Bogue Banks

Bogue Banks form a 21-mile (34 km) barrier island off the mainland of North Carolina in Carteret County. The island, separated from the mainland by Bogue Sound, runs east to west, with the ocean beaches facing due south. Bogue Banks is the only island on the Carteret County shore that has been developed with housing: numerous communities are located on the island and can be accessed by one of two bridges across Bogue Sound, either from Morehead City to Atlantic Beach, which is the more heavily traveled bridge, or from Cape Carteret to Emerald Isle. The communities of Bogue Banks are the most prominent of the Crystal Coast. NC 58 traverses a majority of the island's length. There are several hotels that dot the island, but most of the land contains private houses, which are rented out during the summer, or maritime forest. Stores and other commercial properties are limited to the five main communities.

During a survey titled "The Greater Beaufort Area at 1800" completed by the North Carolina State College, or present-day North Carolina State University's School of Design preserves the original place names for the area surrounding Beaufort. The School of Design delineators were; L. B. Askew Jr., W. M. Coble and E. H. Williams Jr. and show the place name of present-day Bogue Banks as Bordens Banks with the present-day inlet near Beaufort, North Carolina as Topsail Inlet. Also represented is the present-day location of Morehead City, North Carolina, known in 1800 as Shepard's Point, which was owned by the Shepards Point Land Company.

The decline in the whaling industry in the mid-to-late 19th century and good fishing on Bogue Banks caused many settlers, mostly near Cape Lookout (Diamond City), to move toward the middle and western reaches of Bogue Banks. The community of Salter Path is believed to be named after Owen Salter or possibly Riley Salter although Riley Salter’s true whereabouts during the 1880s has been questioned by historians and native Bogue Bankers. Schools of mullet that ran close to the ocean shorelines were the prime catch for many of the natives. These fishermen would quickly tramp from the sound to the ocean, wearing a path in front of a Salter household, hence the name Salter Path. Many of the families who moved to Salter Path in the late 19th century and early 20th century established their residences without deeds before Bostonian John A. Royal purchased Salter Path. The area of Salter Path subsequently became known as a squatters' community.

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