Editing Northumberland County, Virginia (section)

==Reedville, menhaden fishing industry==
[[Reedville, Virginia|Reedville]] is a small village in eastern Northumberland County on the western shore of the [[Chesapeake Bay]]. Reedville is home to the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] [[menhaden]] fishing industry. It is named for Captain [[Elijah W. Reed]] (1827-1888), who is credited with bringing the menhaden fishing industry, and the tremendous wealth that resulted from it, to Reedville—and to Northumberland County in general.

Dozens of [[fish factory|fish-processing factories]], most recently Omega Protein Corporation (successor to Zapata Haynie, Reedville Oil and Guano Company and Haynie Products Company) and Standard Products Company, have dotted the Northumberland coastline near Reedville and adjacent fishing communities.

Today, Omega Protein remains the largest industrial organization in the area. Omega, with a fleet of large oceangoing fish-harvesting vessels, supported by a number of spotter aircraft, is a major industry in the area and on the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern seaboard]]. Menhaden, once caught, are cooked in large mass and processed for further use in various applications, including as a protein additive for poultry feed.

Located at the eastern terminus of [[U.S. Route 360]], Reedville is a popular place to begin fishing charters and trips to [[Tangier, Virginia|Tangier Island]] in the Bay. Reedville is also a tourist destination itself, steeped in the history of the menhaden fishing industry. The Millionaire's Row of [[Victorian Era]] [[mansion]]s and several watercraft of the [[Reedville Fisherman's Museum|Reedville Fishermen's Museum]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].