Queen's Creek facts for kids

Queen's Creek is a waterway in York County, Virginia. It is located on the Virginia Peninsula, which is part of the Hampton Roads area in southeastern America. The creek starts near the Waller Mill Reservoir in western York County. It then flows northeast across the northern part of the Peninsula and empties into the York River.

Early History: A Fortified Border

In the 1600s, English colonists settled in Jamestown, Virginia. They often had conflicts with the Powhatan peoples, who had lived there for a long time. The colonists were taking more land for farming, especially for growing tobacco as a cash crop to sell. This caused problems with the Powhatan's hunting grounds.

Because of these conflicts, Queen's Creek became important for defense in the 1630s. As early as 1611, colonists thought about building a palisade (a strong fence made of pointed logs) across the peninsula. However, after John Rolfe married Pocahontas in 1614, there was a time of peace with the Native Americans.

Building a Defensive Wall

After a major conflict in 1622, the colonists decided to build the palisade again. In 1623, many settlers were killed in Martin's Hundred, a settlement near Jamestown. Governor Francis Wyatt and his council planned to build a wall between the James and York rivers.

Dr. John Potts helped start this plan. In 1632, he received land near Archer's Hope Creek (now College Creek), which was between the James River and the York River. The Virginia General Assembly then offered land to anyone who would settle between Queen's Creek and Archer's Hope Creek.

In February 1633, the assembly decided that men should build houses and secure the land east of Archer's Hope and Queen's Creek. Work on the palisade began by March 1, 1633.

The Palisade's Purpose

Workers built a palisade about six miles (10 km) long, connecting Queen's Creek to Archer's Hope Creek. Queen's Creek flowed north to the York River, and Archer's Hope Creek flowed south to the James River. These two creeks and the palisade created a barrier from one river to the other. In the middle of this barrier, a settlement called Middle Plantation was built. This settlement later became Williamsburg.

By 1634, the palisade was finished. It helped protect colonists farming and fishing in the lower part of the Peninsula from attacks by Powhatan tribes. Captain Thomas Yonge described it as "a strong palisade" that allowed colonists to have a large area for their cattle. He also said it would "utterly excluded the Indians from thence," meaning it would keep Native Americans out of that area.

After 1644, the Powhatan Confederacy was no longer a threat, and the palisade was not repaired. Most of it disappeared over time. Middle Plantation grew, especially with the help of families like the Ludwells and Colonel John Page. They built nice brick homes and helped establish the brick Bruton Parish Church.

Williamsburg's Beginnings

In the 1690s, Middle Plantation became more important. Reverend Dr. James Blair helped get a royal charter for a new school, The College of William and Mary. The college was built on 330 acres of land bought from Thomas Ballard, near the Bruton Parish Church.

The new college opened in temporary buildings in 1694. The first main building, now known as the Wren Building, was built starting in 1695 and was used by 1700. Today, the college is still on these grounds, next to Colonial Williamsburg.

In 1698, the statehouse in Jamestown burned down. The government moved temporarily to Middle Plantation. Students at the college suggested that the capital should stay there permanently. So, in 1699, Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg. Archer's Hope Creek was also renamed College Creek.

Civil War: Another Defensive Line

In the mid-1800s, during the American Civil War, Queen's Creek and College Creek were used again as parts of a defensive line. This time, the main land defense was further east. Queen's Creek was the northern end of the Williamsburg Line. This line had 14 small forts (redoubts) east of Williamsburg. The main fort, Fort Magruder, was at an important crossroads.

The president of the College of William and Mary, Benjamin S. Ewell, helped design and build these defenses. He became an officer in the Confederate Army after the college closed in 1861.

The Peninsula Campaign

In the spring of 1862, there was fighting in the Williamsburg area during the Peninsula Campaign. This was when Union forces tried to capture Richmond, the Confederate capital. General John B. Magruder led the Confederate defenders. He used clever tricks to make his small army seem much larger. This slowed down the Union army, giving the Confederates valuable time to build defenses around Richmond.

In early May 1862, the Confederates left their first defense line (the Warwick Line) and moved back to the Williamsburg Line. As Union General George McClellan followed, Confederate General James Longstreet and General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry fought at the Williamsburg Line.

At the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862, the Confederates held off the Union forces. The city fell to the Union the next day. However, the Confederates had successfully delayed the Union army long enough for their main forces to reach Richmond's defenses safely. McClellan tried to capture Richmond but failed. The Civil War continued for nearly three more years. Williamsburg was damaged during the Union occupation, which lasted until September 1865.

Modern Times: 20th and 21st Centuries

In the 1930s, the Merrimack Trail was improved and became State Route 168. This road connected western James City County to the eastern tip of the Peninsula, where people could take ferries across Hampton Roads to Norfolk. It helped with traffic as Colonial Williamsburg grew. Route 168 included a bridge over College Creek. Nearby, State Route 132 was built to provide access to Colonial Williamsburg's Visitor's Center. Route 132 also had a bridge over Queen's Creek, a little upstream from Route 168.

In the 1960s, Interstate 64 was built through the area. The bridges over Queen's Creek are some of the largest on the highway in York County. Drivers on I-64 can see the wide creek, nearby wetlands, and waterfowl.

North of Interstate 64, Queen's Creek forms the boundary between two military areas: Camp Peary and the Cheatham Annex section of the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown. Some towns like Magruder, Bigler's Mill, and Penniman were once in this area. However, they were taken over for military development, becoming "lost towns" of Virginia. Many people who lived there moved to nearby places like Grove.

Sources

Publications

• McCartney, Martha W. (1977) James City County: Keystone of the Commonwealth; James City County, Virginia; Donning and Company; ISBN: 0-89865-999-X

Websites