Ammie Willis Camp

Contents

Story
Decoys
Credits

🟡 LIMITED RESEARCH VOLUME

OWNERS

Ammie Willis

1971 photo

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS

Carlie Willis (son) took over operation of the camps


LOCATION
Southern Core Banks, near Great Island

Story

Ammie Willis had the first camps near Great Island on Core Banks. He was a hunting guide “of much notoriety in Carteret County”. Among his regular customers were Igor Sikorsky of aircraft design fame and both Babe Ruth and Ted Zachary. (The year “Babe” hit his 60 home runs, opposing pitcher Zachary threw the pitches to Ruth resulting in his first and his 60th home runs–Zachary later joined Babe’s team and they were hunting buddies in Carteret County)

“Everyone who’s ever been hunting down east knows Ammie Willis of Davis, the oldest hunter’s guide in Carteret County…in hunting season, Capt. Ammie can accommodate up to sixteen hunters in his house for the Core Banks area.” (The Beaufort News)

at his camp on Core Banks
Beginning, and most well known as a hunting guide, the Willis camp also accommodated fishermen in prime season

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Ammie Willis Camps

MR AMMIE WILLIS

–”had camps over there that people would come down and they’d take them out hunting or fishing -whatever they were doing (Roy Willis CALO interview)

reverse side of photo in heading

This map is likely has the northern camps mis-labelled as Ammie Williams instead of Ammie Willis. (based on Roy Willis statement)

In the Ammie Willis Camp
at the Ammie Willis Camp
Core Banks camp–near Great Island
Successful Fishing on the Banks
Screenshot

Son Carlie took over the running of the camps–this 1976 document, at the time of Park takeover, gives a snapshot of the operation (report by Supt. Riddel)

Rex was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever belonging to Mr. Ammie Willis. Rex attended every Davis Shore baseball team game in 1946–and retrieved the foul balls and hits that made it into the woods.–(Downeasttour.com)

Gallery

Credits

  1. NPS archives and files
  2. Roy Willis interview-Cape Lookout interview series
  3. The Beaufort Leader, photo, Dec. 1, 1955
  4. Other references within text