Ocracoke Island's iconic mail boat Aleta kept the Island connected with the mainland of North Carolina...and the rest of the outside world for years. The old mail boat, Aleta, carried passengers and mail to and from Ocracoke in the 1940s & 1950s. For many, the mail boat was central to coastal communication.
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum will pay tribute to Aleta, in a richly illustrated new exhibit that opens April 1, 2015. The exhibit With Love, Aleta runs through February 26, 2016 and is designed to encourage young readers.
Visitors will enjoy the first-person narrative by Aleta and vintage photographs while discovering the challenges the postal service and islanders faced in order to send and receive mail. The exhibit further explores coastal communication, the tradition of sending postcards from a vacation wonderland, and showcases vintage postcards and modern-day mail art – a response by 21st century folk to a love for the handwritten letter.
“The story of the Aleta is a perfect way for young folk to wet their feet regarding maritime history and culture,” says Mary Ellen Riddle, Education Curator for the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. “The story and images are fun, engaging and relevant to everyday life,” she said.
On Wednesdays from mid-May through September (10:30 a.m. until 12 p.m.), “With Love, Aleta” becomes an inspirational backdrop for youth to explore coastal communication. They are invited to learn snippets of history in the Museum’s Sandcastles maritime craft classes this year while creating a variety of communication-oriented maritime crafts. All supplies are furnished. All ages are welcome. Free.
The Aleta was built in Atlantic, NC in 1923 by Ambrose Fulcher, for Howard Nelson, to run the mail between Morehead City and Atlantic.
For more information, call the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum at 252-986-2995 or visit www.ncmaritimemuseums.com.
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located at 59200 Museum Dr., Hatteras, NC 27943. The museum is open Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April to mid-October and until 4 p.m. mid-October through March. Free admission with donations appreciated.