Virginia

Virginia has more shipwrecks than any other state in the continental United States. With 112 miles of Atlantic coast, Virginia includes almost half of the Chesapeake Bay and many major tributaries: the Lynnhaven River, the Elizabeth River, the James River, the York River, and the Rappahannock River. Since the Jamestown settlement in 1607, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of military and merchant vessels have sailed through "the Capes,'? an important economic lifeline linking the United States to the rest of the world. With 3,315 miles of tidal coastline and natural enemies such as water, fire, wind, age, and human fallibility, countless ships and lives have been lost. Virginia Shipwrecks vividly illustrates their story.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard has a long history that predates the United States of America. Founded in 1767 as the Gosport Shipyard, it has been burned and rebuilt three times, once to prevent it from getting into the hands of the newly independent state of Virginia and twice during the early years of the Civil War. It has been in continuous operation since it was rebuilt after the American Civil War. Specializing in repairing, overhauling, and modernizing ships and submarines, it is the largest industrial facility owned and operated by the US Navy. Historic photographs from the archives of the Navy History and Heritage Command, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Public Affairs Office tell the story of one of the largest shipyards on earth and exemplify what American hands are capable of creating. These images serve as a reminder of the past for those who were stationed or worked at the shipyard, preserving history for future generations.

The deadrise and cross-planked bottom style of boatbuilding started on Chesapeake Bay in the 1880s, when builders of wooden boats began to shift away from constructing vessels out of logs and into using planks to create hulls with a V-shaped bottom. Marine historian Howard I. Chapelle says that the style started in the North and Deep South (on the Gulf of Mexico)--but was not popular in those areas--before coming to Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay's choppy, shoal water conditions were ideal for a shoal draft, V-bottom style of boat. The availability of good wood, a dynamic cottage industry that grew, and diverse inshore fisheries that supported a bay-wide fleet all encouraged demand for various sizes of wooden deadrise boats on the bay. Over time, the hull style became so popular that in 1985, the State of Maryland named the deadrise and cross-planked sailing skipjack as Maryland's state boat, and Virginia's legislature named the motor-powered classic deadrise style as the state boat of Virginia.

Richmond, Virginia, located on the banks of the James River, developed into a major port by the mid-19th century. The city became the shipping point for flour, livestock, vegetables, tobacco, coal, and ironworks. During this period, the James River and Kanawha Company developed a canal system that was highlighted with the construction of five large stone locks, completing the canal connection to the city dock area. Coinciding with development of the city's canal system, industry followed, and by the very early 1800s, large flour mills dotted the city, replacing older, smaller-scale grist mills. This new wealth helped other industries prosper, including cotton and woolen mills, as well as tobacco factories and iron foundries. The looming Civil War had a tremendous impact on Richmond's waterfront activity. With the eventful fall of Richmond to the Union forces, the major port was destroyed by fire. Following the Civil War, the city and industry were rebuilt but the four milling empires never reached the zenith they previously attained. As business for the city gradually began to increase in the late 1800s, increasing consolidation of port activity to cities such as Norfolk, Baltimore, and new York eliminated the need for inland travel by water to ship goods. This does not diminish the fact that inland port cities such as Richmond remained vital in the development of the state and burgeoning nation. In Images of America: Maritime Richmond, author Dale Totty has collected 200 archival images that trace the vital role of the port in Virginia's capital city. Totty is a well-known wildlife articst, history enthusiast, and lifelong Richmond resident.

The waters of coastal Virginia swirl with tales both tragic and heroic. Join Virginia Beach native Alpheus Chewning as he recounts harrowing stories of storms at sea, loss of life and fortune and the heroism of the United States Life-Saving Service. Marvel at the blunders and bungles that have plagued the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and learn about the U-boats that lurked off the coast during World War II. Extensively researched and filled with fascinating details, Virginia Beach Shipwrecks is a treasure for sea
lovers of all ages.

For passengers of the steamboat Wawaset, August 8, 1873, began with a pleasant cruise from Washington, D.C., down the Potomac River. As the Wawaset came into sight of a small Virginia landing, fire broke out below decks, and frantic passengers leapt from the flames only to be pulled down by the swift waters. Author Alvin F. Oickle puts a human face to the tragedy as he profiles some of the seventy-five who perished, among them young mother Alethea Gray and six members of the Reed family. With a fast-paced style and firsthand accounts, Oickle masterfully narrates the last run of the Wawaset against the backdrop of a tense post-Civil War society.

During the 1880s, Chesapeake Bay boatbuilders began constructing small wooden open boats, referred to as deadrise boats, out of planks with V-shaped bows. As boatbuilders created larger deadrise boats, decks were installed to provide more work and payload space; these deck boats also had a house/pilothouse near the stern and a mast closer to the bow of the boat. Deck boats were powered by gasoline engines but also utilized sails and wind. From the 1910s to the 1940s, auxiliary "steadying" sails were raised to help steady the boat when encountering adverse seas. More deck boats were built in the 1920s than in any other decade. Over the history of the boats, several thousand worked the bay in the freight business, were used to buy and plant oysters, worked in the bay's pound net fishery, and dredged for crabs and oysters. Approximately 40 boats are left on the bay. A few still work the water. Some have found new life as recreational yachts, and others are education boats owned by museums and nonprofits. In 2004, boat owners formed the Chesapeake Bay Buyboat Association, which holds an annual rendezvous at different ports as a way to educate the public about this unique aspect of Chesapeake Bay maritime history.