Assateague Island Book - Images of America Series | Historical Photos & Stories | Perfect for Travelers & History Lovers

Assateague, a sandy, marshy, and swamp-like land off the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula, is a paradise to beach lovers, bird watchers, photographers, hunters, and fishermen.The Native American tribes who inhabited the area for generations before the first European colonists found an abundant supply of waterfowl, fish, and shellfish for hunting and fishing; Assateague was patented in 1687, and early settlers farmed, raised livestock, cut timber, and had salt works. The construction of the Assateague Lighthouse in 1833 encouraged the growth of the village, and in 1875, the Us Life Saving Station was established. Between the 1930s and 1960s, villages migrated from the area, lured by amenities on nearby Chincoteague, the effect of land surrounding the village being purchased by the government and the automation of the lighthouse, as well as a number of devastating storms that caused significant damage to the barrier island. The US Fish and Wildlife Service purchased the island in 1943 as a national wildlife refuge, and the national seashore was established in 1965 to preserve Assateague and its surrounding waters.