About Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo

Once you cross over Oregon Inlet, the first seaside villages you encounter are Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo, know to locals as the "Tri-Villages" are actually three separate villages who are commonly referred to together because of their close proximity today. To the casual driver, it would be hard to determine when crossing from Waves into Salvo and vice versa. But the three communities still retain their individual flavor from days gone by, when the boundaries of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo weren't so close, and travel not so easy. Highway 12 did not completely link the island villages until 1953. Until then, they had distinct identities and rivaled one another in the island trades of fishing, hunting, and lifesaving.

The entire northern end of Hatteras Island was once known as Chicamacomico, but in 1874 the postal service changed the name to Rodanthe, but by the early 1900s, three distinct villages had become established in the Rodanthe area --North Rodanthe, South Rodanthe, and Clark. As the postal sections were subdivided, the northernmost village kept the name "Rodanthe," while the others were assigned new names once again.

Today, Rodanthe is home to the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, the first such station established along the North Carolina coast, in the service of the U.S. Lifesaving Service, which eventually became today's modern Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard was essentially founded in this tiny village. A state historic site is one of the showpieces of this community, where re-enactments using the breeches-buoy rescue cannon, restored buildings and artifacts. A simple delight for children and those hungry for history.

During the Civil War in 1861, Confederate troops landed on the northern end of the island in an effort to re-take Fort Clark and Fort Hatteras, which had fallen to the Union's first naval invasion of the South. The southern troops chased the 20th Indiana back to their lines near present-day Buxton, only have the Federals reinforced from the southern end of the island. The Union then chased the Confederates northward in a half-hearted skirmish that wags mockingly named "The Chicamacomico Races."

The village of Waves was called South Rodanthe during the 1930's until the town got its own post office and its new name reflecting the Atlantic Oceans influence on the tiny community. The area is a haven for watersports, fishermen and beach lovers like most of Hatteras Island. Today all three villages are dotted by gorgeous cottages, but the influence of history is still apparent to anyone who visits.

Originally called Clarks or Clarksville, the village of Salvo got is name in a most interesting way. The legend goes that during the Civil War, a sailor aboard a Union ship passing off the coast of Hatteras Island spied the town of Clarks but couldn't find a name for it on the map. He informed his captain of this, who said: "Give it a salvo (simultaneous firing of the cannon) anyway." They did, and the sailor then wrote "Salvo" on his map to mark the town. The town took on its new name in 1901 when it got its own post office.