The History of the Waterways by Alice French
Vintage photograph of watermen
Map of VA waterways
Virginia is one of the most water-rich states in the United States. Its landscape is cut with rivers from the east to the west. The Northern Neck is Virginia’s northernmost peninsula to the east, bound by the Potomac River, the Rappahannock River and opening to where they meet in the Chesapeake Bay. This place is and always has been all about water!
The indigenous people of the Tsenacomoco utilized waterways for fish, waterfowl, plants, and as a highway system navigated by canoe. Riverfront terraces were carefully cultivated with gardens. A plant common to the Indigenous diet still grows in abundance in the marshland of Cat Point Creek called Tuckahoe, also known as Arrow Arum. The tuber roots were used to add carbohydrates to their diet and the berries added to bread. Evidence of pottery production along the banks of the Menokin property indicate that the clay soil found in these marshes was ideal for making vessels and beads, as well.
Tuckahoe also known as Arrow Arum plant
Captain John Smith traveled the creeks and rivers, mapping the newly named Virginia colony as English settlers made land grabs for water access and forced the Indians away from the Rappahannock River. The new settlers clear-cut the forests for its timber and to create views of prominence for their homes. They implemented farming techniques without the Indigenous values of reciprocity and overused the soil causing erosion and silting of the rivers. The waterways continued to be used for navigation, and for the natural food resources it provided. At Menokin, traces of tobacco rolling roads can still be seen today. These roads were built to haul hogsheads of tobacco down to the boat landing at Menokin Bay, where a barge would haul exports down the creek to the port of Hobbs Hole on the Rappahannock, and onwards to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.
Moncure family on the water
A life on the water is a way of living for many in this region. The water is always active with Watermen tonging for oysters and fishing for catfish, trout, sturgeon and crabs. When off the water, they hunt for waterfowl and the many species that live in this ecosystem, or are busy repairing nets. Boat builders pass on their heritage craft for generations. Everyone knows what white boots are for. At the end of this blog post there is a link to hear an oral history with photographs of the Moncure family pictured above — watermen for generations in the region.
As man industrialized, boat craft advanced from paddles and sails to steamboats and gas power. The Northern Neck used steamboats not only for travel and transportation of commodities, but also as a way to introduce cultural events such as theatre performances at port stops. One of these stops included Port Kinsale, a creek off of the Potomac River. Travel by boat was often illegally segregated but resistance continued as African Americans continually had to fight for their rights for equality. Two museums in the Northern Neck preserve this history, The Morattico Museum and The Steamboat Era Museum.
Over time, however, the Bay region could not replenish and cleanse itself of manmade pollution and abuse. Oysters, which thrive in these waters also act as water purifiers, but overfishing reduced their ability to replenish. Chemical farming and DDT heavily polluted the waters. By the second half of the 20th century, drastic changes were required to restore this ecosystem. The American symbol, the bald eagle, was being placed on the Endangered Species list because we had poisoned its habitat. The indigenous practices of reciprocity needed to return.
With great efforts and perseverance from community legislators, The Clean Water Act and the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act were passed. Fifty years later, we now have healthy waters and one of the largest nesting areas of bald eagles in North America. Bald eagles nest along Cat Point Creek today. Last week as I paddled, I watched one pluck a fish from the creek and deliver it to a baby eaglet in a nearby nest. As a National Historic Landmark, representing a signer of the Declaration of Independence, that’s a mighty fine way to end a day.