The Mysterious Disappearance of the Roanoke Colony

          In July of 1587, a group of 117 settlers landed on Roanoke Island in Modern day North Carolina. One of the settlers, in particular, was John White. He had come to the island along with his pregnant daughter and her husband. An Indian chief had also accompanied the folk. The settlers had set their materials and refurbished an old fort in the area. John White made a trip back to Britain to gather more supplies. He returned 3 years later, only for the settlement to have virtually disappeared. There was no sign that any had ever even lived there, aside from 2 clues. The word “CROATOAN” was carved into a post, and the word “CRO” was carved into a tree. White assumed that the colony moved to the island of Croatoan, which was the home of the Indian chief that had come with them, but he was never able to go and confirm if that was the case. Some theories are that the settlers were murdered by Natives, victims of disease, forced into cannibalism by the lack of food or killed by a mythological creature. However, the eeriest aspect of this situation is that the word Croatoan can be linked to many different mysteries. It was one of Edgar Allen Poe's last words before he mysteriously died after disappearing for some time. It was written in the cell of an inmate before he was released from prison, only for him to permanently go missing. It was found in Emelia Earhart’s journal before she mysteriously disappeared in 1937. It was found in the logbook of a ship that was missing its crew after it crashed near Croatoan island. The mystery behind Roanoke and “Croatoan” is perplexing and may forever go unsolved. 

Sources:

https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke

https://historycollection.com/lost-colony-roanoke-8-theories-mysterious-island-inhabitants/2/

https://www.outerbanks.org/things-to-do/museums-and-historic-sites/the-lost-colony-outdoor-drama/