Chincoteague Island Life History Project

The Chincoteague Island Life History Project is collaborative effort undertaken by the Museum of Chincoteague Island and the Chincoteague Island Library. The aims of this project are to preserve the voices and stories of the people of Chincoteague Island. By asking island residents to share the stories of their lives, the project hopes to create an archive that provides deep insight into the culture, heritage, and history of this fascinating barrier island community.

We hope that future generations of scholars, visitors, and especially Chincoteaguers will benefit from hearing and re-telling the stories contained here. From early “Pony Penning” to hunting in the marshes, from making dumplings to wading for clams on a summer afternoon, the personal tales described here are valuable and—in many cases–entertaining.

The Island Library began this project in 2004 as an oral history initiative, led by the late Margot Hunt. The Museum joined the Library in 2014, and together these two organizations worked to film many interviews. COVID brought the project to a grinding halt. Several interviews were never edited into a finished video format. May 2022 brought the revival of the Life History project, this time, led by members of the Museum of Chincoteague Island Life History Committee.  New interviews have been added to the website and editing of the old interviews will begin soon. Life History Videos can be viewed here or on our YouTube channel Museum of Chincoteague Island. Please Subscribe to our YouTube channel and “Like” the videos to help us build a following.

Enjoy the video interviews on this page and the audio interviews on the Chincoteague Island Library’s website. Learn from them, share them, and help us to add to the collection.

Contact the Museum to become a volunteer or to recommend a friend, relative, or even yourself to be interviewed.

museumofci@gmail.com

757-336-6117