36° 31′ 54.3″ N 76° 11′ 3.9″ W
Just south of the Virginian border along Rt. 168 in North Carolina (the Sweet Potato state), is a town called Moyock.
In 1785, Reverend Thomas Coke wrote that he had preached in Mowyock, according to the late local historian Marion Fiske Welch. Coke was pretty close to spelling the town’s name as locals pronounce it, Mo-yock. But like most people who are not familiar with the area, I originally pronounced it Moi-yock. “They tell on themselves,” said another historian and native of Currituck County’s largest community. Like many Currituck County names, Moyock comes from an Algonquin Indian word meaning “Place of the Oaks by the Trail” and it may have appeared on a map as early as 1735.
Moyock began as a commercial hub starting about 300 years ago, when an industry in cypress shingles thrived along a creek there. For decades, the place was known as Shingle Landing. When a post office opened there in 1857, the official name returned to Moyock, Welch wrote in Moyock, A Pictorial and Folk History, 1900-1920.
These days, though Moyock is a thriving business district and the gateway for travelers headed to the remote Outer Banks, you can still see some great remnants of the past…
Check out some of my recent images shot at Moyock Muscle where they restore classic cars and trucks of all kinds. You can bring in your own vehicle or pick out one from the many available in their lot. I found my dream truck; Tim found several—maybe yours is here too?
Reference: article by Jeff Hampton/The Virginian-Pilot
