Near Belle Haven in Accomack County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Occohannock Indians

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, February 17, 2014

1. Occohannock Indians Marker

Inscription. The Occohannock Indians, one of the important Virginia Indian groups on the Eastern Shore, were composed of several tribes including the Onancock, Machipongo, Metomkin, Chincoteague, Kegotank, Pungoteague, Chesconessex, and Nandua. Capt. John Smith visited them in 1608, but except for trading they had little contact with the English until the 1620s. The titular leader of the Occohannock and Accomac Indians in the 1620s was Esmy Shichans, also known as the “Laughing King.” By the 1670s, the Occohannocks held only token areas in their former tribal territories. In the latter part of the 17th century, they moved back and forth between here and the large reservation of their linguistic relatives, the Pocomoke, in Maryland.

Erected 2002 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number WY-13.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1608.

Location. 37° 33.104′ N, 75° 48.467′ W. Marker is near Belle Haven, Virginia, in Accomack County. It is at the intersection of Lankford Highway (U.S. 13) and Savagetown

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Road (Virginia Route 603), on the right when traveling south on Lankford Highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Painter VA 23420, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and in the Tidewater.

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 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Occahannock (approx. 0.7 miles away); Accomack County / Northampton County (approx. 0.7 miles away); Site of Willis Store-House (approx. ¾ mile away); The Old Willis Wharf Storehouse (approx. 2½ miles away); St. George's Episcopal Church (approx. 5.7 miles away); “The Bear and the Cub” (approx. 5.8 miles away); a different marker also named “The Bear and the Cub” (approx. 5.8 miles away); Oak Grove Methodist Church (approx. 5.8 miles away).

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, February 17, 2014

2. Occohannock Indians Marker

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, July 17, 2013

3. Occohannock Indians Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 26, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 4,219 times since then and 150 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 18, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on October 11, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.