Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island, an island off the northeastern coast of North Carolina. It was the site of two of the earliest English settlements in North America, including Sir Walter Raleigh's “Lost Colony.” Roanoke Island is situated in Croatan Sound between Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. The island is about 12 miles (19 km) long and averages 3 miles (5 km) in width. It is connected with the mainland by a causeway. The chief town is Manteo, a resort and fishing village and the seat of Dare County.
In 1584 Raleigh's expedition explored the island. The next year Raleigh sent out 107 men under Sir Richard Grenville and Ralph Lane, who founded the "Citie of Ralegh," or the "new Fort in Virginia." This was the second English settlement in North America. (St. John's, Newfoundland, was the first.) After 10 months the colonists returned to England with Sir Francis Drake. In 1587 Raleigh sent out a second group of colonists, 117 persons under Captain John White. After their arrival White's daughter Elinor (or Elynor), wife of Ananias Dare, gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America.
White left to get supplies but could not return until 1591. He found the colony abandoned. On a doorpost were written the letters CROATOAN. This was interpreted as meaning that the colonists had gone to a village of Croatan Indians, but no definite trace of the lost colony was ever found. In 1941 Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, which covers 157 acres (64 hectares), was created here.