Voices of the Chincoteague

Voices of the Chincoteague by Martha A. Barnes and Linda S. Hartsock

Martha Barnes and Linda Hartsock frequently heard stories about life in the ‘old days’ of Greenbackville and Franklin City from neighbors and friends who had grown up in the area. Martha and Linda are “come’ere’s” but were quick to appreciate the heritage of the place they now called home. In 2001, they helped organize the first “Old Tyme Days/Community Reunion” in Greenbackville to celebrate the local heritage. As is often the case, it was clear that many of the stories were beginning to fade as the elders moved to nursing homes or passed away. Someone needed to begin recording the stories before they were lost forever – and Marty and Linda became the ‘someone’s who took on the task. The result of their efforts, Voices of the Chincoteague, was published by Arcadia Publishing in 2007.

Greenbackville and Franklin City are on the western coast of Chincoteague Bay – just across from Chincoteague Island. While the ‘voices’ are those of folks who lived and worked there rather than on the Island, their stories reflect a similar history. For many years, visitors to Chincoteague Island rode the train to Franklin City and then crossed the Bay by boat. Once the causeway to the Island was built, it changed not only life on Chincoteague Island but in Franklin City as well. Between the decline of the oyster industry and the increasing dependence on automobiles as the preferred means of transportation, Franklin City lost much of its commerce. The 1962 Ash Wednesday storm – the same storm that is memorialized in photos in the Chincoteague Downtown kiosk – wreaked havoc on the western shore of the Chincoteague Bay as well and effectively wiped out the remaining parts of Franklin City.

Voices of the Chincoteague provides a rare glimpse into Eastern Shore life through the words of those who lived it. The authors have faithfully recorded stories from a variety of residents and provided perspective with sections on local history and culture. For more information, click here.

A Beachcomber's Odyssey

A Beachcomber’s Odyssey, Vol. 1 by S. Deacon Ritterbush

Although A Beachcomber’s Odyssey isn’t specifically written about Chincoteague or Assateague Islands, it calls to the treasure hunter in all of us. The book is part memoir, part beachcombing guide, part nature identification, part history, part science and more. Each chapter includes stories from various beach wanderings throughout the author’s life and gives us a glimpse into her past experiences. Her entries about each place tell us about the memories it has for her, gives a bit of information about the area and often includes a description of a particular creature or treasure that is native to the area.

Volume 1 provides short descriptions of more than eighteen beachcombing expeditions, including several on the Chesapeake Bay, that gave the author not only treasures but life lessons as well. The reader travels with Ritterbush to such diverse places as Runaway Bay in Jamaica, Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the Shetland Islands in Scotland and Emeline Beach in Tonga.

As Ritterbush says “Beachcombing is a liberating pastime. Meandering along a shoreline looking for treasure provides a break from my worries and the daily routine.” Her musings reflect a theme that others have expressed about their visits to Chincoteague. We’ve often heard visitors talk about their quiet morning walks along the beach on Assateague Island as one of the highlights of their visit. Those who understand the therapeutic value of a morning stroll along the Assateague beach will appreciate Ritterbush’s ability to weave her personal reflections around her beachcombing ‘finds.’ It’s a great book to read after you return from your stroll and are sitting on the porch with your morning coffee or tea. Or to read from home when the beach seems far away. For more information about A Beachcomber’s Odyssey, click here.

Chincoteague Island by James Tigner

Chincoteague Island by James Tigner

The annual Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction is over for another year but there is still plenty of time to plan a get-away to Chincoteague Island. If you’re considering a visit, you may want to get to know a bit about Chincoteague before your trip. Once Upon an Island (which was the subject of this blog several weeks ago) tells the history of the Island. But if you’re looking for a good pictorial introduction, check out Chincoteague Island by James Tigner.

Jim is an antique dealer by trade but has found a wonderful niche creating pictorial books of mid-Atlantic areas – primarily areas located near the shore. Most make use of his extensive collection of postcards and mix older postcard scenes of the town with recent photos he takes for each book. The result is a wonderful combination of images that takes the reader on a visual - and historic - tour of the Town.

Chincoteague Island includes a brief but comprehensive history of Chincoteague followed by over 100 pages of images depicting all aspects of Island life, from the early duck hunting to today’s pony swim and auction. One of my personal favorites is from a 1940’s postcard about the pony auction and shows Mom, Dad and son - with the pony peering out from the back seat of the station wagon. The caption reads ‘Takin’ a pony home from Chincoteague.’ No worries about seat belts back then!

Chincoteague Island provides both a great introduction to the Island or a memento of an enjoyable visit. For more information, click here.