We asked... (Wallops Island history)

 
Tell me about Wallops Island prior to the U.S. Army establishing a base there. 

Before the U.S. Navy established a base in 1941, Wallops Island was used for grazing livestock and as a hunting and fishing resort. Its history dates back to the 17th century when it was first granted to English surveyor John Wallop. 

Colonial era and early American history

• Grant to John Wallop: The Crown of England granted the island to John Wallop in 1672 (or 1692). The island was then sold and resold several times over the centuries.
• Revolutionary War fort: A small coastal earthwork battery was built on the island during the Revolutionary War, likely to restrict enemy boat traffic. While it did not play a significant role in the conflict, the site remains a rare example of military construction from that period. 

19th and early 20th centuries

• Hunting and fishing club: The Wallops Island Association, Inc., a private club, acquired the island in 1933, though its members had owned the land since at least 1889. The club built a large clubhouse and hotel for its members and their families, who used the island for fishing, swimming, and hunting.
• Livestock grazing: The island's remote location also made it a suitable place for grazing livestock.
• U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard:
  • In 1883, the U.S. Life-Saving Service constructed its first station on the island, but it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1933.
  • The Coast Guard later constructed a new lifeboat station and observation tower in 1936, which it operated until 1947. The station's mission was to rescue sailors and salvage cargo from damaged ships. 

Transition to government control

• Navy expansion during WWII: The U.S. Navy commissioned the 
  Chincoteague Naval Air Station
   in 1941 on the nearby mainland and established the Naval Aviation Ordnance Test Station on Wallops Island itself.
• NACA acquires land: The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor to NASA, leased part of the island from the Wallops Island Association in 1945 to establish a rocket launch site.
• Eminent domain: Following World War II, the federal government took permanent ownership of Wallops Island via eminent domain. By 1950, the resort clubhouse had been claimed by shoreline erosion, and the federal government had relocated the island's wild ponies to nearby Chincoteague. 
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My father's first job after high school was as a dump truck driver on Wallops Island. At that time, the only vehicle assess was the ferry which docked at the end of Pierce Taylor Road near Mappsville. The current bridge wasn't constructed until at least 1960.

Your friend,
Slim