Celebrating 400 years of history.... The Town of Tappahannock and Essex County celebrates two anniversaries back to back; 1607-2007 The Founding of Jamestown and 1608-2008 Captain Smith's landing at Tappahannock. Captain John Smith, one of the original tourists to the area, visited Essex during the winter of 1607-08, when he wrote of the "excellent, pleasant, fertile, and goodly navigable" Rappahannock Valley. On his first visit he did not linger. While he was trying to disembark near what is now the county seat of Tappahannock, the Native Americans drove him back to his ship. In 1608, this area was inhabited by the Rappahannock Indians, whose ire Smith raised after he accepted the the hospitality of a rival tribe. Upon approach of the Rappahannock village, Smith was lured into a trap that turned out to be an ambush. After a barrage of arrows, Smith fought back and overcame the Rappahannock, looting the Indian dead and stealing their canoes as they left. Here is an excerpt from his log: " The next morning we went up the river and our friend Mosco followed us along the shore and at last desired to go with us in our boat. But as we passed by Pisacack, Matchopeak and Mecuppom--three towns situated upon high white, clay cliffs, the other side all a low-plain marsh, and the river there but narrow--thirty or forty of the Rapahanocks had so accommodated themselves with branches as we took them for little bushes growing among the sedge, still seeing their arrows strike the targets and dropped in the river; whereas Mosco (Smith's Indian guide) fell flat in the boat on his face, crying "THE RAPPAHANNOCKS!" which presently we espied to be in the bushes; which at our first volley fell down into the sedge. When we were near half a mile from them, they showed themselves, dancing and singing very merrily." Captain John Smith Reenactment Voyage.... This summer 2007 a crew of modern-day explorers, historians, naturalists and educators will endeavor to retrace Captain John Smith's incredible 1608 expedition. Traveling in a 28-foot reproduction of Smith's shallop, and living much as Smith and his men did 400 years ago, the shallop and her crew will spend 121-days voyaging to the headwaters of almost every tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. At more than 20 points along the route, the shallop and her crew will stop for public exhibitions so that people from all around the region can learn about this important episode in the history of the Chesapeake. On August 12, 2007, the John Smith shallop arrived in Tappahannock, Virginia, to  participate in  the commemoration of John Smith's 1608 voyage of exploration. The exhibition located at June Parker Marina on Route 17 North on the Rappahannock waterfront and visitors were able to view the shallop, meet the crew, and explore the traveling exhibit. This event was sponsored by the Essex County Museum. Very little is known about the small open boat or "shallop" that John Smith used to make his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in 1608. Most likely, the vessel was built in England and transported to North America in the hold of the Susan Constant, the flagship of the Jamestown Fleet. Measuring about 30 feet in length and about 7 feet wide, the shallop was too large to travel to the "New World" as a single vessel and was therefore transported in two or more pieces which were reassembled upon arrival in Virginia. During Smith's 1608 voyage on the Chesapeake, the shallop was home to between 13 and 15 men for more than three months. For more information on the Reenactment voyage visit www.johnsmith400.org Check out the Windows Media movie of the Shallop in Tappahannock Photos of the John Smith shallop in the Rappahannock - July 2007 Essex County Museum Essex County Museum is one of the sponsors for the John Smith 2007 Reenactment Voyage and it is also an excellent place to learn of local history. Located at 218 Water Lane in the historic district in Tappahannock. Permanent exhibits displaying artifacts and historical research tell the story of Essex County history from prehistoric times into the twentieth century. Call 804-443-4690 for details. Resources: Retracing John Smith's Voyage fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/Projects/JohnSmith/day2/day2_jump_html The Rappahannock Indians fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/Projects/JohnSmith/day2/day2_jumpstory John Smith Audio Diaries fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/Projects/JohnSmith/day2/Day2_Diary John Smith Biography www.apva.org/history/jsmith.html Virtual Jamestown John Smith Voyages www.virtualjamestown.org/smith_voyages/introduction.html Interactive map of John Smith's voyages www.virtualjamestown.org/smith_voyages/jsmith_voyages.html Jamestown 400 year Anniversary www.jamestown2007.org Jamestown Quadricential www.Americas400thAnniversary.org Jamestown APVA www.historicjamestowne.org Jamestown Live! www.JamestownJourney.org Jamestown Settlement www.historyisfun.org Colonial National Historical Park www.nps.gov/colo/ Web page last updated: September 4, 2007 [Click here to report a correction or new information for this web page]