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How Oriental Got
It’s Name
Oriental was settled in the 1870s by
Louis B. Midyette. Legend has it that "Uncle Lou" was sailing from New
Bern to his home in Dare County and anchored his sailboat in the
protected waters of Oriental to escape a gale. Storytellers claim that
Lou went ashore the next morning, climbed a tree and was captured by the
beautiful landscape and waterfront created by the many creeks. He
returned home to persuade others to join his family in moving to the
area.
The United States Post Office Department
established a post office here back in 1886. Lou Midyette was named
postmaster of what was then known as Smith’s Creek. But Lou's wife,
Rebecca, thought the village needed a better name. She had found the
nameplate from the sunken ship "Oriental" on the beaches of the Outer
Banks and thought that name was more suitable (other stories say she
just saw it in a Manteo home - but either way the name "Oriental" made
an impression on her). The village became known as Oriental a few years
after the post office was established and was incorporated in 1899.
From the early 1900s Oriental's economy
was supported by lumber, fishing and farming. Fishing remains an
important part of the town. Today fishing trawlers still grace the
harbor, bringing in a catch of shrimp, crab or perhaps flounder
depending on the season.
The last sawmill closed just about the
time that sailors began to discover the village - in the early 1960s.
Just four sailboats called Oriental home back then - today that number
has grown to over 2,700, giving Oriental its reputation as the "Sailing
Capital of North Carolina."
Oriental is still a popular stop for
"snowbirds" cruising south for the winter or heading north for the
summer. Many residents will tell you that their first visit to Oriental
was by water while cruising coastal North Carolina and that they, too,
decided to make Oriental their home. The population is about 875, with
many newcomers settling in areas surrounding the incorporated village. |
