Chincoteague's Front Door
Historically, Chincoteague's western waterfront provided the town with its front door.
Many watermen sailed from docks along Chincoteague Channel, "goin' down da Bay" to return with cargoes of oysters, bay clams, mussels, and terrapins.
For decades, steamboats shuttled across the Channel from the mainland five, miles away. Visitors to Chincoteague arrived at several wharves that were built along this waterfront.
Completed in 1922, the causeway that touched down near where you are standing delivered thousands of tourists to Chincoteague and revolutionized the way the island connected to commercial markets.
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End of the Alberta
As his nickname suggests, Daniel "Squealer" Whealton had a high-pitched voice that tended to squeal. Professionally, he spent 25 years as captain of the schooner Alberta, ferrying all sorts of cargo to and from Chincoteague. He hauled coal. He shipped stone for construction of the causeway that linked the island and the mainland. He even sailed the Alberta to rescue the crew of a sinking Spanish ship.
The end of the Alberta and Whealton's career as a sea captain came when the ship ran aground in 1925. Salvage attempts damaged the schooner beyond repair.
"Squealer" then took up his gun and became an avid
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.
Location. 37° 56.092′ N, 75° 22.623′ W. Marker is in Chincoteague, Virginia, in Accomack County. Marker is on Main Street just west of Post Office Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4095 Main St, Chincoteague Island VA 23336, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Dollars from Decoys (a few steps from this marker); Fish So Fine (a few steps from this marker); Chincoteague Timeline (within shouting distance of this marker); Bounty from the Sea (within shouting distance of this marker); Boats and Bridges (within shouting distance of this marker); You Had to Keep On (within shouting distance of this marker); So Terribly Helpless (within shouting distance of this marker); Chincoteague Island Library (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chincoteague.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 19, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 204 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
