Portsmouth The Way It Was, 2nd Edition by Ellen Fulcher Cloud

Back in print, the Outer Banks classic, "Portsmouth: The Way It Was," by the late Ellen Fulcher Cloud, long almost impossible to find, has been republished in an enhanced edition by Beach Glass Books. The new edition includes more pages and photographs, a keepsake hardcover binding, and a foreword by award-winning coastal author Ray McAllister.

A small island southwest of Ocracoke in North Carolina's Outer Banks, Portsmouth Island was once a thriving seaport that served the North Carolina coast for more than two centuries. It is now deserted. In the award-winning "Portsmouth: The Way It Was," first published in 1996, Ellen Fulcher Cloud recreates the island's early history based on previously undocumented information: records of storms, wars, and Federal occupation during the Civil War, along with numerous personal letters and photographs. Here, too, are the stories of America's first marine hospital, established on Portsmouth in 1820; of Dr. Samuel Dudley, the wealthy physician later in charge; and of John Wallace, the businessman "Governor of Shell Castle." We meet the brave members of the Life-Saving Service, the island's one black family, and Mrs. Mattie Gilgo, whose daylong interview describes Portsmouth life a century ago. We go inside the island's mail service and village school - and learn why this flourishing village emptied out after two centuries of existence.

About the author: Ellen Fulcher Cloud is the author of three books, including "Ocracoke Lighthouse" and "Old Salt." A native of Ocracoke Island, she was a local historian, preservationist and genealogist, as well as an accomplished sketch artist. Ms. Cloud, who was involved in the early phases of the project, passed away in December 2016. The book was completed with the assistance of her daughters. 

Hardcover: 208 pages
Language: English

 Dimensions: 11 x 7 x 1 inches