The ‘old Hatteras’ in photographs

Some of my earliest and most treasured memories are of visits to Hatteras Island.

My first vacation on the island was when I was 2 years old, back in 1977. I’m 35 now, and Cape Hatteras is still my favorite place on earth, and I vacation and fish on the island once or twice a year.

This tradition of vacationing and fishing on Hatteras all started back in 1953 when a fishing buddy of my grandfather told him about the island that he had visited the previous year. My grandfather, Edward Maschmeier, was an avid fisherman who took trips to Canada every year. He lived in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He didn’t know too much about Cape Hatteras, but his buddy talked him into going. They made the trip in November of 1953.

My father, Edward (Lance) Maschmeier, who is now 69, was 12 years old when he first visited Hatteras. He said he remembers driving down Highway 12 through Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo towards Buxton.  He said the island looked desolate and isolated with not a person in site. They spent the whole week surf fishing in the cold November weather. He was “hooked,” and he has returned to the island ever since.

My grandfather retired from Goodyear Rubber Company and passed away when I was a young boy. My father is retired from Goodyear also and lives in Medina, Ohio. Every year, we still make the trip to Hatteras for a week of fishing and more great memories.

I am so thankful that my grandfather and dad made that trip back in 1953 because it has given me years and years of great times and memories. My father and I both like to take pictures of the island and its surroundings. Over the years of taking pictures, he and I have seen the island change quite a bit. The island back in the 1950s looked a lot different than it does today, but it still holds all the beauty and history that it did back then.

The pictures in this article were taken by my father and grandfather from the early 1950s until the early 1970s. I’ve talked with my dad and written something about each photo or group of photos.

These are just some of many stories my dad has told me about Hatteras. My grandfather passed away when I was young, so unfortunately I never got to hear any of his stories but my father has so many memories of “old Hatteras” and he has many photos. I’ll share more of them in the future.

EDITOR’S NOTE : If you have old photos of Hatteras or Ocracoke or more information about these photos, The Island Free Press would like to hear from you.  E-mail editor@islandfreepress.org.