The Landing: Where Our Crowd Gathers

Happy New Year, folks! With 2026 ahead, we want to take a moment and look back to the past. This week, we share accounts of several Down East communities, written by the children of these communities in 1990-91. These accounts remind us of what makes Down East such a special place.   If you or someone you know is interested in joining us as a guest to The Landing, please fill out this form and we...

This week, we continue our conversation with Emma Rose Guthrie. She talks the circus that used to come through Harkers Island, local legends, the Island’s bridges, history, and her family heritage. 

In this first part of our conversation with Emma Rose Guthrie, she reflects on her family and life with her husband. Despite difficult times after the Korean War, her love for the people in her life shines brightly, so listen in and enjoy as Emma Rose shares her memories with us. 

Continuing our conversation with Heber, we hear about the Coast Guard, his work on the Ferry giving tours to the Cape, and the history he’s learned along the way. Listen in as he shares his vast knowledge on the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and how it has become the beautiful Down East landmark we know today.

In the first part of this conversation with Heber Guthrie, we hear about the importance of Down East heritage in his life. Something that brought him and his brother together - boat-building - was also something he could share with the community, as he did when he worked on a boat-building heritage project with the local youth. Pick up next week where we leave off this episode to hear more about H...

Picking up right where we left off last week, Travis and Wayne tell us more about what it was like working for the HIEMC - staying back during storms, the mischief they'd get up to, and the challenges and rewards of their work. Listen in and enjoy the clear dedication that both Travis and Wayne had to Harkers Island during their years working together.

Travis Davis and Wayne Davis, two former coworkers and lifelong friends, come together for this episode to remember the HIEMC, the electric company they both worked at for many years. In this first part, we hear about the beginnings of both of their careers and the time they spent with their fellow coworkers helping Harkers Island.

This week, we get the opportunity to enjoy a conversation with Valerie Salter Oden. Her rich memories from her childhood from playing outside to The Landing to "skating" in her neighbor's pond remind her of what Harkers Island once was. She reflects on the time she spent away, and the happiness that coming back brought to her. Now, she enjoys life Down East with her family - including 6 grandchild...

Closing out October, we have a conversation with the hardworking folks from Bring Back the Lights, an organization dedicated to building community and fellowship through the holidays on Harkers Island. They share how they first started in 2016, the efforts that have gone into lighting up the Island, and the ways that they have brought the people on the Island - and Down East - together. As we move...

This week we are putting a spotlight on a 2010 interview done by Barbara Garrity-Blake with Bill Edwards. He discusses a range of topics, including working as a shore engineer for Standard Products, the conversion of WWII Navy boats into menhaden boats, the strike of 1951, spotter planes and pilots, and more. 

On this week's episode of the landing, Chad Dickenson shares his memories growing up Down East. From playing baseball to fishing, he reflects on how things used to be.

Mila Guthrie joined us for this week’s episode, where she talks about growing up on Harkers Island and starting Seaside general store and restaurant. With nearly 40 years of business, she reflects on the impacts Seaside has had on the Island and the local people, as well as what they’re looking forward to in the future.

Back from hiatus, we are joined again by Joel Hancock to discuss more of his book, The Education of an Island Boy. This time, he shares his family’s story, his time in school on the Island, playing baseball, and working on the water. He not only tells his own story, but the story of Harkers Island through its people and traditions.

For the last Oral History Spotlight of September, we go back to a 2007 interview with Barbara Garrity-Blake and Little Kenny Willis, who lived on the Island and worked at his father's fish house throughout his childhood, then went on to working on a dredge boat, and later a party boat. Listen in as he shares the old ways of Harkers Island, and how things are changing.

Enjoy this week’s Oral History Spotlight, as we hear an interview given by Barbara Garrity-Blake with Bill Lewis in 2009. We hear from him about his years menhaden fishing, many of which he served as a captain on various vessels. He discusses a worker’s strike in the 1950s, some of his memorable sets, and the jobs he had after.

This week's Oral History Spotlight shines on Carolyn Mason, as we hear about the Shackleford horses. Carolyn grew up with a love for animals, especially horses, and had always been told these horses had been there from the start. When they were threatened, she and others faced government and politics in order to save and preserve their legacy.

For the month of September, we will be sharing some of the oral histories from the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center's archives. This interview with Lanier Mitchum, done by Bonnie Hunter, shows the importance of softball Down East. Lanier,  who moved to Davis at 5 years old, has spent many years umpiring girls softball, and has played a huge part in how much this sport has grown in...

In part 2, we speak further with Huckleberry Mudflap. They talk to us about playing for Al Wilson, and share moments where they experienced judgement for their appearance, but also support from their community. This episode is not only a fun reunion, but a chance for them to preserve their story.

Morris Willis, Donnie Brooks, and Jimmy Amspacher join The Landing this week to talk about their years playing as the Huckleberry Mudflap. They recount their days on the road, playing venues into the late hours, and the camaraderie they built with each other.

Michael Martin joins us this week to talk about what it was like growing up in Atlantic. Having moved Down East after his first grade year, Michael remembers being welcomed into the community and feeling pride at how Atlantic shaped him. He talks about getting his first job at the Red & White, the importance of heritage, and how things are changing. Enjoy as Michael shares his stories, memorie...

After nearly a year of The Landing: Where Our Crowd Gathers, we are joined by a special guest, Margaret Hassell Poindexter, to talk about the Shackleford horses. Margaret's longtime love for these animals shines through as she goes back to her childhood through her current position as President of the Foundation for Shackleford Horses. She tells the history of these horses from the time people liv...

Picking up right where we left off in last week's episode, Shawn shares with us his time in school, studying at ECU, meeting his wife, and becoming a teacher and father. After over a decade in education, he now prepares for another school year, and looks forward to having another grandchild later this year.

In the first part of Shawn Bates' episode, he reminisces on growing up a "free-range" child in Harkers Island. Join us as we enjoy his stories of going to school with familiar teachers, and summers where he could do just about anything he thought of.

Carrie Kappel joins us this week to share her love for the place she calls home. Enjoy as she tells stories of going to school with Staci and how her love for English grew, and shares her life now, living and teaching in Down East with her family and a menagerie of animals.

This week we speak with Gregory Gilgo, who shares his memories growing up in Atlantic and running wild as a kid, with plenty of visits to the Banks and time spent with his family in Portsmouth. Enjoy his stories and his joy for Down East.