Clamming in Chincoteague and more ...

By Albert J. Casciero and Bobby Umphlett

It introduces the history of Chincoteague Island and the past and present regional lifestyles of watermen, hunters, trappers, who with ingenuity and hard work took advantage of the unique and plentiful natural resources at hand: oysters, crabs, terrapins, wild game, and of course, clams, to develop a thriving community in what was once a remote

• Language: English
• Publisher: Umpco Technical Services
• Release date: Mar 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9780963382764

Book preview

Clamming

in Chincoteague

and more…

by

Albert J. Casciero

Bobby Umphlett

Dedicated to

Annick and Nancy

Clamming in Chincoteague

and more...

2017 © Southern Cross Press

ISBN 978-0-9633827-5-7

ISBN 978-0-9633827-6-4 (e book)

Table of Contents

Foreword

Brief historical notes on Chincoteague

A documented way of life: Welcome Bobby Umphlett

Clams: What are they?

Where to find and harvest them?

Methods of signing and digging for clams

Commercial harvesting of clams

How to enjoy eating them

Recipes

Places of Interest

On the Way

Interesting/Useful links

Selected Publications

Acknowledgments

Chincoteague Island and surroundings

Foreword

My love affair with Chincoteague Island began during the early 1980’s when we first visited the island to bring our children to a beach. We had recently moved from New York City to Maryland and a co-worker recommended the beach of Assateague National Park for a short family outing.

Our first encounter with Chincoteague was all it took to hook us. After the bustle and hustle of New York, the tranquility and natural beauty of the environment provided an enchanting alternative that allured us. The island was a place almost untouched by the modern, undesirable urban advances that affected many other communities and, at less than 200 miles from our nation’s capital, offered us a convivial and peaceful refuge with myriad opportunities for exploration and enjoyment.

And that was before we began to interact with the locals. We were, at first, surprised by the distinct accent of the older natives and then, their friendly, welcoming, and helpful disposition. It took two rather short visits for us to decide to build a house, establish a part-time home, and become come heres, the moniker applied to inhabitants of the mainland who settle in the island.

But the enchantment did not end there. Chincoteague (as well as much of the southern Eastern shore) does not simple provides a glance to the past: it maintains much of the settlers’ way of life: trapping, fishing, hunting, planting for sustenance, as well as a strong sense of community, helping each other normally, and specially, in times of need.

One offering that still remains available to all is the opportunity to experience nature and enjoy it in all its beauty and also feel its powerful forces. Spending time enjoying outdoors activities with family and friends is a wholesome way not just to remember past costumes and chores of yore, but to actually enjoy them firsthand.

The purpose of this monograph is to introduce the island and guide the reader trough one simple experience as a sample and departing point in the exploration of nature’s bounty and beauty.

Harvesting clams can be a very healthy, rewarding outdoor experience enjoyable by the entire family, the young and old alike. Have fun….

Albert J. Casciero

LOVE Chairs on loan at the Waterfront Park

Moon rise at sunset, Assateague Beach

Brief historical notes on Chincoteague

Perhaps, for many who became aware of Chincoteague, it was by learning about the legendary pony Misty of Chincoteague, a fictional creation of the writer Marguerite Henry, published in 1947, based on the wild ponies that roamed Assateague Island, part of the barrier islands of the Eastern Shore. The book was such instant and great success, that Misty was invited to the American Library Association’s national convention held in Atlantic City in 1984. (See page 103).

Sculpture of Misty at the Waterfront Park

The arrival of ponies to the island ahead of settlers is based on speculation as well as on not well documented facts. It is believed that a Spanish galleon playing the ocean waters off the coast, went aground and sank on the shallows near the island. The galleon’s cargo of horses swan ashore and survived, establishing a breed of small horses. These Chincoteague ponies were later well cared by local residents and the fire department started a tradition that lasts until present day and attracts thousands of visitors every last Wednesday in July to witness the "Pony Swim and Pony Penning", and subsequent public action of a few chosen