Sterling Dixon

Story
Decoys
Credits

🟡 AVERAGE RESEARCH VOLUME

OWNERS

Sterling Dixon 1950s onward

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS

Davis Island Fishing Foundation D.I.F.F.

Carlie Willis

Algier Willis

Pam Morris

LOCATION Great Island Camp area–
Southern Core Banks–

Story

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Sterling Dixon

Sterling Dixon –fishing camps on South Core Banks.

Pam Morris Interview

3-4-21

Sterling Dixon established the first ferry service to the banks from Davis.

A native of Salter Path, who moved to Davis after marrying Bernice-of Davis

(Bernice was Pam Morris’ grandfather’s sister).

Sterling had camps he rented out on Core Banks. Dixon preceded the Algier Willis camps. He had camps there with friends–Tom Davis and Dennis Piner.

Sterling sold his ferry and camps to Cariie Willis—who was the son of Ammie Willis, a hunting guide whose claim to fame was guiding Babe Ruth and other prominent northerners on hunts.

The camps were a “hodge-podge” of structures.

Carlie sold the camps and ferry service to Algier Willis (owner of the camps, rentals and ferry service when the Park Service took over). Now, this is the site of the Great Island Camps..

Terry Baxter Dedmon interview 3-25-2022 (click the rd link to see more)

Terry had prepared a map from memory of the description he related–see map.

Leaving Davis, from Sterling Dixon’s dock-reaching the banks, the water was shallow–channels led to different sites—about one mile down from Sterling Dixon was Marvin Murphy’s camps–off the first channel to the south.

Sterling Dixon had more than 30 camps at his landing–more density because he had taken a well rig over and dug a deep well to provide water–not for drinking but for other uses–if you had a cabin from him, youi could have water for showers, bathroom etc–there was a large tank elevated and connected to a gasoline engine powered pump that kept the tank filled.

Terry showed me the wash-pot from Mr Whitehurst which had been used to melt leads for decoys and nets–Whitehurst weights.

Carlie Willis had camps set off to the north on a seperate channel branch—there were about 10 cabins.

Sterling, and later Algier, positioned cars in an arc between surf and camps–to catch sand and develope dunes–he would stack other cars atop cars for developing dunes—thus this caused wash to be deflected around the camp area and to the sound at the camps margins—”the NPS removed the cars at takeover and “the next storm took things away”

Terry Dedmon and friends placed their camp 600 feet or so to the south—away from the others and outside the man-made dune–they elevated their camp on pilings for protection. The cabin was built by Leonard Aluminum Products in his hometown near Mocksville and with special permit- it was carried to Davis. Marvin Murphy was completing his new shrimp trawler and the deck was completed without its rigging as yet–the camp was loaded onto the trawler and taken over–the truck was loaded onto Sterling’s boat and taken over to the Banks–offloading on the Banks and ready to move the camp structure to its site.

After the task, Terry went to pay up and Sterling said: “just give me $20”—-Terry replied-—”I’m not going to give you $20”—Sterling responded, —”why, do you think it’s too much”—Terry—”N0, I’m going to give you $200”—a fee split between he and other owners.

Pictures of loading, offloading and passing the trawler loaded with the camp were shared.

Other optics and a story was generated by a reporter for the Salisbury Post about Terry’s camp.

Algier rented rooms in his home for fishermen and hunters coming in–in the morning , you went down to the kitchen for breakfsst. If you didn’t stay there, you could still walk-in for breakfast. This is what Terry and friends did–often arriving at 3-4 am for the trip. Waiting for the second load so their jeep could go across, they went up thru the path from Sterling’s landing for breakfast.

Mike Wagoner and George Jordan are seen in the camp with Terry on one of the photos.

You could rent a cabin for $3 per head and a beach buggy for $10-$15 per day—while providing your own gas. Once they owned their cabin, they could pay $2 per head for having supplies brought over and the camp being looked after.

Terry’s camp constructed an add-on bathroom and shower to the structure initially carried over. They dug into the sand and buried their garbage.

Sterling developed heart trouble in his 50s and offered Terry the sale of his camps. Algier eventually bought them, expanding his holdings.

Photo of Sterling with a boat loaded with fishermen was typical of a Saturday morning trip. Vehicles had to wait for later trips. Sterling kept a waterproof structure on a pole at the dock–a book inside was a site to write what you needed–bread, etc.–later that day, it would be on your porch or your steps.

Terry was an Army Special Forces member, picked by Pres. Eisenhour to become the precursor of our Navy Seals. 44 soldiers were packed onto a suib–hot bunk procedures kept 50% on the bunk every 12 hours rotating–Navy and Army conflict existed in this seting. They did nite manuvers-paddling into Cuba to carry out missions.

1970s era–relative position of fishing camps on South Core Banks

Excerpted from Mark Weir’s book (Davis Island, The Early Days):–(click the red link to see more)

1976 map of existing conditions–NPS survey–shows relative camp positions

Marilyn Dixon (Sterling’s daughter) shared additional photos and history (7-15-26):

Sterling’s beach buggy

Sterling, on right, making a list of things the fishermen wanted brought to the banks from his store –camp building in background

Marilyn Dixon—daughter of Sterling Dixon—phone interview June 22, 2026 ( born in 1947)

Sterling Dixon, of Salter Path, first served in the Coast Guard in Cape May where he engaged in enforcement of prohibition. Samuel and Della Dixon were his parents—Della had lived at Diamond City (with her parents Rumley willis and Caroline Lewis— till the exodus from the Banks to Salter Path after the 1899 storms. Sterling returned to Salter Path after service but moved to Davis when he married Bernice Davis of that village. He was a shrimper until about 1950, when he was convinced by Lindsay Tucker, of Winston-Salem, that he should establish fishing camps on Core Banks.

Sterling had taken Tucker to the Banks for fishing (thought to have followed Tucker’s having met Ammie Willis). In the early 1950s, Sterling went to Winston-Salem to pick up a long truck adapted to have seating benches in the truck bed. The truck was used to carry fishermen up and down the beach for surf fishing. His boat, the Bernice Gray (named for Bernice and son, Gray, 14 years older than Marilyn), served many years for this enterprise.

Reginald Styron, now gone, always said: “Sterling could smell fish!”. Sterling built 3 cabins —a long one and smaller ones to the sides—near Great Island on Core banks and Lindsay Tucker, working at R.J. Reynolds in Winston-Salem, spread the word and was responsible for a steady stream of fishermen from Forsyth County. He dredged a cut near Alger Willis’ dock and put in a landing and store. Bernice and her brothers owned the property where the landing and store were built. Alger Willis and he worked co-operatively. Marvin Murphy came along later to establish his camp and Ammie Willis’ son Carlie expanded the camps to the north (the oldest of these camps, they had been used for hunting and fishing). (Alger was mama’s-Bernice’s cousin —who owned the store and had a cut where Sterling first had his business). cousin. Mama and her brothers owned property just down the shore from Alger’s, so Daddy later moved from Alger’s and built a store and dredged a cut there.

Sterling died of a heart attack in 1971 and the camps were sold to Mr. Hamilton—known as “Hamp”. (his wife was Janice). Although he had only 3 camps, many other structures were built by others within his compound. Sterling both serviced the needs of those in his compound and also transported and guided fishermen who went just for the day.

Dallas Weir, and son Mark, were one of the fishermen to frequent the camp and “Davis Island”, as it was called by them. Mark has written a book about these camps and his experiences there. Marilyn feels sure that Sterling was not transporting fishermen in the 1930s.

“Mama” Bernice and Virginia Davis (Kevin’s mom) went over to clean the camps—“I can see her now,”—“returning in the sunset looking back to shore on their return”

Supplies were delivered to the camps—usually bought at Percy Davis’ store (Johnny Davis had a store there also)—there was a box on th banks for placing requests.

Sterling had a well over to the Banks, but several individuals also had wells at their camps.

Bernice was up at 4:30am to awaken her brothers at the house next door—and called for breakfast, the adults gathered for bacon and eggs for family and fishermen waiting to go to the Banks. Mama’s brothers were Leonard, Elwood and Ross Davis.

Bernice Davis graduated from “ECTC” in 1928—East Carolina Technical College—and came home to teach school—grades 1-8—in Salter Path.

Rose Brothers Boat works built Sterling a new boat (Earl Rose was kin)—just being completed when Sterling helped Terry Dedmon and friends carry their camp across to the Banks. 1933, during the severe un-named hurricane, Sterling found himself and the Bernice in Ocracoke. Using experience gained in the Coast Guard, he kept tightening and loosening lines through the storm—after, looking around he discovered most vessels were destroyed but he had stayed aboard and saved his boat—a vessel he felt his family could not do without.

Sterling was badly injured (“it goes right to my heart”—Marilyn remembers)—-when a Coast Guard boat went down Taylors Creek with an excessive wake and caused Sterling’s boat motor elevated above deck for repairs, to fall and crush his hand. He lived with a deformity the remainder of his life. The church and community in Davis took up money and brought assistance to the family.

Sterling died the summer of 1971. By common tradition, his body sat in mourning within the home as a wake. Community friends sat on the porch all through the night.

Bernice’s parents were Helen Davis and Mark Ross Davis.

Sterling had some help, though it was mostly a one-man job. Andy Ipock helped, as did cousin Tommy Davis, uncle Leonard Ross, Marilyn’s brothers —Ross and Elwood

Marvin Murphy—established camps a little later—his son is still living and is at Pruitt Healthcare in Beaufort. Marvin Earl was Marvin’s son.

Fishermen remembered—Dallas and mark Weir of Kernersville

? Hege and Dot, from Winston-Salem—Moravians—Dot didn’t go to shore but brought dough and made Moravian cookies on each visit—the family looked forward to this

Mr. Futlon from Chester, Pennsylvania—while younger men of the family fished, he stayed ashore in Davis—Marilyn received a quarter from him each day he was there and five dollars at the end. She felt rich.

Mr. Bagby owned a clothing store in Winston-Salem, in a shopping center—there in the 50s—he enjoyed Marilyn reading books to him, thought she faked the content from memory

Work was seasonal—Spring brought a lot of preparation and repairs and a few fishermen—season was mainly April-may till Thanksgiving—

Winter business was slow and Sterling enjoyed duck hunting with friends —they usually exceeded their limits and uncle Elwood would signal with a flashlight that the coast was clear at the dock—clear of game wardens

Marilyn remembered the singing of The Lighthouse at her dad’s funeral, by the Salter Path Choir–

“If it weren’t for this lighthouse, where would this ship be, Jesus is the Lighthouse”–sung for each shrimper’s funeral in that time

For More on these camps and fishing along Core Banks–click the red link

Sara Boland shared photos from her father’s visits to Sterling’s camps-4 of those photos follow