Blackbeard & Taylor's Creek:
Rich in maritime history, Beaufort, NC is also known as a favorite haunt of notorious pirate Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard. For a short time, Blackbeard established his headquarters in Beaufort at what was known then as simply the “White House.” The oldest house in Beaufort, today this private residence is known as Hammock House.
During the 18th century, Taylor’s Creek was so close to Hammock House that small boats could be tied to the front porch. Now, Hammock House is Located approximately half a block away from the posted coordinates of this Earthcache.
During Blackbeard’s stay in Beaufort, the view from the edge of Taylor’s Creek was much different than the one you’re experiencing now. "Looking toward the ocean from the town of Beaufort at the time of the Revolution, there was an unobstructed expanse of water except for one small island designated on maps as Town Marsh and known locally as the 'bunch of bushes.’” Thus, the "White House" was closer to Taylor's Creek and would have had a clear view to the inlet. Dredging of Taylor's Creek in the early 1900s piled sand on either side of the creek, thus adding to the mainland and enlarging the barrier islands.
In the early 1900s, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers began dredging the mouth of Taylor's Creek, using Carrot Island and Town Marsh as dredge material deposition areas. Before the dredging, these islands were essentially all tidal marsh with some elevated hammock land. By the 1930s the islands had been built up by the dredge material deposition to the point that they provided protection for the town from high winds, flooding and storm waves. The Corps of Engineers continued to utilize the islands as deposition sites for local dredging projects and maintain rights for this purpose even today.
Erosion:
Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids (sediment, soil, rock, etc.) usually by the agents of currents such as wind, water, or ice. However, humans and animals can create unintended erosion as well. Erosion is a continual process and is often, in fact, healthy for the ecosystem. There are six major causes of natural erosion:
Mass-Wasting (the down-slope movement of earth material under the influence of gravity)
Running Water (water moving on the earth’s surface, such as a stream)
Ground water (water beneath the earth’s surface)
Glacier (a moving body of ice affecting the land with which it comes into contact)
Wind (the power of moving air to erode rock and sand)
Waves (the energy and pressure of waves affecting a shoreline)
Humans can also bring about erosion, usually through both intentional and unintentional land management. Clear-cutting a parcel of land and dredging a body of water to make it deeper or wider are examples of manmade erosion. Excessive erosion brought about by such practices can cause problems such as excessive water sedimentation, ecosystem damage, and outright loss of soil.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:
Please email the answers to the following questions within 24 hours of logging this Earthcache. Answers to the questions can be obtained without leaving the public sidewalk / street coordinates. DO NOT enter private property. DO NOT post the answers in your log entry.
- From the posted coordinates, what is the width of Taylor’s Creek today.
- What would the approximate width of Taylor’s Creek have been during Blackbeard’s day?
- From a visual investigation of the area at the posted coordinates, which of the major agents of natural erosion are visible along Taylor’s Creek?
- Which agent(s) of erosion have been amplified by the history of human intervention here? Your answer may vary depending on the weather, waterway traffic, etc.
- (Optional) Post a photo of you or your GPS at either the posted coordinates or on the street in front of Hammock House.