Once Upon an Island by Kirk Mariner

If you’re visiting Chincoteague Island for the first time this summer, you may be interested in a bit of Island history before or during your trip. Many people associate Chincoteague with the ponies or perhaps with Chincoteague oysters, but there is a lot more under the surface of this Eastern Shore town. Chincoteague celebrated the one hundred year anniversary of its incorporation as a town in 2008 – but its history began long before 1908.

According to local author Kirk Mariner, Chincoteague has been continuously settled for more than three centuries. In Once Upon an Island, Mariner begins with the voyage of Verrazzano in the early 1500’s and Verrazzano’s discovery of Arcadia, an area described as ‘beautiful and full of great forests.’ Many believe that Arcadia lies somewhere on the Delmarva peninsula, most likely near the waters of the Chincoteague Bay. Mariner goes on to describe the Chincoteague Indians (who did not actually inhabit Chincoteague Island), the early Island settlers and the days when farming not seafood was the mainstay of the Island economy.

Once Upon an Island provides facts, anecdotes and photographs that are both informative and entertaining. There are extensive footnotes for those who want to know more, while others will appreciate the short bios of Mariner’s ‘cast of characters’ who played pivotal roles in Island history. One you might not expect to see in the book is Carolyn Keene – who wrote the Nancy Drew and Dana Girls mysteries. You never know you you’ll meet on Chincoteague Island! For more information, click here.