Kill Devil Hills, a town in
North Carolina’s Dare County, has the motto “Birthplace of Aviation,” because it was where the Wright Brothers’ flew their first powered aircraft in December 17, 1903. You can find the Wright Brothers National Memorial over here.
The name “Kill Devil Hills” can be traced as far back to the colonial era, when shipwrecks were common. Most ships carried rum barrels, and capsizing ships were looted of their contents, especially the alcohol-filled flasks, before they went to the bottom of the sea. The scavengers hid the rum barrels beneath the city’s sand dunes. Englishmen called rum “Kill Devil” so the dunes were baptized the moniker Kill Devil Hills.
As part of North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, this small town of 5.5 square miles is the home of about 5,897 residents. As it is the home of the first successful airplane, its educational institution is named “First Flight High School” and caters to about 800 students.
Kill Devil Hills’ First Flight Baseball Complex serves as the home base of the Outer Banks Daredevils, a member of the Coastal Plain League, which holds baseball tourneys every summer.
Because of the town’s catchy name, it has been mentioned in a number of songs such as REM’s “So Fast, So Numb,” and Clutch’s “Four Lords (and One More).” Bruce Dickinson, former lead singer of Iron Maiden, released a song “Kill Devil Hill” in 2005. DJ Muggs and Ill Bill released a rap album named “Kill Devil Hills” in 2010.
