Chowan County NcArchives News.....SALVAGERS LIGHTHOUSE IS HIS HOME September 11, 1982
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
GERALD WIGGINS snoopy841road@yahoo.com January 30, 2010, 9:31 am

THE DAILY ADVANCE September 11, 1982
RALIEGH ( AP ) STAFF WRITER MARY ANNE RHYNE
  EMMETT WIGGINS SAYS A LOVE OF THE WATER INSPIRED HIM TO LIVE IN A 146 YEAR
OLD LIGHTHOUSE HE TOWED EIGHT MILES FROM THE MOUTH OF THE ROANOKE RIVER TO HIS
HOME EDENTON N.C.
   WIGGINS HAS SPENT MANY OF HIS 61 YEARS IN BOATS PULLING RICHES FROM THE SEAS
IN HIS MARINE SALVAGE BUSINESS WHEN A FRIEND OFFERED HIM THE CASTOFF GOVERMENT
LIGHTHOUSE IN 1955 WIGGINS BEGAN HIS SALVAGE OPERATION EVER.
   NOW HE LIVES ALONE IN THE RESTORED 1836 LIGHT HOUSE , A TWO STORY HOUSE WITH
A CUPOLA AND WIDE PORCH THAT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL NEWSPAPER AND
MAGAZINE ARTICLES AND THE FOCUS OF MANY PAINTINGS.
  " I'VE JUST LIKE WATER ALL MY LIFE." WIGGINS SAID IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW
HE SAID HE HAD BUILT BOATS SINCE HE WAS A FIFTH GRADER WHEN HE ASSEMBLED A 
KAYAK AND ALWAYS HAD LIVED NEAR THE WATER.
   WIGGINS SAID A FRIEND IN THE MARINE SALVAGE BUSINESS FROM CONJOCK BOUGHT
THREE LIGHTHOUSES FROM THE COAST GUARD IN 1955 WHEN THE HOUSES WERE BEING
REPLACED WITH ELECTRIC BEACONS. ONE CONDIION OF THE SALE THAT THE LIGHTHOUSES
BE MOVED.
   THE OTHER TWO LIGHTHOUSES_ ONE FROM WADE POINT AT THE MOUTH OF THE 
PASQUATANK RIVER AND THE ROANOKE MARSH LIGHT FROM THE LOWER END OF ROANOKE
ISLAND - FELL INTO THE OCEAN WHEN WIGGINS AND HIS FRIEND TRIED TO MOVE THE
LIGHT HOUSES.
   HE WANTED TO MOVE THEM INLAND AND AT LEAST GET ONE OF THEM UP THERE AT 
COINJOCK WHERE HE LIVED," WIGGINS SAID. AFTER WE LOST THE FIRST ONE I GUESS
HE WAS A LITTLE SCARED THAT HE MIGHT LOSE THE OTHERS.
   WIGGINS LIGHTHOUSE IS THE ONLY LEFT IN N.C. THE OTHERS SUCH AS THE CAPE
HATTERAS LIGHTHOUSE, ARE TOWERING LIGHTS WITH SEPARATE HOUSES.
   WIGGINS' LIGHTHOUSE ONCE HELD A LIGHT ATOP ITS ROOF 35 FEET OFF THE GROUND.
   THE ORGINAL LIGHT WAS A WHALE-OIL LAMP WHOSE FLAME WAS MAGNIGIED BY A LARGE
PRISMTYPE LENS MANUFACTURED IN PARIS IN 1888 WIGGINS STILL HAS THE LENS BUT HAS
HAS REPLACED THE LAMP WITH A BULB.
    MOVING THE 1836 LIGHTHOUSE TOOK 36 HOURS, A CREW OF MEN  LOADED THE LIGHT
HOUSE ON A BARGE AND MOVED IT UP THE RIVER TO THE HEAD OF EDENTON BAY.
    I DID NOTHING TO THE 1836 LIGHT HOUSE BUT INSTALL ELECTRIC CURRENT AND PUT
WATER IN IT TO MAKE IT LIVABLE, WIIGINS SAID. ITS A VERY SOLID STRUCTURE 
CAPTAINS USED TO STAY OUT WEEKS AT A TIME.
    WIGGINS SAID LIGHTHOUSE TENDERS KEPT LOGS LIKE SEA CAPTAINS FROM THE LOGS
HE SAID HE HAD LEARNED THAT RESIDENTS WATCH CIVIL WAR BATTLE INCLUDING THE 
SINKING OF THE ALMARLE A CONFEDERATE SHIP KNOWN FOR ITS SPEED.
    THE CAPTAINS IN THE LIGHT HOUSE COULD NOT GET OUT TO THE LIGHT HOUSE UNLESS
THEY COULD WALK OUT ONE THE ICE. HE SAID OTHER TIMES THEY WERE ICED IN OUT 
THERE IT GOT A LITTLE HUNGRY."
     I HATE TO SEE THEM DESTROYED. HE SAID LIGHT HOUSES AND SHIPPING WERE A 
PHASE IN HISTORY. TRUCKS ARE TAKING OVER NOW. WATER TRAFFIC IS DIMINISHING A
DEGREE INLAND ESPECALLY.
      HE SAID HE AGRRED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT PLAN TO LEASE THE 
LIGHTHOUSES , NOW THE COAST GUARD IS REVIVING THE IDEA OF LIGHT HOUSE KEEPERS
WHO WOULD LEASE THE STRUCTURES IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THEM.
      ALL THE ROMANCE HASN'T GONE OUT OF THEM. WIGGINS SAID."
     WIGGINS STILL DOES SOME MARINE SALVAGE WORK IN 1960 HE RESCUED 140 TONS
OF MARBLE FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN OFF OF FALSE CAPE. THE MARBLE HAD BEEN THERE
SINCE 1895 , WHEN A SHIP FROM GENOA ITALY , RAN AGROUND .
     ANYTIME YOU CHALLENGE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING AND COME OUT A WINNER, YOU
ACHIEVED SOMETHING, WIGGINS SAID.


   

Additional Comments:
 THE 1836 LIGHTHOUSE NOW SITS AT THE WATER FRONT IN DOWN TOWN EDENTON, IT
 WAS MOVED TO THAT LOCATION TO MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW WATERFONT HOME THAT THE
 NEW OWNERS BOUGHT FROM THE ESTATE OF EMMETT WIGGINS.

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