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| Chincoteague Island The islands were so remote in their early days before the English arrived it was unsettled even by the Indians. The native Virginians may have come to hunt and gather the abundant wildlife but never settled the island. Englishmen obtained title to these lands as early as 1671 but never had permanent claim until 20 years later by two men, named William Kendall and John Robins. They divided Chincoteague between them, Kendall in the north and Robins in the south. Robins sent George and Hannah Blake to his part of the island to look after his cattle and livestock and they became the first permanent settlers. Since many stories say that the ponies of Assateague Island were descendants of a wrecked Spanish galleon it would be safe to assume that the ponies are actual descendants of stock that were let loose on the two islands. They are smaller now because of their diet and inbreeding. By 1800, the island's population had grown to 60 and 23 of them were children. In 1821, the worst storm in the Eastern Shore's history created a possible tidal wave that swept completely over both islands. The wave destroyed all the homes and killed five people. After this incident the population began to increase because of influx of new watermen. By 1831, there were 500 people living on the island with 26 homes. The Assateague Lighthouse was constructed in 1833 and was rebuilt in 1867. With more individuals on the island, farming and livestock became ceased and the people turned to the working on the water to support themselves. The northern markets of Philadelphia and New York supported this industry. In 1861, the rest of Virginia's Eastern Shore seceded from the union but Chincoteague voted 132-2 to remain. Later that year, there was a skirmish between the union gunboat "Louisiana" and a confederate privateer, with no casualties. During the war, Chincoteague perhaps became the first place in the nation to practice the private planting of oysters now known as aquaculture. In 1908, the town was incorporated and a new era had begun. The 1920's brought Chincoteague closer to the outside world. In 1922, the causeway for automobiles was opened. This was a major change for the inhabitants soon after a serious of fires broke out in the downtown area and was disastrous to the community. It was then realized that the fire-fighting equipment was outdated and virtually useless. The town organized a volunteer fire company and sought ways to fund it and in 1925 pony penning was created to fund the volunteer fire company. Pony penning was so successful that the fire company became one of the wealthiest in the country and put the small town community on the map. Pony penning is still going on today and draws close to 50,000 people on the last week in July. Chincoteague is the largest community on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and is a major attraction for the Eastern Shore. |
Notes: HomeOfficial Trail Guide Web Site The Other Historic Site Guides: Historic Site Guide Central Eastern Shore - Wallop's Island to QuinbyHistoric Site Guide Northampton - Willis Wharf to Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge
The Trail was developed by the Accomack -
Northampton Planning District Commission in cooperation with Accomack County,
Northampton County, the Town of Chincoteague, the Town of Wachapreague, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program. It is a project of Virginia's Seaside Heritage Program,
a multi-year effort to restore living resources and promote sustainable ecotourism
on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. |
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