Artwork by Angie Heady
Listen to THE BIVALVE TRAIL on Buzzsprout,
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THE BIVALVE TRAIL is a dramatic podcast series by the Chincoteague Island Theatre Company that was created to tell local stories most people have not heard before.
Researched, written, and narrated by Lexi Hubb, THE BIVALVE TRAIL is a collaboration with Longtayle Studios and the Chincoteague Cultural Alliance.
Researched, written, and narrated by Lexi Hubb, THE BIVALVE TRAIL is a collaboration with Longtayle Studios and the Chincoteague Cultural Alliance.
Thomas Downing circa 1866
Episodes 1-4: Thomas Downing
A deep dive into the fascinating life story of a Chincoteague-area native not widely known, but deserving of great respect and credit for the island's oyster industry success during the 1850s.
An African-American born free in 1791, Downing worked his way to becoming a registered oysterman in nineteenth century Philadelphia and later New York City. By 1835, he owned the most revered and favorited oyster house in all of NYC. Downing was tirelessly involved in social activism and served as a philanthropist of many grass-root causes that fought to bring equity to all free African Americans. He revolutionized the oyster industry and became an international sensation, while never forgetting his Eastern Shore roots.
Episode 5: Painting Pictures with Sound
An interview with sound designer and music composer Bill Troxler describing how he selected the pieces and created the soundscapes used to illustrate Downing's story.
Episodes 1-4: Thomas Downing
A deep dive into the fascinating life story of a Chincoteague-area native not widely known, but deserving of great respect and credit for the island's oyster industry success during the 1850s.
An African-American born free in 1791, Downing worked his way to becoming a registered oysterman in nineteenth century Philadelphia and later New York City. By 1835, he owned the most revered and favorited oyster house in all of NYC. Downing was tirelessly involved in social activism and served as a philanthropist of many grass-root causes that fought to bring equity to all free African Americans. He revolutionized the oyster industry and became an international sensation, while never forgetting his Eastern Shore roots.
Episode 5: Painting Pictures with Sound
An interview with sound designer and music composer Bill Troxler describing how he selected the pieces and created the soundscapes used to illustrate Downing's story.
An Oyster crock from Downing's circa 1835
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Lexi in 2018 standing (according to Google Maps) at 5 Broad Street NYC. Photo credit Justin Aruck.
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A horse-drawn trolley car. The setting for the scene in Episode 3.
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William Major Parker circa 1875
Episode 6: William Major Parker and the Lighthouse
Parker was one of the very few men of color employed by the United States Lighthouse Service. Born in the area of Hampton Roads Virginia, he was appointed to assistant lighthouse keeper at Assateague Lighthouse in 1875. Shortly after another lighthouse, Killick Shoals, was erected on the western side of Chincoteague Island in 1886, Parker was appointed Head Lighthouse Keeper.
Lighthouse Keepers faithfully served their duties to uphold the maintenance of lighthouses so their lights lit up at dusk, night after night. By keeping mariners and sailers safe at sea by aiding their navigation, lighthouses helped the newly-formed United States build a prosperous trade economy and become a world commerce worthy of recognition.
Lighthouses embodied and enabled the revolutionary American dream of being an independent nation.
Parker was one of the very few men of color employed by the United States Lighthouse Service. Born in the area of Hampton Roads Virginia, he was appointed to assistant lighthouse keeper at Assateague Lighthouse in 1875. Shortly after another lighthouse, Killick Shoals, was erected on the western side of Chincoteague Island in 1886, Parker was appointed Head Lighthouse Keeper.
Lighthouse Keepers faithfully served their duties to uphold the maintenance of lighthouses so their lights lit up at dusk, night after night. By keeping mariners and sailers safe at sea by aiding their navigation, lighthouses helped the newly-formed United States build a prosperous trade economy and become a world commerce worthy of recognition.
Lighthouses embodied and enabled the revolutionary American dream of being an independent nation.
Killick Shoals Lighthouse circa 1886
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"He Died on his Knees"
How WM Parker was found on January 23, 1911
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Episode 7: Grace Sherwood, "The Witch of Pungo"
A healer, farmer, and midwife, Grace Sherwood is the only documented person to undergo witch-ducking; a harsh assessment to determine if she was truly a witch. Grace resided in the Colonial Virginia village of Pungo, now a southern part of Virginia Beach. She was wrongfully accused by multiple neighbors of practicing witchcraft when cotton crops failed and livestock died, not unusual events on a farm. Other tests during Grace's investigation were a search of her body for witch's marks and her home ravaged looking for a witch's book. The crucible of Grace Sherwood took place 14 years after the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials; these trials were vastly different from each other because of the people who settled in the areas. Top left photo: A Memorial stone for Grace in the garden of the Old Donation Episcopal Church Bottom left: An artist's rendering of Grace Right photo; The statue of Grace in Virginia Beach |
Sources Used
For Episodes 1-4:
Kurlansky, Mark. The Big Oyster Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks. New York, Random House Trade Paperback, 2006.
"Commending Downing's United Methodist Church on the occasion of its 225th Anniversary." House Joint Resolution No. 142. January 9, 2008.
Downing, George. “A Sketch of the Life and Times of Thomas Downing.” Black Gotham Archive, A.M. E. Church Review, Apr. 1887, http://archive.blackgothamarchive.org/sketchofthomasdowning.html.
“The Civil Rights Bill of 1866.” Historical Highlights, The US House of Representatives, 10 Jan. 2021, history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1851-1900/The-Civil-Rights-Bill-of-1866.
“History of the Streetcar.” BHRA: History of the Streetcar, The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association , www.brooklynrail.net/info_streetcar.html
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “American Anti-Slavery Society.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 28 July 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/American-Anti-Slavery-Society.
Lam, Francis. “How Thomas Downing Became the Black Oyster King of New York.” The Oyster King and the Seagull Test, The Splendid Table, 14 Mar. 2018, www.splendidtable.org/story/2018/03/14/how-thomas-downing-became-black-oyster-king-new-york.
Schulte, David M. “History of the Virginia Oyster Fishery, Chesapeake Bay, USA.” Frontiers in Marine Science, Frontiers in Marine Science, 9 May 2017, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00127.
“The Venerable Thomas Downing - Black Oyster King of New York.” The Oysters My World, 20 Oct. 2014, theoystersmyworld.com/2014/10/20/the-venerable-thomas-downing-black-oyster-king-of-new-york.
“Rare 1800’s Thomas Downing Pickled Oyster Crock.” Black Americana Collectibles, 9 Feb. 2017, blackamericanacollectibles.biz/rare-1800-s-thomas-downing-pickled-oyster-crock-n-y-son-of-black-slaves.html.
Hewitt, John H. “Mr. Downing and His Oyster House: The Life and Good Works of an African-American Entrepreneur.” New York History, vol. 74, no. 3, 1993, pp. 229–252. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23182523. Accessed 4 Dec. 2020.
Korfhage, Matthew. “Thomas Downing: Pearl of Virginia.” Daily Press [Newport News, VA], 16 Feb. 2020, pp. 1–6.
Blue Point Brewing Company. “How New York City Became the Oyster Capital of the World.” Atlas Obscura, 24 Aug. 2018, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/oysters-new-york-city-history-blue-point.
“Worcester County and the Indians Who Had the Land First.” Facebook.Com, Worcester County, MD History. Bob Jones, Coordinator., 14 Sept. 2020, www.facebook.com/groups/Worcester.History.
Episode 6:
Lighthouse Digest. "He Died on His Knees:" The Amazing Story of Lighthouse Keeper William M. Parker. Timothy Harrison and Myrna J. Cherrix. January 2010. http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=3319&fbclid=IwAR0dbeXXnCcQ8cFSeB0UGwwwWz4ojTOj9PAUNlN5dcw_9479gRTi3YKNGI8
Virginia Museum of History and Culture. "Hampton Institute and Booker T Washington." https://virginiahistory.org/learn/historical-book/chapter/hampton-institute-and-booker-t-washington#:~:text=Hampton%20Normal%20and%20Agricultural%20Institute,fifty%20cents%20in%20his%20pocket.
Britannica.com,. "Pendleton Civil Service Act, United States 1883."The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pendleton-Civil-Service-Act
National Park Service. United States Light House Service, "Lighthouse Keepers." https://www.nps.gov/articles/lighthouse-keepers.htm
National Park Service. Maritime Heritage Program. "Historic Lighthouse Preservation Handbook." https://uslhs.org/sites/default/files/attached-files/Historic%20Lighthouse%20Preservation%20Handbook.pdf
Episode 7:
“Grace Sherwood, The Witch of Pungo- Truth and Fiction.” (31 Oct. 2019). History Arch. http://historyarch.com/2019/10/31/grace-sherwood-the-witch-of-pungo-truth-and-fiction/
James, E. W. (1895). Grace Sherwood, the Virginia Witch. The William and Mary Quarterly, 4(1), 18–22. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1916177
“The Grace Sherwood Stone.” Old Donation Church. http://1bob9.blogspot.com/2009/06/the-grace-sherwood-stone.html
‘Trial of Grace Sherwood- The Witch of Pungo.” The Ferry Plantation. https://www.ferryplantation.org/witch-of-pungo
“Witch of Pungo, Grace Sherwood.” (2021, February 1). Colonial Ghosts. https://colonialghosts.com/grace-sherwood-the-witch-of-pungo/
Witkowski, Monica. "Grace Sherwood (ca. 1660–1740)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (22 Dec. 2021). Web.
Kurlansky, Mark. The Big Oyster Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks. New York, Random House Trade Paperback, 2006.
"Commending Downing's United Methodist Church on the occasion of its 225th Anniversary." House Joint Resolution No. 142. January 9, 2008.
Downing, George. “A Sketch of the Life and Times of Thomas Downing.” Black Gotham Archive, A.M. E. Church Review, Apr. 1887, http://archive.blackgothamarchive.org/sketchofthomasdowning.html.
“The Civil Rights Bill of 1866.” Historical Highlights, The US House of Representatives, 10 Jan. 2021, history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1851-1900/The-Civil-Rights-Bill-of-1866.
“History of the Streetcar.” BHRA: History of the Streetcar, The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association , www.brooklynrail.net/info_streetcar.html
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “American Anti-Slavery Society.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 28 July 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/American-Anti-Slavery-Society.
Lam, Francis. “How Thomas Downing Became the Black Oyster King of New York.” The Oyster King and the Seagull Test, The Splendid Table, 14 Mar. 2018, www.splendidtable.org/story/2018/03/14/how-thomas-downing-became-black-oyster-king-new-york.
Schulte, David M. “History of the Virginia Oyster Fishery, Chesapeake Bay, USA.” Frontiers in Marine Science, Frontiers in Marine Science, 9 May 2017, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00127.
“The Venerable Thomas Downing - Black Oyster King of New York.” The Oysters My World, 20 Oct. 2014, theoystersmyworld.com/2014/10/20/the-venerable-thomas-downing-black-oyster-king-of-new-york.
“Rare 1800’s Thomas Downing Pickled Oyster Crock.” Black Americana Collectibles, 9 Feb. 2017, blackamericanacollectibles.biz/rare-1800-s-thomas-downing-pickled-oyster-crock-n-y-son-of-black-slaves.html.
Hewitt, John H. “Mr. Downing and His Oyster House: The Life and Good Works of an African-American Entrepreneur.” New York History, vol. 74, no. 3, 1993, pp. 229–252. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23182523. Accessed 4 Dec. 2020.
Korfhage, Matthew. “Thomas Downing: Pearl of Virginia.” Daily Press [Newport News, VA], 16 Feb. 2020, pp. 1–6.
Blue Point Brewing Company. “How New York City Became the Oyster Capital of the World.” Atlas Obscura, 24 Aug. 2018, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/oysters-new-york-city-history-blue-point.
“Worcester County and the Indians Who Had the Land First.” Facebook.Com, Worcester County, MD History. Bob Jones, Coordinator., 14 Sept. 2020, www.facebook.com/groups/Worcester.History.
Episode 6:
Lighthouse Digest. "He Died on His Knees:" The Amazing Story of Lighthouse Keeper William M. Parker. Timothy Harrison and Myrna J. Cherrix. January 2010. http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=3319&fbclid=IwAR0dbeXXnCcQ8cFSeB0UGwwwWz4ojTOj9PAUNlN5dcw_9479gRTi3YKNGI8
Virginia Museum of History and Culture. "Hampton Institute and Booker T Washington." https://virginiahistory.org/learn/historical-book/chapter/hampton-institute-and-booker-t-washington#:~:text=Hampton%20Normal%20and%20Agricultural%20Institute,fifty%20cents%20in%20his%20pocket.
Britannica.com,. "Pendleton Civil Service Act, United States 1883."The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pendleton-Civil-Service-Act
National Park Service. United States Light House Service, "Lighthouse Keepers." https://www.nps.gov/articles/lighthouse-keepers.htm
National Park Service. Maritime Heritage Program. "Historic Lighthouse Preservation Handbook." https://uslhs.org/sites/default/files/attached-files/Historic%20Lighthouse%20Preservation%20Handbook.pdf
Episode 7:
“Grace Sherwood, The Witch of Pungo- Truth and Fiction.” (31 Oct. 2019). History Arch. http://historyarch.com/2019/10/31/grace-sherwood-the-witch-of-pungo-truth-and-fiction/
James, E. W. (1895). Grace Sherwood, the Virginia Witch. The William and Mary Quarterly, 4(1), 18–22. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1916177
“The Grace Sherwood Stone.” Old Donation Church. http://1bob9.blogspot.com/2009/06/the-grace-sherwood-stone.html
‘Trial of Grace Sherwood- The Witch of Pungo.” The Ferry Plantation. https://www.ferryplantation.org/witch-of-pungo
“Witch of Pungo, Grace Sherwood.” (2021, February 1). Colonial Ghosts. https://colonialghosts.com/grace-sherwood-the-witch-of-pungo/
Witkowski, Monica. "Grace Sherwood (ca. 1660–1740)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (22 Dec. 2021). Web.
