What's in a Carolina Coastal Name-- Part 4: Corolla and Kill Devil Hills

Places located along the North Carolina coast and how they got their names.

COROLLA

In 1889, when the U.S. post office established an office in the village of Jones Hill they solicited the help of the community to come up with a new name for the town.

Jones Hill and Currituck Beach were submitted along with the name Corolla, a reference to the flower petals of the local wild violets.  Guess who won?

KILL DEVIL HILLS

Rum played a prominent roles in the theories as to how Kill Devil Hills received its name.

One story is that a band of pirates climbed the top of a tall dune and indulged in rum so powerful that it could kill the devil.

Another is that bottles of the rum brand "Kill devil" washed ashore after a shipwreck and littered the area beaches with an alcoholic windfall.

Time Flies When You're Having Rum.  --RoadDog