Chincoteague Neighborhoods
1. Up The Neck
The earliest settlers on the island were very clannish. There was little traffic with the mainland and strangers were not cordially welcomed in the community. The northern end of the island became known as "Up the Neck". The name probably came from the fact that the area is long and narrow like a neck.
2. Up The Creek
As the population of the island increased, residents began referring to this northern portion of the island as "Up the Creek". The reference to the creek probably came from the fact that the area runs along Lewis Creek, which is a narrow channel leading from Chincoteague Channel to the Bay.
3. Deep Hole
This was one of the first areas of the island occupied by the early settlers because it was a protected and accesible port from which to work on the water. In the early 19th Century, the land adjoining this deep creek was called "Deep Hole Creek". The creek got its name from a very deep (30 ft.) hole at the midway point of the creek
4. Piney Island
This part of the island was covered with pine trees. It was used for many years for grazing cattle.
5. Chicken City
In the late 1800s, John Thornton, known as the "Butcher" of Chincoteague, lived in this area. After butchering and preparing beef for sale to local residents, he would dispose of the leftover bones and intestines in the nearby swamp and woods to be eaten by the buzzards that were drawn to the odor of the decaying waste. The region became known as "Buzzard Swamp". In the 1940s people began clearing off the land known as "Buzzard Swamp" in order to build chicken houses on it. The poultry industry flourished on the island and nearly 7 million broilers were produced annually by the 1950s. At this time it was called "Chicken City Road".
6. Madcalf Lane
Before there were stock laws on the island, cattle and horses roamed at will. One night a boy was escorting his girl home from church. The couple walked down the dark lane and as the boy started to step over what he thought was a log, a cow reared up and took off with the boy on its back. Since then the lane became known as Madcalf Lane. Today the lane is known as Clark Street.
7. Tick Town
There were many ticks in the woods in this area. Local legend states that if a boy married a girl from Tick Town, he would either do all of the cooking or starve, but he was certain to have one of the prettiest wives in town. The area is known as Willow Street today.
8. Dodge City
This area was given its name during the period when the TV show "Gunsmoke" was on air in the 1960s. A resident in this area often shot his gun like a cowboy. The old name for this area is Bear Claw.
9. Birch Town
There were many members of the Birch family living in this neighborhood.
10. Down the Marsh
This was the name given to the southern end of the island by the earliest settlers.
11. Snotty Ridge
This area was named for kids in the area who would wipe their noses on their shirt sleeves.
Text from this post is from Lillian Mears Rew's book, Assateague & Chincoteague: As I Remember Them.
Looking to rent a bike on Chincoteague?
