Relying on historical documents, old newspaper articles and the book Parson of the Islands by Rev. Adam Wallace (published in 1861), I've learned that the most severe winters in documented history of the Chesapeake Bay Islands occurred in the years 1780, 1832, 1864, 1868, 1895, 1917, 1927, 1936, 1938 and 1977.

During each of these chilling winters, the islands were encased in solid ice 15 to 20 inches thick and, in all but a few, the freeze-ups were preceded by heavy snowstorms with drifts piling up to the second floor windows of some island homes (in a few others, they were "only waist high"). All freeze-ups place hardships of various degrees on island dwellers but the will to survive seems to be ingrained in them and they quickly learn to adapt to adverse situations, including changing weather conditions.

Paradoxically, the ice blockades that held the islanders as prisoners during long-lasting freeze-ups also became a means for their survival. Island men used the ice to hunt wildfowl that were abundant in marshy areas difficult to reach by water. The thick ice also provided a welcome pastime for children and young people who skated and played ice games during the day and into the night, skating around bonfires that glowed in the winters' darkness. But the ice brought tragedy as well, when unlucky victims became trapped and exposed to the chilling winds that brought death on the ice.

One of the earliest recorded Chesapeake Bay freeze-ups occurred in 1780 - "The coldest winter ever recorded in the latitude" according to Smith Islander Solomon (Uncle Sol) Evans (b.1760 - d.1852). Uncle Sol recalled; "During the freeze of 1780, one William Saulsbury (who lived on Smith Island) proved to be unfaithful to an island lady whom he had promised to marry, but whose confidence he later betrayed. Out of hurt and anger, the jilted fiancee uttered a curse on her ex-lover. Instantly, Saulsbury seemed to be greatly affected by it, and his personality was never quite the same."

One afternoon during the 1780 freeze, Saulsbury went hunting for wildlife in the company of another islander, Job Parks, Jr. As night approached, the two men left the marshes and turned homeward with their bags of ducks and geese. While crossing a thorofare walking on the ice, Saulsbury broke through an air-hole and plunged into the chilling waters. Job managed to pull him out from the icy crevice and tried hard to escort him for the last mile of the journey home. But the bitter cold proved to be too much, as Saulsbury became exposed to the chilling temperatures and fell to the ice. Parks was unable to revive him and had to leave him there to go seek help. He ran across the ice-hardened creeks and guts, back to his home near the MD/VA boundary at Hog Neck. Unhappily, the extreme cold hampered the search partys' efforts, and Saulsbury wasn't found until the next morning, dead and frozen stiff on the ice. His body was taken to an orchard for burial, where both picks and shovels had to be used to carve out a grave in the hard frozen ground. "After Saulsbury was buried", Uncle Sol said, "a flame of fire was seen lingering over his grave, where it remained glowing through the winter nights in plain view of the islanders who shudderingly regarded it in association with the curse that was placed upon him by his former fiancee."

But the frigid winter of 1780 wasn't quite through with 22-year-old Job Parks. A few weeks after Saulsburys death, Parks was hunting wildfowl alone, across Mister's thorofare, and came into contact with several British Tory sailors from an earthen fort at Kedges Straits (used as a base for raids on American forces). Possibly alarmed by the musket he carried, they pressed him into their fort for questioning. With the surrounding waters solidly frozen and sub-freezing temperatures, the fires in the fort's heating apparatus needed constant stoking to ward off the winter chill. At some point, the "picaroons (Ed. Note: pirates, brigands) need for firewood became urgent and they enlisted Job to leave the fort with them to search for more driftwood. This presented an opportunity for him to put some space between himself and his captors." According to James T. Evans of Smith Island (in testimony to a MD/VA boundary line commission in 1872), the "wily" Job eluded the Tories and streaked out across the frozen Tangier Sound ice in a north-by-northeast direction to Little Deal (Devils) Island. This would be only the first leg of his 30-mile ice journey which would eventually take him all the way south to Tangier Island.

After arriving almost exhausted at the home of an acquaintance on Little Deal Island, Parks warmed up and rested for a couple of days. Then he started out again across the frozen Tangier Sound waters with a sack of supplies on his back. Being careful to stay well away from the Kedges Straits area to avoid any contact with his former captors, Job struck a south-by-southeast course to the mouth of Big Annemessex River, walking on the ice all the way to Flatcap Point on the northern shore of Janes Island. Resting periodically while walking the full length of Janes Island, Job occasionally encountered a startled resident, who no doubt wondered "where in the world" he had come trudging in from. But islanders who knew Job Parks would say, "They wouldn't put anything past him!." He stayed the night at the home of a Janes Islander and, come next morning, was ready to continue on the last leg of his journey to Tangier Island. Time was becoming a factor for Job at this point. With the Bay and Sounds already frozen over for many weeks, he knew that the 1780 freeze could soon begin to thaw and that, if it did, it would make the last part of his journey across the ice very dangerous indeed. Starting out very early in the morning, Parks followed the shoreline of Janes Island south across the Little Annemessex River and on through the marshes of Cedar Island, resting when possible at short intervals, but determined to make it to Feaks (Foxes) Island before nightfall. And he did, finally plodding wearily and very cold up to the home of Sacker and Betty Nelson on Foxes Island. The Nelsons had a young son named Tommy (later known as King) and whether Job knew him at that time is not known, but the two would later become close friends with a lot in common -- They were close to the same age, spent most of their winter time in the marshes hunting wildlife with their muskets, had both been held prisoner by the British and hated them with a passion. Both young men eventually joined with the American forces; Parks with the Captain Henry Miles Somerset Militia in Princess Anne, and Nelson with the Virginia forces in Drummondtown (Accomack County), Colonel Simpson Commanding Officer. After the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the two islanders would participate in running one of the earlier MD/VA boundary lines around 1785, and both of them would live to a ripe old age - about 100 years old.

So, Job gratefully spent that cold winters night with the Nelsons on Foxes Island, savoring a good meal, the fireplace warmth and a good nights sleep on a feather bed. In the morning, he thanked his friends profusely for their hospitality and bid them goodbye, setting out on the ice once again across Tangier Sound toward his destination, Tangier Uppers, five dangerous miles away. The ice was still about 15 inches thick over the shallow waters, but as he reached the 75-foot-deep Sound channel, he came upon a very long crack in the ice, with several feet of open water visible between him and the other side. Fearing he might find a unexpected air pocket or an even longer crevice if he tried to walk around the crack, Job decided to "risk it." He backed up a few yards to get a good running start to make the "leap of his life." He knew that, if he failed to make it across, he would surely freeze to death as his old hunting partner Wm. Saulsbury had just a few weeks earlier. He had made his decision! Determined that he was going to make it, he came running fast as he could and gave a "mighty leap"! It was a close one!! As he landed, one of Job's padded leather boot heels broke off the lip of the ice and fell into the deep water -- but his other foot landed solidly enough to maintain his balance and he safely gained the other side. There were only a few more miles of solid ice between him and his friends on the Tangier Uppers, and the long, long ice journey for Job Parks, Jr. was finally over.