Additional settlers arrived in Jamestown in January of 1608 which bolstered the population. Chief Powhatan began sending additional food to the colony. 2, 3, 5
Capt. John Smith explored and mapped the length of the Chesapeake Bay and many of its tributaries, including the area now known as Hog Island WMA. These explorations are commemorated by the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and resulted in the generation of maps which were used to guide the development of the region for centuries to come. 3
In Sept 1608, John Smith was elected president and head of the council of Jamestown. While the colony’s conditions did improve under Smith’s leadership they still relied heavily on trade with the nearby Powhatan tribes. When Smith’s diplomacy with the Powhatan did not result in trade, violence often ensued, food was taken, and tribal villages were destroyed. 3, 9
By the end of 1608, the population of hogs which had been released on the south side of the James River following the settlers’ arrival had grown in number from three to sixty. The settlers aptly named the area Hog Island and the first English settlement was erected. 8
