Craney Island, Virginia-- Part 1: Origins of the Name and American Revolution and Civil War

 From the September 16, 2020, Virginia-Pilot (Norfolk) "Craney Island has stories to tell" by Robert Hitchings.

In the beginning, Norfolk and Portsmouth shared a small island in the Elizabeth River.  It was named after the birds who nested there.  The problem is that early colonists thought the birds were cranes, but they were actually  white and blue herrons, so it probably should have been called Heron island, but Craney Island stuck.

For years the island was used for primarily agricultural pursuits by farmers, but the Wise family actively raised cows and sheep on it.  Many fishermen used the site to dry their nets.

The island has a long and interesting history.  During the American Revolution, the British Army occupied it and were greatly plagued by smallpox.  During the Civil War, Craney Island became a safe haven for the many runaway slaves who poured into Norfolk after the city fell to Union forces in May 1862.

The biggest military action to occur on the island, however, came during the War of 1812, which I will write about in the next post.

--Brock-Perry