In the decades following the Civil War, Chesapeake Bay became the scene of a life and death struggle to harvest the oyster, one of the most valuable commodities on the Atlantic coast. In this book, noted historian and author John Wennersten tells the stories of watermen, law enforcement officers, government officials, Bay scientists, immigrants, and oyster shuckers involved in the oyster trade. (From the publisher's description)
Though listed in our catalog as fiction, this biography interweaves much truth in its retelling of the life of Alvin "Stack" Wormley, an actual person born in 1912 in the Northen Neck. He worked as a farmer, fisherman, oysterman, in a canning factory and fought in World War II. The author knew and liked this man and set down some of his many conversations with him. After Alvin Wormley's death, John Harding, Jr. interviewed his friends and relatives to better tell the tale of an upstanding, uncommon man.
Ponds, lakes, streams, and, of course, the Rappahannock River—there are lots of places to drop a line in the area. Whether you’re new to fishing or want to wade back in, we have suggestions on where to fish locally and books that will help you get your lines cast and your lures tied.
When I was 14, I walked into the Hazelwood Branch of the Carnegie Library on my way home from Louis Field with my basketball under my arm and changed my life.
