#ThisIsThePlace Roadtrip: Surf City

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) —  Pirates have had a long standing history on the east coast especially here in the Carolinas.

There is even a rumor that Blackbeard buried treasure on Topsail Island.

“Pirates were criminals,” pirate expert Anna Maria Sophia Canchelli said. “They did horrible things.The stories about the type of activities the pirates were engaged in were virtually unspeakable.”

“The Raven” is replica of a sailing vessel pirates would have used back in the late 1600 and early 1700 known as the Golden Age of Piracy.

“We have documentation that Steve Bonnet, a notorious pirate, was captured in the Cape Fear River taken to Charlestown and executed,” Canchelli said. “We also know that Blackbeard spend a lot time in the Beaufort, Ocracoke area so with that we are reasonably certain that pirates were indeed traveling past Topsail Island and probably could have come through Onslow Bay.”

While the evidence is limited, Canchelli is sure that Topsail Island was highly used.

“There is a lot of waterways associated with the area so it’s a perfect place for pirates to hide out,” Canchelli said.

She says it’s important to talk about history even its dark side.

“Pirates interacting with the North Carolina economy and with the North Carolina government that a really big component of the 18th century North Carolina history,” Canchelli said.

Ron Shirley or “Short Finger” does re-enactments which gives kids and adults a look at living history.

“I just like teaching the history of the good and bad of every area around,” Canchelli said. “It’s good to keep the history going.”

Next year will be the 300th anniversary of the death of notorious pirates Blackbeard and Steve Bonnet.

The Missile and More Museum will hold an event this summer where you can spend the afternoon with pirates. There will be interactive activities for children, games with the crews and more. It’s happening Sunday, July 23 from 2:00 p.m. to 4 p.m.