Typhoid deepened the settlement's misery in 1870. Even so, the descendants of Joseph Crockett stayed put. They had children, many children, and the population grew, and space became tight. So islanders gave up farming, turned to the harvest that waited offshore. Over time, Tangier became the quintessential waterman's town, its fate inextricably tied to the Bay's fish, oysters and crabs.
Religion is vital to the island's way of life.