portsmouth occupations

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Coast guard station sunday school picnic, 1920

This wasn't a Homecoming, but it was a gathering on Portsmouth over 100 years ago! This photo shows folks arriving on Portsmouth at the government pier for a Sunday School picnic. This photo was taken by Washington Roberts and sent to his niece. We don't know exactly how this "aerial view" was obtained, but we're guessing that he might have shinnied up a flag pole. It sounds like something that Wash might have done! Photo courtesy Maud Mayo and Friends of Portsmouth Facebook page.

“Treatment of illness on Portsmouth was always an issue. On September 11, 1978 Steve Roberts wrote an article for the Raleigh News and Observer. He said, "I can see the ups and downs we had. Of course, sickness was the worst, because it was so hard to get a doctor. They got Dr. Adams to come from Atlantic; he was the closest one that would come. You couldn't get the doctor on Ocracoke; he wouldn't come. My regular doctor, who looked after me was ... Joe Abbott. He came every afternoon whenever I was sick, about 4 o'clock, to take my temperature and give me medicine."

This was published in "Portsmouth Island, Outer Banks Treasure" by Frances A. Eubanks and Lynn S. Salsi, copyright 2004. This particular copy of this photo of Joe Abbott is from Jean Webber's collection, but there may be other copies elsewhere.

You may know Lucy Beacham Gilgo as one of the namesakes of the Tom & Lucy Gilgo House on Portsmouth. Lucy was born July 2, 1904 in Beaufort, NC –one of ten children of Paul Bryan Beacham & his wife Elizabeth “Lizzie” Hunnings Beacham. She attended Woman’s College in Greensboro for one year, and then went to Portsmouth to teach in 1922. On Portsmouth, Lucy lived with Captain Walter Yeoman of the Coast Guard Station and his family. As the Portsmouth school teacher during the winter of 1922, she taught all subjects and all grades (1st –7th) in the one-room school. She left in the spring of 1923 to teach elsewhere, but continued to see William Thomas (Tom) Gilgo whom she married February 7, 1925. Tom was working at the Norfolk shipyards at that time, but they returned to Portsmouth in late 1925, and Lucy once again became the school teacher until her time was taken over by raising all eleven of their children. Their house was initially on Coast Guard property, but they moved it to its current location along the road to Henry’s House. You’re probably wondering, as are we, how they fit that large family into that small house! Lucy & Tom remained on Portsmouth until soon after the hurricane of 1933. As was the case with many people who were still living on Portsmouth, Tom and Lucy decided after that storm that it was time to leave Portsmouth. Tom left at the end of October, but Lucy remained until after the November election because she was the registrar. They relocated to Oriental, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Tom died in 1949, but Lucy lived until March 30th, 1987. During her time in Oriental, she once again taught school, served as the manager of a school cafeteria, and was involved in many volunteer activities. She’s buried in Oriental Cemetery next to Tom and their son William.

Photo and much of this information is from “School Mom of Portsmouth: Memories of Lucy Beacham Gilgo” edited by James E. White III, copyright 2011. (Jim is Lucy’s grandson and one of the Friends of Portsmouth Island board members.)