Accomack County, Virginia

Accomack County is a United States county located in the Eastern edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Together, Accomack and Northampton counties make up the Eastern Shore of Virginia, which in turn is part of the Delmarva Peninsula, bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The Accomack county seat is the town of Accomac.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia was known as "Accomac Shire", until it was renamed Northampton County in 1642. The present Accomack County was created from Northampton County in 1663. The county and the original shire were named for the Accawmack Indians, who resided in the area when the English first explored it in 1603.

As of the 2010 census, the total population was 33,164 people. The population of Accomack has remained relatively stable over the last century, though Accomack is one of the poorest parts of Virginia.

History

Members of an English voyage of exploration landed in the area in 1603, four years before the founding of the Jamestown Colony. Captain John Smith visited the region in 1608. The Accawmacke nation at the time numbered around 2000, and were governed by Debedeavon, a paramount chief called by the English the "Laughing King". He became a staunch ally of the English newcomers, granting them several large areas for their own use.