by Earl Swift
Watts was about: My reference to the 1977 cable installation was informed by Mariner, God’s Island, and Don Harrison, “Underwater Cable to Supply Electricity to 2 Bay Islands,” Virginian-Pilot, April 29, 1977. Several islanders, among them Mark “Mooney” Crockett, told me about the gradual exposure of the junction box.
When I return: The weird crab appeared on the Washington Post’s website on June 1, 2017. The story, as picked up by other papers, is available at http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4276610-crab-unlike-any-youve-ever-seen-has-been-pulled-chesapeake-bay (retrieved November 13, 2017). Incidentally, I saw the crab when I visited Ooker’s shanty on June 4, 2017. It died a few hours later. Ooker subsequently froze it.
But aside from that: Carlene offered her prayer on June 4, 2017.
Leon’s woes are compounded: Leon’s mishap on the water and the subsequent Situation Room session described here, including the CNN visit, occurred on June 5, 2017.
The segment airs: The CNN report is preserved at Jennifer Gray, “Rising Seas May Wash Away This US Town,” CNN, June 9, 2017. Video, 5:00. http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/06/09/virginia-island-sea-washing-away-gray-lead-pkg.cnn (retrieved November 13, 2017).
The islanders I speak with: I interviewed Barb Baechtel by telephone on August 25, 2017.
We soon learn: The president’s call came on the afternoon of June 12, 2017. My reconstruction of the conversation is based on Ooker’s account of it to me on June 27, 2017, and numerous news reports—among them Carol Vaughn, “Trump Tells Tangier Island Mayor Not to Worry About Sea-Level Rise,” Daily Times (Salisbury, Md.), June 13, 2017, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/14/trump-tells-tangier-island-mayor-not-worry-sea-level-rise/394688001/; and Travis M. Andrews, “Trump Calls Mayor of Shrinking Chesapeake Island and Tells Him Not to Worry About It,” Washington Post, June 14, 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/06/14/trump-calls-mayor-of-shrinking-chesapeake-island-and-tells-him-not-to-worry-about-it/?utm_term=.9f73153e673e.
Foreign reporters descend: The monologue on Tangier aired on Friday, June 16, 2017. It’s available at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Trump Says ‘Not to Worry’ About Rising Sea Levels,” YouTube, June 17, 2017. Video, 2:11. https://youtu.be/o5AxKZF_xP8 (retrieved December 14, 2017).
This does not go down: The CNN “town hall” aired on August 1, 2017. The segment featuring Ooker is preserved at “Mayor of Disappearing Island Faces Al Gore and Shuts Down Global Warming Claim,” YouTube, August 2, 2017. Video, 2:25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUfARQaVWsI (retrieved November 13, 2017). A longer excerpt can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjvLagal2Wk (retrieved January 5, 2018); Ooker’s segment begins at 1:35.
Instead, he takes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjvLagal2Wk. Al Gore’s joke begins at 4:30.
For the rest: The report is available at Channel 4 News, “America’s Climate Change Refugees Putting Their Faith in Donald Trump,” YouTube, August 11, 2017. Video, 7:14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lk0jYeVENo (retrieved November 13, 2017). It’s worth watching for its depiction of the Situation Room. Lonnie’s comment comes at about 5:40.
Late afternoon, early autumn: My visit to Uppards with Carol Moore took place on October 5, 2017.
Index
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accent, 38, 58, 100
Access Hollywood tape, 322
Accomack County Circuit Court, 202
Accomack County Public Schools, 74
Aces, 67
adoptions of Judith and Ooker Eskridge, 151–53
aging, as topic of Situation Room discussion, 142
alcohol use, 196–97, 198, 281, 283, 287
Alona Rahab, 185, 190–92, 329–34, 337, 348, 349, 350–51, 373
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 196
American Medical Association, 229
American Revolution, 55
Andrews Air Force Base, 372
Anglo-Powhatan Wars, 55
animal rescue, 97–98
Ann Coulter (cat), 99, 224
apathy, 295–96
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S., 171, 221
barge proposal and, 251–52
breakwater proposal, 118–19, 253–54, 258
climate change and, 20–22, 253–54, 256–59
cost-benefit analysis, 253, 270
jetty project, 39, 214, 217–19, 253, 259, 268, 270, 373
North Channel excavation, 211–12
proposal to save Tangier, 256–59, 262–74
arrowheads, 53, 64, 125, 220
Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, 172
Asian swimming crabs, 149
Atlantic Fleet, 115
Atlantic Flyway, 114
August hurricane of 1879, 172–73
Autry, Jean, 269
Baechtel, Barb, 286, 368
Baechtel, Rob, 368
bailers, 343–45
Baltimore Jewish Times, 280
Barcat Skipper: Tales of a Tangier Island Waterman (Chowning), 189
barge project, 251–53, 407n
Battle of Baltimore, 62–63
Bay View Inn, 154, 155–56
Betty Jane, 86, 335, 336, 365
Big Gut, 8, 47, 48, 68, 355
bilge pumps, 343–45, 359
birds and bird life, 31–33, 44, 47, 114, 256, 260–61, 314–15, 363–64
Bishops Head, 118
Black Dye, 36, 50, 203, 262, 290–91
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 65, 114, 118
blue crabs, 6, 26–28, 31, 148–50
fishery and population, 148–50, 299, 316–17
life cycle, 29, 79, 80–82, 149
recent decline, 250–51
Bonanza (TV series), 51
Bonniwell, Sylvia, 286–87
Book of Reports, 240–41
bottlenose dolphins, 95–96
Bowden, Jennifer, 146
breakwaters, 21–22, 118–19, 120–21, 253–54, 258
Brief History of Tangier Island, A (Swain), 169
Brooks, Garth, 74
Brown, Billy, 345, 346–47, 350–51, 355
Bull, John, 85, 263–64, 270–71
busters, 35, 101, 223, 224
“by-catch,” 30
Callinectes sapidus. See blue crabs
camp meetings, 56–57, 68–70
Canaan, 1–5, 18
Moore’s discovery of graveyard, 3–4, 5, 6
Cannon, George “Cook,” 111–21, 126, 239, 242, 281
background of, 117–18
crabbing licenses, 106–8
Crisfield supply trip, 111–16, 118–21
Situation Room discussions, 106–8, 234, 313, 322–23, 365
Trump and election of 2016, 234, 313, 322–23, 367
Cannon, Jody, 106
Canton, 53, 60
Canton Creek, 68
Canton Road, 49
Carpenter, Kenny, 355–56
Carson, Ben, 312
Carter, Jimmy, 214–15
Castelli, Ken, 303
cell phones, 25
Cessna 172, 355–56
Chandler, Jack, 213
Charnock, Annette, 77, 88, 244, 246, 277
background of, 90–91, 92
Daley wedding, 90–91, 92
death of Ed, 353, 354–55
marriage to Ed, 91, 157, 337
Charnock, Brock, 354
Charnock, Charles “Puge,” 290
Charnock, Christine, 136
Charnock, Edward Vaughn “Eddie Jacks,” 157, 337, 340
crabbing and crab, 79–80, 149–50, 290, 341–43
Daley wedding, 91–92
funeral of, 364
lost at sea, 351–53, 358–59
nickname of, 136–37
sinking of boat, 345–48, 349–52
taking on water, 343–45
Charnock, Henrietta, 91, 157
Charnock, Jason, 337–38, 340
crabbing, 337–38, 341–43
distress call, 345, 351, 354–55
rescue of, 351–52, 354–55
sinking of boat, 345–48, 349–52
taking on water, 343–45
Charnock, John Wesley, 141, 238, 286, 287–91
Charnock, Shirley, 155–56
Charnock, Travis, 354
Charnock, Vaughn, 91
Chesapeake Bay
geography, 12–13
geological history, 63–66
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, 22, 252
Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), 14, 116–18, 119, 121, 184–85, 219, 252, 299–301, 317
Chesapeake blue crabs, 6, 26–28, 31, 148–50
fishery and population, 148–50, 299, 316–17
life cycle, 29, 79, 80–82, 149
recent decline, 250–51
Chesapeake House, 50–51, 148, 154, 184, 314, 339
Chesapeake Islands Electric Cooperative, 295
Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane of 1933, 172, 175–77, 318
cholera, 123–24
Chowning, Larry, 189
Christian faith, 195–205, 237–46, 277–82, 296
church split on island, 240–46
Harper’s story, 227–28, 278–79
history on island, 56–58, 68–70, 197–203
marsh crosses, 194
stewardship of bay and, 299–301
Trump and election of 2016, 311–12, 321–23
Virginia Conference and, 240–43
water tower incident, 305–8
Christmas cantata, 339
Christ Our Pilot (Sallman), 335–36
Church, J. W., 227–28, 278–79
Church of England, 56
church revival meetings, 281–82
Civil War, 9, 104, 129, 259
Claudine Sue, 335
climate change, 16–17, 20–22, 254–59, 367, 370–72
“Climate Change and the Evolution and Fate of the Tangier Islands of Chesapeake Bay, USA,” 20–22
Clinton, Hillary, 235, 268, 313, 322
Close, George “Buzzy,” 327–28
CNN, 365–68, 370–72
Coast Guard, U.S., 119, 167, 187
sinking of Henrietta C., 348, 351, 352
Coast Survey, U.S., 67, 112
Cockburn, George, 61–62
Colbert, Stephen, 369
Coleridge, Samuel, 79
College of William and Mary, 328
Condi Rice (cat), 99
Conner, Susan L., 237–74, 270–72
Connorton, C. C. “Bud,” 198–99, 279
Cooper, Anderson, 370–72
Cooper, Caleb, 372
Corps of Engineers, U.S. See Army
Corps of Engineers, U.S.
Costner, Kevin, 279–80
Country Living (magazine), 154
Courtney Thomas, 13–15, 115–16, 135, 230–32, 336
Cow’s Hole, 113
crabs. See also blue crabs
fishery and population, 45, 148–50, 299, 316–17
recent decline, 250–51
reproduction and lifecycle, 29, 79–82, 149
crabbing
of Ed Charnock, 79–80, 149–50, 290, 341–43
grading crabs, 133
history of, 131–32, 170–71
laws and regulations, 37, 45, 100–101, 105–8, 149
licenses, 105–8, 185, 226, 316
limits, 316–17
of Lonnie Moore, 178, 179–84, 185–86, 190–92, 250
of Ooker Eskridge, 10–12, 19, 26–32, 34–35, 82–88, 97–98, 99–101, 128, 139–41, 160, 224, 361–64, 368–69
pricing, 34, 132–33, 135, 183, 361–62
schedules, 41–43
of Woodpecker Eskridge, 32–33, 140, 269, 339, 341, 368–69
crab bisque, 154
crab cakes, 26, 145, 148, 149–50
crab claws, 28, 79–80
crab dip, 146
crabmeat, 31, 148–50
crab traps, 10–12, 28–29, 85, 139–40, 332
history of, 188–90
crab vegetable soup, 145–46
Creedle, L. Wade, Jr., 237
Creedle, Nancy, 72, 73, 76, 237, 240, 245, 352–53
Crippin, Narcissa, 69
Crisfield, 13–15, 22–23, 26, 122–23
Crockett, Allen Ray, 244, 335–36
nicknames, 137
Situation Room discussions, 105, 125, 137, 141–42, 161, 269, 296–97, 313
tattoo, 141–42
Crockett, Bobby, 38–39
Crockett, Danielle, 166, 244, 364
Crockett, Denny “Principal
Denny,” 136, 219, 233, 238–39, 276, 285, 296
Crockett, Denny “Twin Denny,” 136, 166, 364
Crockett, Dewey, 173–74, 215, 237–38, 241, 244, 280, 281
Crockett, Donna, 303
Crockett, Dorsey, 166–67
Crockett, Duane, 155, 173, 215–16, 239–40
corps proposal to save Tangier and, 265, 266
Daley wedding, 88–89
funeral for Ed Charnock, 364
preaching of, 58–59, 195–97, 265, 282, 283–84, 327–28
Virginia Conference and, 242–43
Crockett, Ed, 227, 278–79
Crockett, Eldora, 165
Crockett, Elmer, 137, 189–90, 297
Crockett, Frankie “Tabby,” 136, 248
Crockett, Glenna, 138, 154, 339
Crockett, Hannah, 76
Crockett, Hilda, 50–51, 184, 314, 339
Crockett, James Donald “Donnie,”165–68, 364
Crockett, Jean, 228, 241, 244, 281
Crockett, John, 53–54, 56
Crockett, Joseph, 54–55, 102, 228
Crockett, Lisa, 145–46, 154, 301, 313
Crockett, Mark “Mooney,” 137, 160–61, 314
Crockett, Molly, 113
Crockett, Strickland, 269
Crockett, Thomas “Sugar Tom,” 54–55, 63, 64, 65, 66, 102–3, 104, 124, 169, 387–88n
Crockett, William Asbury, 164, 210
Crockett, William Henry Harrison, 164, 168–69
“crossing over,” 44
Cubaaiti, 319–20
Cynthia Lou, 347
Cyrus, Miley, 76
Daley, Erica Parks, 88–92, 146
Daley, JoAnne, 73, 74, 155, 165, 228–30
Daley, Jordan Wesley, 73–74, 89
Daley, Lance, 155, 229, 230
wedding to Erica, 88–92
Daley, Stephanie Crockett, 89
Daley, Terry, Jr., 155, 229, 230
Daley, Terry, Sr., 228–30
Daley & Son Grocery, 35, 45, 155, 222, 228–30, 287, 314
David B. Nichols Health Center, 298
deadrises, 84
Deal Island, 168–69
deer flies, 15, 44, 96–97
DEET, 44, 125
Devil’s Elbow, 283–84
dialect, 38, 58
Dise, Dean, 347, 348–49
Dize, Dot, 146
dolphins, 95–96
“doubler,” 81, 81n
doublers, 80–81, 101, 362, 363
Dow, Lorenzo, 56
dredging, 21, 120, 171, 212, 258, 260–61, 263–64
Dridge, Karin, 256–57
drugs and drug use, 282–84, 286–91
Eastern Shore, 13, 22, 53, 65, 114, 130
Eastern Shore Railroad, 122
eels, 315
Eldora C., 165–68
election of 2016, 234–35, 267–68, 310, 311–13, 321–23
electricity, 188, 294–95, 297, 363
Elisha and Naaman, 75
Elizabethan English, 38
Elizabeth Kelly, 342, 347
Emmerich, Susan Drake, 299–301
environmentalism, 299–301
Ephesians, 89
EPIRB (electronic position-indicating radio beacon), 348–49
erosion, 16–17, 19, 67–68, 113, 114, 120, 121, 187–88, 209–21, 253–54, 366, 370–71
barge project, 251–53
Eskridge, Allen Dale, 153
Eskridge, Bhagya, 153
Eskridge, Devi, 152–53, 157, 301
Eskridge, Ira, 33, 134
Eskridge, James “Woodpecker,” 97
crabbing, 32–33, 140, 269, 339, 341, 368–69
Washington Post picture, 364
Eskridge, James Wyatt “Ooker,” 24, 358
adoptions of, 151–53
animal rescue and, 97–98
background of, 17
bird life and, 31–33, 314–15, 363–64
childhood of, 33–34
CNN interview, 365–68
CNN town hall, 370–72
courtship and marriage to Judith, 83–84
crabbing, 10–12, 19, 26–32, 34–35, 82–88, 97–98, 99–101, 128, 139–41, 160, 224, 361–64, 368–69
crab die-off, 250–51
crabmeat supplies, 147, 148, 150, 157
education of, 33–34
erosion and sea-level rise, 17, 18–20, 30–31, 112, 370–72
Kayes and, 301, 308
mayoralty of, 17, 18–20, 30–31, 142–43, 264–66, 290
oystering, 335–36
sanitation issues, 125
scraping, 293–94, 297–98
search for Ed’s body, 355–56
shedding tanks, 15, 34–35, 99–101, 132–35, 144, 249–50, 294
Situation Room discussions, 36–39, 42, 137, 142–43, 204, 269
Trump and, 321, 323, 367, 369–70
Eskridge, Joseph, 151, 153, 304
Eskridge, Judith Irene McMann, 32, 195, 250, 339
adoptions of, 151–53
at Fisherman’s Corner, 145–47, 151, 153–54, 157
marriage to Ooker, 83–84
Eskridge, Manjula, 153
Eskridge, Mildred “Mish” Pruitt, 33
Eskridge, Sreedevi, 151–53
Eskridge, Warren, 33–34, 90, 153
Eskridge, Will, 33, 68, 176
Eskridge, William, 33–34, 49
Estep, Tammy, 243
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 255
Evans, Cameron, 178, 179–83, 186, 223–26
Evans, Norwood, 264
Evans, Otis, 313
Facebook, 305–6, 367–68
Facts and Fun: The Historical Outlines of Tangier Island (Crockett), 54–55, 63, 65, 66, 102–3, 104, 124, 169, 387–88n
faith. See Christian faith
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 190
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 302
feral cats, 44–45, 49
ferry service, 304–5
“fetch,” 13
First Amendment, 196
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S., 260
Fisherman’s Corner, 42, 51, 145–51, 153–54, 157