Carrol and “Buddy” Davis Camp

Contents

Story
Decoys
Credits

🟡 AVERAGE RESEARCH VOLUME

OWNERS

William Carroll Davis
“Buddy” Victor Lee Davis

1965-66
till 1978 when was burned

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS

Carlie Willis Camps #13


LOCATION
Southern Core Banks–Great Island area

Story

Davis family camp–Mike said is was “un-named”

do you know more? contact me.

Davis Family Camp–Carlie Willis Compound–Great Island

The Davis’ built their cabin themselves in the Carlie Davis compound. Traveling from Winston-Salem after work and school was completed for the week, Carlie took them to the Banks till their return Sunday. The boat trip was free and they paid $1 per day per person for Carlie’s services and support. Carlie had the “roughest boat” for the ride over but he supplied ice and other necessities. (Mike Carroll provided the history and most photos)

Carlie Willis’ boat at the dock in Davis
Carlie’s Compound was located across from Davis village
the camp landing with camps in background–Carroll and Dickie


Locals and visiting fishermen swore the best fishing was in front of (beachside) of the camp. One drum Mike Carroll remembers was so large that they chose to scale it with a hoe.

Seems likely the fishermen were convinced this was the best spot to fish
Successful fishing day–especially for flounder

Carlie would chop off a hunk of ice to put in the freezer chest outside the door, and would fetch necessaries from Davis Provisions (Johnny Davis’ store) as requested.

the mailbox at the cabin of Carlie’s helper was the repository for requests–about twice a day the requested needs were brought over from Davis

Mike Carroll was there from 10 till 17 years of age. ” I lived in the best of times!”, Mike relates. They crabbed with dip nets, clammed, fished with line and hook, and roamed the Banks—“they let us run free range”. Night time campfires, green heads biting,, finding old wooden decoys in the marsh that they burned at night and exploring the island–not a bad life for a young person. Finding Braxton Piner’s camp, they entered to find a grenade sitting atop the kitchen table–fortunately, with the charge removed. They only went to the Lighthouse and Les and Sallies twice in Mike’s time.

Wreck remains were scattered on the Banks for exploring youth to discover
Mike Carroll in his self-proclaimed “hippie days”

The camp had a gas frig that took forever to cool, a gas stove that would heat the place up. The water “was the best water” but they were told not to drink it. They had dug down till they hit water then drove a 6 foot perforated pipe down further to access water. Maybe, with the septic and well alongside each other, they were prudent about the water.. The septic tank was built out of plywood and no seepage above ground was ever seen.

The kid’s morning routine included pumping the water daily from the well up into the elevated tank

Some womenfolk came once but most swore they wouldn’t come back. Buddy’s wife Susan was one notable example. (Ray Grice had a toilet positioned on his porch which was a community resource–it was only later closed in–just one example wives experienced.

Carlie Had a “motel” with small single bedrooms, as well as numerous cabins. Next to the Davis camp was the Quonset hut camp of Ham Barber.

the “motel” of bedrooms is likely the elongated structure near the center of this photo
Ham barber’s “hut”–near by–he then had the only 4-wheel drive jeep and had a ramp in back to pull it up and inside
earlier Davis vehicle
the red jeep came along later
Buddy sleeping on the running board after a busy day
It was believed that every dune was the burial place of a vehicle–exposed, abandoned ones awaited their fate
Heading home on Sunday

the Davis Camp was one of the early ones burned in 1978–after Carlie had salvaged all that could be of use

Gallery of Neighbors and Scenes

plane would occasionally land on the beach
metal boat ashore near the Core Banks Club
view from camp toward surf
built too close to the surf–inundated
the “Hawks Nest”
Bob Dalton
chopped off abandoned Coast Guard telephone poles
Ray Grice and Nancy

Credits

  1. Mike Carroll interview 6-15-26
  2. Other references within text