through the Heart of North Carolina

Contents

Introduction, 1 Part 1. The Upper Reaches Chapter 1, 7 Chapter 2, 24 Chapter 3, 37 Part 2. The Middle Reaches Chapter 4, 47 Chapter 5, 68 Part 3. The Lower Reaches Chapter 6, 85 Chapter 7, 108 Chapter 8, 136 Chapter 9, 147 Part 4. The Estuary Chapter 10, 161 Chapter 11, 180 Chapter 12, 197 Chapter 13, 213 Chapter 14, 223 Chapter 15, 241 Part 5. Finishing at the Starting Point Chapter 16, 253 Selected Sources, 269 Acknowledgments, 275 Contents This page intentionally left blank Illustrations David Webster and the author prepare to launch the Green Monster, 14 David Webster, a biologist who likes to trek into wild places, 16 Running the first chute below Buckhorn Dam, 21 EthanWilliamson, river guide, 26 AmyWilliamson, expedition photographer and birder extraordinaire, 33 Surfing the hydraulic at Lanier Falls, 38 Ethan runs the chute at Lanier falls, 39 Stairs leading to the Raven Rock Park canoe camp, 40 Ethan wrangles a northern black snake, 61 The elusive Old Bluff Church, 62 U.S. Arsenal at Fayetteville, 70 Gun emplacement at Bentonville Battlefield, 71 Bennett farmhouse near Durham, 73 Barge at its last mooring near Fayetteville, 77 Homeless camp under the highway bridge at Fayetteville, 79 David Webster inside a lock aboard SeaWhip, 87 Elwell Ferry, 94 Semitrucks at Lock and Dam #1, 97 Curry Guinn and Virginia Holman, guides to the Black River and Methuselah, 102 Reenactors stage the surrender of ScotsTories, 110 Fergus Ark floating restaurant, 116 James Sprunt, 138 Old-­ fashioned helm station of the Coast Guard barque Eagle, 151 Launching a freighter inWorld War I–eraWilmington, 156 Orton house, 169 Luola Chapel at Orton, 170 Graves of“King”Roger Moore and his family at Orton, 171 Turpentine wharf inWilmington’s heyday, 173 Illustrations & Maps Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear river keeper, 181 Demonstrators at Holly Shelter School, 203 Frank Chapman, boat driver, divemaster, adventurer, 214 Odfell chemical carrier Bow Fagus, 216 Cape Fear Community College research vessel Dan Moore, 216 Robert Ruark Inn at Southport, 227 Dredge working the estuary, 228 Soldiers of Company E, 4th U.S. Colored Troops, 236 Old Baldy Lighthouse on Bald Head Island, 242 Author at the Cape of Fear, 248 Railroad bridge, 264 “I am meant to finish the journey,”266 Maps The Cape Fear River, xii The Upper Reaches: Old Route 1 to Raven Rock State Park, 5 The Middle Reaches: Raven Rock State Park to Fayetteville, 45 The Lower Reaches: Fayetteville toWilmington, 83 The Estuary: Wilmington to the Ocean, 159 Down theWild Cape Fear The Cape Fear River N O R T H C A R O L I N A N 0 0 40 60 20 80 km 30 40 20 10 50 mi Greensboro Raleigh Fayetteville Wilmington Cape Fear A T L A N T I C O C E A N Mermaid Point Bald Head Island H a w R i v e r S o u t h R i v e r Little River D e e p R i ve r B l a c k R i v e r N o r t h e a s t C a p e F e a r R i v e r C ape Fear Rive r ...