Recollections of Onancock, Part I
In the personal papers of the late Judge S. T. Ross, of Accomac C. H., were recently discovered two articles written in 1901, which told some interesting facts about Onancock of fifty years before that time or about 1850. The first of these is reprinted below:
Onancock of today presents such a different appearance from what it was fifty years ago, that one absent that length of time, returning now without the assistance of a friend, who had kept an eye on the place, would not recognize it as the same. And, although it has not grown apace with many other towns in the State in point of population, has nevertheless kept up a steady growth in all essential ways which make it so desirable as a place of residence.
We recall the names of very few now living who resided in the town when we first knew it as a boy. Among them are Capt. Thomas Johnson, Capt. John Hopkins, Mr. Raymond Riley and Mr. Henry Powell. Capt. Johnson, whom we occasionally meet, though largely advanced in years, for a man of extreme age, appears sufficiently well preserved to remain with his friends several years to come; and, by his proverbial politeness and business rectitude has always commanded the respect and confidence of all who knew him. When we first knew him he sailed a small schooner (pungy) called "California" from Onancock to Baltimore, and was a member of the mercantile firm of Rew & Johnson, which did business in the storehouse then recently vacated by Mr. Henry P. Parker, which stood on the corner now occupied by Wise's drug store.
Mr. John R. Rew, known to many readers, was his partner. There was a lame man in the store also, whose name was John Taylor, but it is not known whether he was a member of the firm or not. Capt. Wm. J. Rew, now of Belle Haven, then a boy, was one of the clerks. Mr. John R. Ayres, who died in 1855, a brother of Wm., and Henry Ayres, of Drummondtown, was also a clerk in the same store.
At that time and for many years subsequent, it was the custom to have large peach orchards on most of the farms in the adjacent community; the peaches were pared (peeled) by the wives of the farmers, with the help of the children and servants at night, and when dried carried to the stores and traded off with the merchants for goods for the family. By the means of which many a good mother clothed her children for a coming winter.
It was on a trip from the farm to the store with dried peaches in the cart that we recall first seeing Capt. Johnson. How long this firm continued in business we do not know, but several years from the time alluded to, we recollect being in a store of his kept in one of the granaries along the shore, very near opposite where Mr. Thomas Taylor, afterwards had saw mill. In fact the whole shore was at that time strewn with grain houses form the foot of [Market] street as far north as vessels could load and there was a wharf opposite each grain house.
Onancock was then as it has been ever since, the principal center of the county for shipping produce by water to Baltimore and other cities on the Chesapeake, and most of the merchants had one or more vessels.
At the time of our earliest recollection there stood near high watermark on the northern side of the yard now occupied by Mrs. Elisha Hopkins, at the foot of King Street, a small, unpretentious storehouse, with a sign over the door "S. Hopkins & Son." This was Captain Stephen Hopkins, the progenitor of the present numerous family of the town, bearing that name.
We heard it said when a boy, that Capt. Hopkins while on a home-voyage from Baltimore was captured by the British during the war of 1812-14, and held as a prisoner for two years; about this, however, we write from hearsay. Capt. Hopkins died about 1871, leaving an honored and honorable reputation behind him of which the older residents of the town will cheerfully bear witness at this day. He also left a large estate, which passing into the hands of his children has steadily increased ever since. The "Son" affixed to the sign over the door of the storehouse, was Capt. Wm. H. A. Hopkins, who died some time during the early eighties, and who succeeded his father as the head of the large business they conducted upon the retirement of the latter about the beginning of the War Between the States. After that the firm assumed the name of Hopkins & Bro., under which it has been doing business in town ever since.
Capt. S. Hopkins and his sons, when we first knew them owned two vessels, "pungies" -- one called "Fashion" the other "Planter." "Fashion" was commanded by Wm. H. A. and "Planter" by his son, John P. L. Hopkins, and these two vessels carried thousands upon thousands of bushels of grain from Onancock to Baltimore and other cities on the bay while sailed by the Hopkins.
About 1853 or 4, while on her return trip from Baltimore the "Fashion" lost a colored man called Jack Snead -- knocked overboard in a storm, Jack had been a sailor on the vessel so long, was so efficient and polite, notwithstanding he was a colored freeman, he was a favorite with the Hopkins family.