The Lost Colony , also known as the Roanoke Colony was established in 1585 on Roanoke Island in what today’s Dare county,North Carolina . The origins of one of America’s oldest mysteries no one has solved yet . In 1584 , 2 explorers Philip Amadas became the first Europeans to see the Island . Sir Walter Raleigh sent the 2 explorers with a mission to scout the broad sounds and estuaries in search of an ideal location for settlement . In August 1587 , a group of about 115 English settlers landed on Roanoke Island , later on in 1587 John White decided he would sail back to England to get a new load of supplies . Just as he arrived a major naval war broke out between England and Spain . In 1590 , White went returned to Roanoke ,
