by Tina McCloud
A vanishing part of the region’s culture will be commemorated in a new road marker that honors the Northern Neck Chantey Singers.
The unveiling and dedication will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 26, at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, 504 Main Street, Reedville.
The marker honors the legacy of menhaden fishermen through their traditional work songs called chanteys. Before hydraulic power blocks came into use in the 1950s, predominantly Black crews in long rowboats hauled in—by hand—thousands of menhaden fish in nets called purse seines. The call-and-response harmonies synchronized their movements, built morale and eased the strain of….
