Richmond's Mayo Island: baseball, floods and music festivals

The history of Richmond’s “Green Jewel of the James River” is as old and assorted as the city itself.

Mayo Island is a relatively small tract of land that rests in the middle of the river. For generations, it served as the connection point between North and South Richmond.

For much of its history, the island remained privately owned but served as a public gathering place.

Some of the earliest mentions in the Richmond Times-Dispatch date to the early 1800s in the form of classified advertisements for $2 “pleasure parties,” which included a dinner service while cruising the river on a steamboat. Later, citizens quick to make a buck advertised the finest construction sand harvested from the island.

It was home to many Fourth of July celebrations and, at one point, was the launching spot f