Misty of Chincoteague: The Pony Who Made This Island Famous

If you have heard of Chincoteague, there is a good chance a childhood book put it in your head. In nineteen forty seven the writer Marguerite Henry published Misty of Chincoteague, a novel about two children on the island who dream of owning a wild pony. It became one of the most beloved horse stories ever written and was named a Newbery Honor book, the runner up for the top prize in American children's literature.

What made it special is that Misty was real. She was a real foal, born in nineteen forty six at the Beebe Ranch right here on Chincoteague Island. The book's Paul and Maureen were real Beebe children.

Marguerite Henry bought the little pony, kept her for years at her home in Illinois, and eventually returned her to the Beebe Ranch. A movie followed in nineteen sixty one. Misty lived to the age of twenty six, dying in nineteen seventy two, and she was so beloved that she was preserved by a taxidermist and put on display at the island museum, along with her foal Stormy.

In nineteen ninety seven the island unveiled a bronze statue of Misty. For a barrier island fishing village, one small mare turned out to be the best publicist it ever had.