Another national park in NC -- Cape Hatteras National Seashore

US Congress authorized a national park on the Outer Banks 1937 -- but provided no funds for land purchase

Paul Mellon (wealthy New York banker) 1952 donated $800K -- matched by NC legislature -- to purchase land from town of Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet -- excluding the existing villages (Rodanthe, Avon, Hatteras, Frisco, Ocracoke and a few others)

bridge constructed across Oregon Inlet 1963-64 opened Outer Banks to large-scale tourism

a second national seashore -- Cape Lookout National Seashore -- extends from Ocracoke Inlet to Beaufort Inlet opposite Beaufort/Morehead City NC -- includes Shackleford Banks (opposite Beaufort NC) which is now a federal Wilderness Area (no motorized vehicles allowed)

national seashores are administered by National Park Service -- differ from national parks in not removing pre-existing settlements

what would Outer Banks look like today . . . if national seashores had not been established before the Oregon Inlet bridge was built?