Ocracoke Inlet, the only North Carolina inlet to remain open since European contact, served in the colonial period as the main gateway for goods moving between the mainland, England, and other colonies, and its shifting, uncharted waters led to the settlement of pilots at Ocracoke, then called Pilot Town, to guide vessels through. The village grew steadily, and by 1840 more than 400 people lived there while as many as 1400 vessels passed through the inlet. After the 1846 hurricane opened Hatteras Inlet, many pilots moved there, while those who remained generally continued seafaring work on coastal schooners. Storms and hurricanes repeatedly shaped island life, and many older homes were built from salvaged ship timbers. In October, 1837, a hurricane drove the steamboat Home onto the beach seven miles northeast of Ocracoke village in the largest disaster on the North Carolina coast, drowning 95 of the 130 passengers. Congress responded by establishing a U.S. Life-Saving Station there in 1883 and passing the Steamboat Act, which required passenger ships to carry one life-preserver per person; the Home had only two, and those who wore them survived. At the close of the 19th century, steamboats began bringing well-heeled visitors, and a large Victorian hotel was built for them, while hunting and fishing drew sportsmen in the early 20th century. Ferry service and paved roads in the mid-1950s began Ocracoke’s development into a popular and enduring tourist destination.