KILLING THE DEVIL

Many theories surround the origin of this intriguing place name. Perhaps the most fanciful tale involves a destitute hermit who once lived in the woods on the sound side of the barrier island. In desperation, he sold his soul to the Devil in return for a bag of gold. The Devil promised to return one week later to deliver the goods, and in that time, the hermit began to have second thoughts. Legend has it that he devised a plan that would save his soul. He dug a pit in the treacherous quicksand at the base of the sand dune and covered it. On the appointed night, the Devil appeared to collect, and the hermit lured him into the sand pit, where the Devil met his fate.

Other locals tell how the Banker who once inhabited this part of the Banks brewed a horrid brand of rum that was so bad it was rumored to "kill the devil." Etymologists point to the fact that the area is home to a species of shorebird called the killdeer by the early natives. Settlers adopted the name, and eventually it evolved into Kill Devil, with Hills added to the phrase to describe the towering sand dunes nearby.

Regardless, the name appears on maps as early as 1809. A lifesaving station established there in 1870 bore the name, and when the town incorporated in 1953, it adopted the name as well.