Hatteras Histories and Mysteries Museum facts for kids
The Hatteras Histories and Mysteries Museum is a special place that tries to solve a very old puzzle: what happened to the people of the Roanoke Colony? This colony disappeared a long, long time ago, around the year 1587.
You can find this museum in Buxton, North Carolina. It's a private museum that opened its doors in April 2010. A historian and author named Scott Dawson started it. He also wrote a book in 2009 called Croatoan: Birthplace of America, which shares his ideas about the Roanoke mystery.
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Hatteras Museum: Unraveling History
The Hatteras Histories and Mysteries Museum is dedicated to exploring the fascinating past of Hatteras Island. It's a place where you can learn about one of America's oldest unsolved mysteries. The museum helps visitors understand the history of this unique part of North Carolina.
What is the Roanoke Colony Mystery?
The Roanoke Colony was one of the first English settlements in North America. A group of people came to Roanoke Island in the late 1500s. However, when a supply ship returned a few years later, everyone was gone! The only clue left was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a tree. This mystery has puzzled historians for centuries.
Scott Dawson, the museum's founder, has a theory about what happened. He believes the colonists might have moved to Hatteras Island. The museum helps to explore this idea by showing artifacts that could support his theory.
Discovering Ancient Artifacts
The museum displays many interesting items from the 16th century. These artifacts were found during archaeological digs in 2010. These digs took place right on Hatteras Island. Finding these old objects helps researchers learn more about who might have lived there long ago. They hope these discoveries can shed light on the fate of the Roanoke colonists.
A Glimpse into the Civil War
Besides the Roanoke mystery, the museum also shows items from the American Civil War. This was a big war in the United States that happened in the 1860s. The museum has artifacts from battles that took place nearby in 1861. These battles happened in places like Hatteras Village and Rodanthe. It's a way to see how history unfolded right in that area.