Port Royal in Caroline County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Earliest Inhabitants: Native Americans

Photographed by Kevin W., July 11, 2012

1. The Earliest Inhabitants: Native Americans Marker

Inscription. Based on artifacts excavated in and around Port Royal, archaeologists estimate that the area was inhabited as early as 11,000 years ago. At the time the English arrived, the area was occupied by tribes united in a confederacy ruled by Powhatan. The Port Royal area was claimed by about 400-600 members of the Nantaughtacund tribe, one member of the confederacy. The tribes called the river "Rappahannock," meaning "alternating stream," in recognition of the ebb and flow of a tidal river. John Smith mapped the Rappahannock as far as Port Royal in 1608, and white men began to settle in the area in about 1650. The settlers were led by Colonel John Catlett, who was killed in a raid in 1670. By 1700, few Native American remained, but their heritage lives on in the names they bequeathed and the countless artifacts they left.

Erected by Historic Port Royal with funding made possible through the sponsorship of the Washington-Lewis Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

• Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1608.

Location. 38° 10.236′ N, 77° 11.324′ W. Marker is in Port Royal, Virginia, in Caroline County. It is on Water Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 826 Water St, Port Royal VA 22535, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and in Central Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: St. Peter's Church (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fox Tavern: A Colonial Landmark (about

Photographed by Kevin W., July 11, 2012

2. The Earliest Inhabitants: Native Americans Marker

500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Port Royal (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Port Royal (about 600 feet away); Port Royal Harbor (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Port Royal (about 700 feet away); Dorothy Roy (about 700 feet away); The Sacred Lot (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Royal.

More about this marker. The caption on the picture reads, "From early spring until the first harvest of corn, Virginia Indians relied on fish caught close to the shore with spears, traps, and nets. After dark they ventured out in canoes lit with fires to attract night feeders. Paddlers steered between oyster reefs so large they might sink a boat. [Photo Courtesy of the British Museum.]

Credits. This page was last revised on May 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2012, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,222 times since then and 68 times this year. Last updated on May 5, 2025, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 15, 2012, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.