Tangier, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Tangier is a town in Accomack County
, Virginia
, United States
, on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay
. The population was 727 at the 2010 census. The tiny island
community has attracted the attention of linguists
because its people speak a unique English Restoration
era dialect
of American English
. Each of the original inhabitants' surnames, many of which are still found on the island, originated in the United Kingdom
.
The first known European explorer of the island was John Smith
. He named Tangier and the surrounding islands the "Russel Isles" after the doctor on board his ship.
In 1670, Ambrose White received a patent for 400 acres (1.6 km²) called an Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The next year White assigned his patent to Charles and John West. In 1673 William Walton was granted 400 acres (1.6 km²) on the western island which was formerly patented by White. There is a similar entry in the patent book three years later but Scarburgh and West were the recipients instead of Walton and in 1678 a formal patent was issued to both of them. Charles Scarburgh (often now spelled Scarborough) left his interest to his wife Elizabeth in 1702 and John West’s interest went to his eldest son a year later. In 1713, two patents were granted to Elizabeth Scarburgh and Anthony West for Tangier Islands. One was for 900 acres (3.6 km²) which included the original 400 acres (1.6 km²) and 500 acres (2 km²) more found within its bounds. The other grant was for 170 acres (0.7 km²) of new land south of Tangier called “Sandy Beach Island” which was probably the hook shaped part that is now attached to the main of the island. This was the first time Tangier Islands was named in the records. Although Elizabeth Scarburgh left her interest to her daughters, the title went to her oldest son, Bennett. It then passed to Henry Scarburgh and then to a Charles Scarburgh. In 1762, Charles Scarburgh confirmed an undeeded sale of his half to Colonel Thomas Hall. The next year Hall sold this to William Andrews as 475 acres (1.9 km²).
John Crockett settled the island in 1686. Many of the inhabitants still have the surname Crockett. Pruitt, Thomas, Marshall, Charnock, Dise, and Parks are other common surnames on the island. The population of Tangier was 79 in the 1800 census. By 1900 there were 1064 inhabitants.
The British used the island as a staging area during the War of 1812
; there were as many as 1200 British troops recorded on the island at once. Tangier was used for the failed British assault on Baltimore
, which was the influence for Francis Scott Key
's writing of the "Star Spangled Banner". Many slaves escaped to the British on Tangier and were given their freedom. Some joined the Royal Marines
.
The largest church on the island was established in 1835, and is still on the island today. It is Swain Memorial Methodist Church. The other church is called New Testament, and is a Christian, non-denominational church. The original church on the island was called Bethel, New Site. A bench marking its location is in the graveyard in Canton. It was burned down sometime in the nineteenth century. An old custom once common in America and Britain prevailed into the early twentieth century: families often buried their deceased relatives in the lawns of their homes. This custom was abandoned because of the space limitation of the small yards on Tangier. There are now cemeteries located in the churchyards.
Two recent hurricanes, Isabel
and Ernesto
, flooded much of the island. A few houses have been abandoned while several others are being elevated on new foundations.
called the Lower Eastern Shore. It is made up of many small islands divided by marshes and small tidal streams. The islands are connected by wooden bridges. The main island has three ridges, called Main Ridge, Canton, and West Ridge by the inhabitants. North of Tangier is an island which was abandoned after the stream between the two islands (Oyster creek) became too wide to build a bridge over. This northernmost area is called Uppards, and originally had a neighborhood called Canaan. The only structures left on Uppards are duck hunting lodges from 1928. A few of the homes on Main Ridge were moved from Uppards before flooding became a major problem. Each of the ridges have neighborhoods. On the Northern part of Main Ridge, the neighborhood is called Meat Soup. On the Northern part of West Ridge it is called Sheep's Hill. On the Southern part of Main Ridge it is called Black Dye, and on the Southern part of West Ridge it is called Hog Ridge. Canton in the most Southeastern area of the island and is reached via a bridge from Black Dye. The bridges over the largest channel, called The Big Gut, are, to the South, Long Bridge, then coming North, School Bridge, and the farthest South is Heisten Bridge.
Because of its distance from the mainland, Tangier is very isolated, its nearest neighbors being other islands such as Smith Island
. The only methods of transportation off the island are boats and airplane. There is an airport, open from dawn to dusk. There are two boats that travel regularly from Crisfield
, Maryland
across Tangier Sound to Tangier. Passengers and the mail are carried on these boats. The Courtney Thomas leaves Tangier at 8:00 am, and leaves Crisfield at 12:30 pm. The Steven Thomas, a 300-passenger cruise boat, leaves Crisfield, at 12:30 pm during the summer season from Memorial Day weekend through mid October; departs Tangier at 4:00 pm. In the summer season, the Chesapeake Breeze travels daily from Reedville, Virginia
on the Western Shore, leaving there at 10:00 am, and leaving Tangier at 2:00 pm. The service from Onancock, Virginia
was revived in 2009.
With all of these means of transportation, residents have regular ways of staying in touch with the mainland, and the addition of cable television
keeps them in touch with the rest of the world. There is still a calm, peaceful atmosphere on the island, with only one pay phone, four or five gift shops, a few restaurants, and a hardware store as the only retail establishments. There are no arcades, no drug stores or department stores, no traffic lights, and violent crime is virtually nonexistent. There are three bed and breakfasts for overnight guests, and a wild beach without a boardwalk or concessions. Visitors will need to bring cash since there are no ATM
s on the island. Most of the gift shops, eating establishments, and overnight accommodations have begun to accept credit and debit cards. Attractions include a small museum in the back of Sandy's gift shop and a soft shell crab exhibit next to Wanda's gift shop. Tangier is known for its seafood dishes, especially its soft shell crab sandwiches. These can be found at its restaurants including the Waterfront Restaurant. The most unusual attraction is hearing the unusual and old accent of the watermen. Because of the centuries of isolation, the islanders still speak in a unique island way that is similar to the speech spoken when Tangier was settled in 1686. It is still strong enough some people will not be able to understand everything that is said. Children sell lemonade and Rice Krispie treats and Christmas decorations made from sea shells to the tourists. In the evenings, the playground across from the school is a nice place for children to unwind, or the fifties style, centrally air conditioned ice-cream parlor on Main Ridge, called Spanky's.
There are few places in the United States with more waterfowl. Tangier marshes are home to many birds, including pelican
s, blue heron
s, rail
s, egret
s, several variety of duck
s and geese and osprey
.
Tangier is located at 37°49′33"N 75°59′32"W. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land. The erosion of land by the sea is believed by many residents to threaten the existence of the island.
bing to make a living. Tangier is often referred to as the 'soft shell crab
capital of the world'. Most fishermen catch and sell crabs and oyster
s. North of the island are many free-standing docks not connected to land which fishermen use to hold crabs while they moult
. Oystering is also a major industry. The Island also has a long history of graduates joining the military.
The only industry on the island besides fishing is tourism. During the summer, several cruise ships come to the island each day, allowing passengers to explore and buy goods from the islanders. Two bed-and-breakfast inns can accommodate a limited number of overnight guests. There are several restaurants and gift shops for the tourist-trade. Some residents outfit golf carts with passenger trailers to sell "historical tours" of the island. The roads on Tangier are only wide enough for two golf carts to pass each other. Few cars are present on the island because they are not able to get over the small wooden bridges. Tourists and islanders all get around on golf carts, boats, mopeds, and bikes.
s that inhabit the island.
There is only one school on the island, with fewer than ten children in each grade. The residents were given access to cable television and internet through a new microwave tower
in the spring of 2010. There are phone lines on the island. Two doctors live on the island currently, but practice in Delaware
. David Nichols, treated residents for thirty years piloting a Cessna 182, or Robinson Helicopter for once a week visits. In January 2007, he was profiled by ABC
World News Tonight as its Person of the Week. Nichols died at the age of 62 on December 30, 2010 after a battle with cancer. Four months earlier a new clinic was christened in his name. Emergency patients travel by helicopter to Crisfield or Salisbury hospitals in Maryland. Although the island has one power plant, it is mainly used for emergencies, but is operational. Power comes in from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
of 2000, there were 605 people, 244 households, and 181 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,448.2 people per square mile (932.8/km²). There were 270 housing units at an average density of 1,094.4 per square mile (417.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.50% White and 0.50% African American. In 2006, there are four people from Eastern India, one African American, one Pacific Islander, several people of American Indian extraction. A number of people have familial ties with residents of the Eastern Shore of Virginia
.
There were 244 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,607, and the median income for a family was $28,636. Males had a median income of $19,167 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,042. About 22.6% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.8% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.
Accomack County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 33,164 people, 15,299 households, and 10,388 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There were 19,550 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. The population was 727 at the 2010 census. The tiny island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
community has attracted the attention of linguists
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
because its people speak a unique English Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
era dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
. Each of the original inhabitants' surnames, many of which are still found on the island, originated in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
Prior to the arrival of the European colonists to Tangier, it was a summer retreat for the Pocomoke Indians for centuries. Although not much is known about these people, their existence is evidenced by the thousands of stone arrow heads that have been found all over the island. Almost any morning after gale force winds have been blowing all night, new arrow heads can be found on the beach, uncovered by the blowing away of sand. The discovery of an ancient oyster midden offshore, thousands of years old, consisting of a huge pile of shells which could only have been deposited by humans, is further evidence that there was a regular population on Tangier, at least in the warm part of the year, long before it had an English name. The enormous amounts of arrow heads and spear points found here suggest the island probably was much larger than recorded history can verify, and home to many animal species.The first known European explorer of the island was John Smith
John Smith of Jamestown
Captain John Smith Admiral of New England was an English soldier, explorer, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Bathory, Prince of Transylvania and friend Mózes Székely...
. He named Tangier and the surrounding islands the "Russel Isles" after the doctor on board his ship.
In 1670, Ambrose White received a patent for 400 acres (1.6 km²) called an Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The next year White assigned his patent to Charles and John West. In 1673 William Walton was granted 400 acres (1.6 km²) on the western island which was formerly patented by White. There is a similar entry in the patent book three years later but Scarburgh and West were the recipients instead of Walton and in 1678 a formal patent was issued to both of them. Charles Scarburgh (often now spelled Scarborough) left his interest to his wife Elizabeth in 1702 and John West’s interest went to his eldest son a year later. In 1713, two patents were granted to Elizabeth Scarburgh and Anthony West for Tangier Islands. One was for 900 acres (3.6 km²) which included the original 400 acres (1.6 km²) and 500 acres (2 km²) more found within its bounds. The other grant was for 170 acres (0.7 km²) of new land south of Tangier called “Sandy Beach Island” which was probably the hook shaped part that is now attached to the main of the island. This was the first time Tangier Islands was named in the records. Although Elizabeth Scarburgh left her interest to her daughters, the title went to her oldest son, Bennett. It then passed to Henry Scarburgh and then to a Charles Scarburgh. In 1762, Charles Scarburgh confirmed an undeeded sale of his half to Colonel Thomas Hall. The next year Hall sold this to William Andrews as 475 acres (1.9 km²).
John Crockett settled the island in 1686. Many of the inhabitants still have the surname Crockett. Pruitt, Thomas, Marshall, Charnock, Dise, and Parks are other common surnames on the island. The population of Tangier was 79 in the 1800 census. By 1900 there were 1064 inhabitants.
The British used the island as a staging area during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
; there were as many as 1200 British troops recorded on the island at once. Tangier was used for the failed British assault on Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, which was the influence for Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
's writing of the "Star Spangled Banner". Many slaves escaped to the British on Tangier and were given their freedom. Some joined the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
.
The largest church on the island was established in 1835, and is still on the island today. It is Swain Memorial Methodist Church. The other church is called New Testament, and is a Christian, non-denominational church. The original church on the island was called Bethel, New Site. A bench marking its location is in the graveyard in Canton. It was burned down sometime in the nineteenth century. An old custom once common in America and Britain prevailed into the early twentieth century: families often buried their deceased relatives in the lawns of their homes. This custom was abandoned because of the space limitation of the small yards on Tangier. There are now cemeteries located in the churchyards.
Two recent hurricanes, Isabel
Hurricane Isabel
Hurricane Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. The ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Isabel formed near the Cape Verde Islands from a tropical wave on September 6 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean...
and Ernesto
Hurricane Ernesto (2006)
Hurricane Ernesto was the costliest tropical cyclone of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. The sixth tropical storm and first hurricane of the season, Ernesto developed from a tropical wave on August 24 in the eastern Caribbean Sea...
, flooded much of the island. A few houses have been abandoned while several others are being elevated on new foundations.
Geography
Tangier is located on an island in a part of the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
called the Lower Eastern Shore. It is made up of many small islands divided by marshes and small tidal streams. The islands are connected by wooden bridges. The main island has three ridges, called Main Ridge, Canton, and West Ridge by the inhabitants. North of Tangier is an island which was abandoned after the stream between the two islands (Oyster creek) became too wide to build a bridge over. This northernmost area is called Uppards, and originally had a neighborhood called Canaan. The only structures left on Uppards are duck hunting lodges from 1928. A few of the homes on Main Ridge were moved from Uppards before flooding became a major problem. Each of the ridges have neighborhoods. On the Northern part of Main Ridge, the neighborhood is called Meat Soup. On the Northern part of West Ridge it is called Sheep's Hill. On the Southern part of Main Ridge it is called Black Dye, and on the Southern part of West Ridge it is called Hog Ridge. Canton in the most Southeastern area of the island and is reached via a bridge from Black Dye. The bridges over the largest channel, called The Big Gut, are, to the South, Long Bridge, then coming North, School Bridge, and the farthest South is Heisten Bridge.
Because of its distance from the mainland, Tangier is very isolated, its nearest neighbors being other islands such as Smith Island
Smith Island, Maryland
Smith Island is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. The only methods of transportation off the island are boats and airplane. There is an airport, open from dawn to dusk. There are two boats that travel regularly from Crisfield
Crisfield, Maryland
Crisfield is a city in Somerset County, Maryland, United States, located on the Tangier Sound, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. The population was 2,723 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
across Tangier Sound to Tangier. Passengers and the mail are carried on these boats. The Courtney Thomas leaves Tangier at 8:00 am, and leaves Crisfield at 12:30 pm. The Steven Thomas, a 300-passenger cruise boat, leaves Crisfield, at 12:30 pm during the summer season from Memorial Day weekend through mid October; departs Tangier at 4:00 pm. In the summer season, the Chesapeake Breeze travels daily from Reedville, Virginia
Reedville, Virginia
Reedville is an unincorporated town in Northumberland County in the Northern Neck region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located at the eastern terminus of U.S...
on the Western Shore, leaving there at 10:00 am, and leaving Tangier at 2:00 pm. The service from Onancock, Virginia
Onancock, Virginia
Onancock is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,525 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Onancock is located at ....
was revived in 2009.
With all of these means of transportation, residents have regular ways of staying in touch with the mainland, and the addition of cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
keeps them in touch with the rest of the world. There is still a calm, peaceful atmosphere on the island, with only one pay phone, four or five gift shops, a few restaurants, and a hardware store as the only retail establishments. There are no arcades, no drug stores or department stores, no traffic lights, and violent crime is virtually nonexistent. There are three bed and breakfasts for overnight guests, and a wild beach without a boardwalk or concessions. Visitors will need to bring cash since there are no ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s on the island. Most of the gift shops, eating establishments, and overnight accommodations have begun to accept credit and debit cards. Attractions include a small museum in the back of Sandy's gift shop and a soft shell crab exhibit next to Wanda's gift shop. Tangier is known for its seafood dishes, especially its soft shell crab sandwiches. These can be found at its restaurants including the Waterfront Restaurant. The most unusual attraction is hearing the unusual and old accent of the watermen. Because of the centuries of isolation, the islanders still speak in a unique island way that is similar to the speech spoken when Tangier was settled in 1686. It is still strong enough some people will not be able to understand everything that is said. Children sell lemonade and Rice Krispie treats and Christmas decorations made from sea shells to the tourists. In the evenings, the playground across from the school is a nice place for children to unwind, or the fifties style, centrally air conditioned ice-cream parlor on Main Ridge, called Spanky's.
There are few places in the United States with more waterfowl. Tangier marshes are home to many birds, including pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s, blue heron
Blue heron
Blue heron can refer to:* Little Blue Heron, a small heron* Great Blue Heron, a large wading bird* Blue Heron Lake, Canada* Great Blue Heron Casino, Canada* Blue Heron Estate, Alberta* Blue Heron, Kentucky* Blue Heron Park Preserve, New York City...
s, rail
Rallidae
The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
s, egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, several variety of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s and geese and osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
.
Tangier is located at 37°49′33"N 75°59′32"W. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land. The erosion of land by the sea is believed by many residents to threaten the existence of the island.
Economy
Today, the inhabitants of Tangier rely on crabCrab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
bing to make a living. Tangier is often referred to as the 'soft shell crab
Soft shell crab
Soft-shell crab is a culinary term for crabs which have recently molted their old exoskeleton and are still soft.In the United States, the main species is the "blue crab", Callinectes sapidus, which appears in markets from April to September...
capital of the world'. Most fishermen catch and sell crabs and oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s. North of the island are many free-standing docks not connected to land which fishermen use to hold crabs while they moult
Ecdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
. Oystering is also a major industry. The Island also has a long history of graduates joining the military.
The only industry on the island besides fishing is tourism. During the summer, several cruise ships come to the island each day, allowing passengers to explore and buy goods from the islanders. Two bed-and-breakfast inns can accommodate a limited number of overnight guests. There are several restaurants and gift shops for the tourist-trade. Some residents outfit golf carts with passenger trailers to sell "historical tours" of the island. The roads on Tangier are only wide enough for two golf carts to pass each other. Few cars are present on the island because they are not able to get over the small wooden bridges. Tourists and islanders all get around on golf carts, boats, mopeds, and bikes.
Isolation
Because of the island's isolation, the people's lifestyles are laid-back and "folksy." A few of the older residents stick close to the island and rely on more mobile residents, and occasionally day trippers from the mainland. A near-constant presence is the large number of stray catFeral cat
A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild; the offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.In many parts of...
s that inhabit the island.
There is only one school on the island, with fewer than ten children in each grade. The residents were given access to cable television and internet through a new microwave tower
Microwave transmission
Microwave transmission refers to the technology of transmitting information or power by the use of radio waves whose wavelengths are conveniently measured in small numbers of centimeters; these are called microwaves. This part of the radio spectrum ranges across frequencies of roughly...
in the spring of 2010. There are phone lines on the island. Two doctors live on the island currently, but practice in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. David Nichols, treated residents for thirty years piloting a Cessna 182, or Robinson Helicopter for once a week visits. In January 2007, he was profiled by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
World News Tonight as its Person of the Week. Nichols died at the age of 62 on December 30, 2010 after a battle with cancer. Four months earlier a new clinic was christened in his name. Emergency patients travel by helicopter to Crisfield or Salisbury hospitals in Maryland. Although the island has one power plant, it is mainly used for emergencies, but is operational. Power comes in from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Sports
According to the current Mayor of Tangier, James "Ooker" Eskridge, many island inhabitants were concerned the way of life on the island would change as the result of getting high speed Internet in the spring of 2010. However, he indicated the change was for the better as islanders "developed quite the appetite for streaming sports." Recognizing the impact of sports on the island community, and believing it may be a boost to the island's tourism, the Virginia Tourism Authority (VTA) declared Tangier Island the biggest sports town in America, per capita. Alisa Bailey, a representative of VTA, presented the island with a plaque to commemorate the occasion. This phenomenon became the basis for a commercial for ESPN.Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 605 people, 244 households, and 181 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,448.2 people per square mile (932.8/km²). There were 270 housing units at an average density of 1,094.4 per square mile (417.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.50% White and 0.50% African American. In 2006, there are four people from Eastern India, one African American, one Pacific Islander, several people of American Indian extraction. A number of people have familial ties with residents of the Eastern Shore of Virginia
Eastern Shore of Virginia
The Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties on the Atlantic coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is separated from the rest of Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Its population was 45,553 as of 2010...
.
There were 244 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,607, and the median income for a family was $28,636. Males had a median income of $19,167 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $24,042. About 22.6% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.8% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.