Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-11-01

Of Virginia. settling in Northampton,
the Eastern Shores southernmost
county. The other two stayed, mar
ried Chin-co- leagues daughters and
named the island after their bene.
factor. usage having slurred its pro-
nunciation to Chincoteague.
Eventually the brothers wisely
petitioned the British crown for
equal grants on the island. A certain
portion of the southern side of the
island was given to one brother and
a like share on the northern to the
other with what H. now Church street
as the dividing line.
Through correspondence with Eng
lish friends, they induced men from
the Bowdoin, Watson and Jester
families to join them on their blessed
isle by the sea-" They, too, married
Indian maidens, and the influence
of these first families with their
sturdy, thrifty progeny, has ever since
been dominant on Chincoteague;
along with that Of the descendants
of William Kendall of Accomac
Co Slty. for Nhom in 1892 the Gov
ernor of Virginia obtained the grant
of nearby Piney Island, small
northeastern section of Chincoteague
not included in the Wheaton grants.
An incident not only of interest
historically. but showing the caliber
of the islands population occurred in
the COS when strife between the States
was imminent. A general caucus of
az citizens was called to determine
whether the island should secede or
remain in the Union. A Union flag
and Confederate one were fashioned
so that the winning colors might be
promptly unfurled to the breeze. The
population Of voting age gathered
along the islands main street. The
assssnblage was called together by an
appointed chairman. The subject in
its various aspects was discussed by
the leading proponents of each cause,
1t having been previously agreed upon
that when the vote was taken 1t
should be considered final and bind
ing upon all. At length, those in
favor of staying in the Union were
asked to step to one side of the road
and those who wished to Secede to
the other. When the count was taken
Chincoteague by just one vote had
remained in the Union. Then the
Stars and Stripes were run up on the
elevation where the first post Office
was later built.
Traded With Boston.
Chincoteague continued to conduct
prosperous trade with Boston and
other New England seaports through
out the duration of the Civil War,
while the rest of Virginia cast her
forces with the Rebel Armies. Appar-
emily 1t never occurred to the island
ers or to the State of Virginia that
Chincoteague should in any way be
controlled by the contrarywise vote Of
the Virginia Legislature upon this
issue. However, affronted Confeder-
land of Virginia attempted to punish
the Chincoteaguers for their action.
Coming out OF the melee unscathed
under the leadership of John Wheal-
ton, descendant of the first white man
to settle on Chincoteague, Wheaton
was nevertheless confident that the
next attempt of the opposing forces
would be not so successful unless dras-
tic steps were taken. He therefore
'sculled' Assoteague Inlet, walked the
beach to Indian River, which he was
forced to swim, and trudged on foot,
wet and hungry and cold, 200 miles to
Philadelphia. where he secured the
protection of the Federal Government
for his beloved island home during
the remainder of the Civil War.
This same John Wheaton was the
first to teach the islanders the art of
oyster cultivation by planting the
shells advantageously before the
spawning season and so helped to
make the Chincoteague oyster famous
throughout the Nation as Virginia
delicacy by tremendously augmenting
the natural oyster bed. A kinsman Of
John Wheaton, D. j. Wheaton, be-
came the islands first oyster king
He was also its first millionaire, his
business interests extending beyond
his native isle to a part ownership
in the Southland Hotel in Norfolk,
and of Boothby's and the Boodbinder's
Rest in Philadelphia, all hostelries
famous for seafood and Chincoteague
oysters. His residence, likewise, be-
came Chincoteague's finest one, 10
Gated at the corner of Church and
Main streets. where over two centuries
before his Wheaton forbears had d.
vided the island between them.
The Chincoteaguers, men and
women. take their voting responsible
ties seriously and no vote goes by de-
fault because a freeholder has failed
to register at the proper time. The
sharpest divisions are between the
church" and mo church" elements,
the mo church" group being greatly
in the minority and decidedly ineffec-
tive when community consideration is
in the balance.