Over the centuries, Bald Head Island, a barrier island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, has been a place where many people have made their home, hideout or favorite vacation destination. I myself have been fortunate enough to grow up visiting this unique island. Throughout Bald Head Island’s history, Native Americans, explorers, pirates, British troops, lighthouse keepers, Civil War troops and the modern day vacationers or home owners have settled on the island at some point or another. However, there exists one group in particular that I believe fails to receive the attention and admiration they deserve. I consider this distinct group of individuals to be the ultimate adventurers. They are pioneers in their own time and they are known as the Generator Society. My grandparents, Kenneth and Eleanor Cosgrove, are now deceased, but they were among the individuals who made up this quite intriguing society.
In the 1970s, Bald Head Island did not possess all that it does today. The island did not have rows upon rows of beach houses. Many of the roads that exist on the island today were unpaved. The Bald Head Island Marina was nonexistent. The main features of the island during this time were the light house, Old Baldy and the Bald Head Inn, which existed in an area that is now covered by the ocean. Throughout the 1970s, nineteen families settled and built homes on this island. However, because of the lack of development on Bald Head during this time, their houses were powered by generators (hints the name “Generator Society”). These families fell in love with Bald Head in its purest form.
My father, Christopher Cosgrove, often tells stories of the days on Bald Head before electricity. Mentioned earlier, my grandparents were among the first to build a modern home on the island. In fact, they were the seventh family to be a part of the Generator Society, meaning their home was the seventh built. Some of my dad’s favorite stories from the times before the Bald Head Island Ferry, which shuttles visitors over to the island from South Port, include the 18-foot motorboat that shuttled visitors and home owners to the island during the '70s. He said whenever anyone wanted to go to Bald Head during this time, they contacted the driver of this motor boat and hoped that he showed up. Once my father and his family reached the island, they would pray that their Blazer with rusted out floorboards would start. If it didn’t, they would walk two miles to their house with all of the things they brought with them.
One of the most interesting aspects of living on Bald Head Island before electricity was figuring out how to manage your generator. My father said that within the Cosgrove house there was a gas stove, a gas refrigerator and in the winter kerosene heaters. However, the generator was turned on for 30 minutes in the morning so that they could all take showers. Then, immediately following their showers the generator would be turned off. At night, the generator was turned on for another 30 minutes before bed.
My father said one of the best aspects of Bald Head Island during the time of the Generator Society was “the feeling of camaraderie on the island.” If you needed anything, you could always ask any of the other Generator Society members who were on the island at the time.
Generators existed on Bald Head Island until 1983. In 1984, electricity arrived to the island and development exploded. Houses, country clubs and a large marina immediately sprung up. Whether you are a frequent visitor of Bald Head Island or a reader who is only first learning of its existence, we can never forget the pioneers who led the way. The adventurers and visionaries who saw Bald Head for the beautiful thing that it was and still is. They fell in love with the spirit and essence of the island, not the developed area that it is today.
I not only believe that the members of the Generator Society fell in love with Bald Head Island, but also with the thrill of visiting a place without electricity and excessive development. Today, I feel as though our lives are consumed by technology. Everyone is obsessed with having the newest and most updated gadget. However, I wish to return to a time where the experience of life outweighs the technology that fills our modern lives. I wish to travel with my grandparents to Bald Head Island during a time where there was not even electricity to power the island. I think the Generator Society truly lived life the way it should be lived. Despite all that Bald Head was lacking during the '70s, they saw it for the experience and adventure that it will always be.
