Isle of Wight County Museum

With an estimated driving time of two hours between overnight stops today, we had time for to head into the historic town of Smithfield, Virginia to visit the most delightful Isle of Wight County Museum where Teresa enthusiastically greeted us and gave us an overview of this treasury of Smithfield history. Of course when we think of Smithfield, we think of hams, bacon, and hot dogs. So of course the most prized item in the collection is the world’s oldest ham, cured in 1902, on prominent display. Also known as Mr. Gwaltney’s Pet Ham, it’s been featured more than once in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Even older is the world’s oldest peanut, dating to 1890. We appreciated the video (green button above) of the long history of this community just across the river from Jamestown. From the Native Americans who were living here when European settlers arrived through to present times, it’s a great starting point. We are so grateful to Jennifer England, director of the museum for giving us permission to feature the video.