On April 2, 2019, Zion Episcopal Church held its 130th annual 'Easter Monday Fish Fry'. Some say the tradition may have begun shortly after the church was built in 1856; however, this history focuses on oral testimony of Frances Douglas, Harry Norton Douglas, Ronnie Cutler, Howard Cutler, and Corrine Woolard who remember the stories of parents, grandparents, and other relatives. The location of the Fish Fry (only interrupted by World Wars I and II) has varied over the years. The Fish Fry was not held in 2020, 2021, or 2022 out of an abundance of caution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Happily, the Zion family and friends resumed the tradition in 2023, and we just enjoyed the Fish Fry with all the trimmings on 4/1/2024! 

Some of the earliest memories come from Corrine Woolard who recalls her parents discussing the fish fry held at Zion Church. The fish were often caught "as far away as the 'Pines'" (Broad Creek--five miles away, but in those days a long way). Caleb Cutler always had a dragnet in the river, so he often provided the fish, often herrings. Miss Corrine remembers the fish being cooked across the road at Mode Cutler's home. It appears that the 'Fry' originally occurred on the Zion Church grounds. Wire fences were hung between the large oaks as tables and the women spread out the food. This practice was also common during church homecomings. The children, including Corrine, enjoyed playing a piano in the old parish school building, located east of the dirt road and cemetery. And, according to Miss Corrine, the church also had an Easter egg hunt on the grounds, and many families from the area ("...all the churches were invited," regardless of denomination") enjoyed the festivities.

Frances Douglas, a Zion parishioner for eighty years, recalls her mother's (Olive Douglas) experience with the Easter Monday Fish Fry when it moved to another location. In the early 1900's, Olive was a young girl when the congregation gathered at Zion and traveled by horse and wagon down to Goose Creek in an area known as Dinah's Landing. Men caught fish by dropping nets into a small gut. After digging big holes in the sand, they cooked the fish over the open fire in very large iron frying pans.

One night, when Olive was riding home in one of the horse-drawn wagons, a wild bobcat followed the wagon in the dark. Although lanterns were on the wagon, she never saw the bobcat, but the screeching of the cat made the horses rear up, making them hard to handle. Mrs. Douglas, well into her nineties, recalled the screeching, the rough ride, and her fear, making it one of the longest nights of her life.

The 'Fry' moved to Camp Leach sometime after the Rotary Club deeded it to the Diocese in 1930; and it remained their for almost 50 years. According to Harry Douglas, the men still fished haul-nets at Dinah's Landing in the 1940's. Wanting fresh fish for the event, strong, dedicated men of Zion - John Harvey, Edgar and Harry Douglas, Jack Cutler, Joe Bright, Julian Scott Cutler, Jarvis Braddy, Dr. Jim Hawes were named - spent Easter Monday morning haul-netting the fish. The younger men jumped into the water to pull up the trout, croakers, and mullets. [A previous history indicated that horses were often needed to haul in the nets yielding herring and shad.] The idea was that if the men were not satisfied with the number of fish (never knowing if a 100, 200 or 300 people might appear), they would buy more fish. However, according to three interviewees, the church always had plenty of fish. They cleaned the most popular fish first (trout) and others as needed.

Although the Fish Fry provided an evening meal, at Camp Leach it was an all-day event. People from Zion - Edgar and Olive Douglas; George, Hattie, Jarvis Braddy, Hannis Latham, among others - friends from other churches, and Camp Leach neighbors arrived early and sometimes stayed until 11:00 at night. The kitchen bustled with women bringing in side dishes: stewed potatoes, slaw, and desserts. In the early afternoon, men and women cooked the hush puppies and fish. Everyone chipped in, even for the clean-up afterwards.

During the day, kids enjoyed an Easter egg hunt. Then for hours, girls, boys, men, and women of all ages played softball. A 65-year-old man might pitch to a 9-year-old batter. No one used gloves. Everyone was allowed to play, and everyone had a turn hitting the ball. Harry Douglas and Maurice Cutler often led the softball teams. Other sports included basketball, kickball, and swimming. According to Ronnie Cutler, in the 1950's, one of his favorite memories is the "duck" dancing (an old term for square dancing) that occurred in the Virginia Dare Hall at Camp Leach. Jarvis Braddy was the one who "called a square," telling dancers when to make certain moves. Dancing and walking out on the pier would go into the night. No one had fears of what might happen. People felt safe in those days.

In the 1980's when Camp Leach was sold and Episcopal Trinity Center in Emerald Isle was established, the Zion's annual fish fry was briefly moved to Hawkins Beach and then to Douglas Parish Hall, next to the Sanctuary, where it has been held for approximately thirty years. 

The annual Easter Monday Fish Fry is still free, and Zion members welcome the community to join in this historic tradition.

(The preceding is a summary of conversations with Frances Douglas, Harry Norton Douglas, Ronnie Cutler, Howard Cutler, and Corrine Woolard; revised 5/12/14 by Emily Albera.)