Updated May 30, 2010.
Interviews are from THE ISLANDERS. A publication produced by the Knotts Island Junior Historians at the Elementary School under the guidiance of Faye Freeman. These interviews are from Volume 1 of 1987.
Mrs. Grace Williams. Interviewed by Kelly Williams & Melissa Diane Watts. Story written by Kelly Williams & Melissa Diane Watts. Today people on Knotts Island think nothing of getting in their cars and driving forty miles to Norfolk or Virginia Beach, Virginia to do their shopping. Most people make this hour trip to work everyday. They fail to realize that their grandparents did not have cars to get in and ride to Norfolk in an hour or so. They had to catch a steamboat from Knotts Island to Norfolk, which was an overnight trip. Mrs. Grace Williams, 84, a native of Knotts Island was able to recall her memories and experiences aboard the steamboat, "Currituck", with Missy Watts and Kelly Williams. Kelly is Mrs. Williams' Great—Grandaughter. The "Currituck" docked at the south end of the Island near Mrs. Williams' house. It‘s destination was Norfolk, Virginia. "somewhere near Main Street." It also stopped at Poplar Branch and Great Bridge, which were other areas on the way to Norfolk. Mrs. Williams recalled the capta1n's name as Ernest Ballance. All the freight that was carried from here to Norfolk was brought down here and they took it by a little boat out to "Currituck" boat. Well, there was a dock out there. Mr. Otman Bonney would take the freight and carry the grain or whatever it was, you see, and go from there in his small boat to the "Currituck" boat. The "Currituck" ran all year round. The people of the Island were surely glad of this because of the few transportation opportunities back then. Basically, the "Currituck" was the only transportation available to the people of Knotts Island. You see at that time there was nothing to do on the Island unless you did go on that boat to Norfolk, and that wasn't why I went. I'll tell, I enjoyed it when I did! It‘s not like we go today here and there and anywhere we want. There was no road like we have got now. The people of the Island would cut little pines and they would make something like a bridge in the marsh where a horse could travel, as I just told you, there were no cars. The "Currituck" was a large boat with a deck and staterooms for the long night's trip to Norfolk. The staterooms had small bunkbeds with ladders but no eating quarters. Even though the ride was long, people have said it was a pleasant ride.
Mr. Mahlon “Mike" Wade. Interviewed by Jr. Historian Club. Story written by Mary Blackmore. Mr. Mike Wade, 77, and a native of Knottis Island, talked about being on the steamboat for the first time. You didn't go to town like you do now. The first time I ever went to Norfolk, I went on an old steamboat ("Currituck") from the south end of Knotts Island. The steamboat would get here in the morning and it left Norfolk at night time. The steamboat would get here about four o'clock in the morning. It would put off the freight and passengers. Then it would go on to Poplar Branch, farther down the sound, take care of it's business down there, and come back just before night. It would pick up the passengers and anything that you had to send to Norfolk; the boat would pick it up that night. It made that run twice a week. Our class had heard a story about the wheel falling off the steamboat. We asked Mr. Wade if he knew about this. He said he was not on the steamboat when this happened, but he had heard stories about it too. When the wheel supposedly fell off, Lundy Cason was the one who tried to find it. Mike Wade said Lundy Cason was supposed to be the best swimmer around. It cost around a dollar and a quarter to ride the steamboat. That was a lot of money back then. Mr. Mike Wade remembered when you could go from Knotts Island to Norfolk in a horse and cart. You would have to travel the road that went through the marsh. You had no trouble trying to sell stuff in Norfolk in them days. If I had a horse and cart, I would let it be known that I was going to town on Wednesday and the word would get out to Knotts Island. If anyone had something to send to town, I would carry it, and I would get a small percentage of what it sold for. The trip by horse and cart to Norfolk would also be an overnight trip. Well, I heard my daddy say that they'd leave here right after noon, right after they ate dinner. That night they would feed the horse and rest awhile at Nimmo Church (Virginia Beach). They would get in downtown Norfolk, at the old commercial place about daylight the next morning. So that was all night.
Tilford Williams. Interviewed by Mary Blackmore & Wendy Delfenthal. Story by Mary Blackmore, Wendy Delfenthal, and Paul Thorn. The roads on Knotts Island were first build by the people of Knotts Island in 1928-29. The road was built all the way to Knotts Island and the people worked for free. The people of Knotts Island kept the road in good condition. The roads were made of shells from Bergey's Island. Mr. Knapp (Joseph P. Knapp) and Mr. Corey donated a barge when Corey's Ditch was built. The canal was build all the way from Buzzard's Bay to the Currituck Sound. The people of Knotts Island used the barges to go to Bergey's Island to get shells. That is how the roads of Knotts Island were built in the early 1900's. After the steamboat went out of commission and the roads to the Island were hard-surfaced, the next major transportation from Knotts Island to Norfolk was the bus service provided by Norfolk and Southern Corporation. One of the drivers of the bus was Tilford Williams. He is now 68 years old. The bus began providing rides to Norfolk in 1939. The bus route usually started at Creeds, Virginia, and then went to Knotts Island. The route that was usually driven left Knotts Island and it went through Princess Anne Courthouse (Virginia Beach) to Salem Road, and then to Virginia Beach Boulevard to Norfolk, Virginia. Tilford Williams drove the bus once in the morning and once in the afternoon.