Beebe Ranch, home to Misty of Chincoteague, gets its savior as museum completes purchase
It's official: The Museum of Chincoteague Island has signed on the dotted line, finalizing its drive to buy the famed Beebe ranch, home to Misty and so much more Virginia history.
The museum launched its fundraising appeal for purchasing the property after it was learned that after 100 years, the Beebe family needs to move on and sell the famous site. Faced with the possibility of losing the cherished property, the museum stepped in to try and keep it in local hands.
And with a closing date of June 30, the museum made the big announcement of reaching its goal in a celebratory Facebook post.
"Billy Beebe and his sister Barbara Gray said that this truly is a dream come true for them. Selling the Beebe Ranch to the Museum of Chincoteague, protecting it for the future was something that their mother had been talking about many years ago and now it has happened!," the museum said on Facebook.
The museum thanked @realtorbobfaith of Dockside Properties for helping it navigate through the buying process and attorney John Custis for helping to finalize the acquisition.
MORE ON DRIVE TO SAVE BEEBE RANCH: Can Beebe Ranch, famed home of 'Misty of Chincoteague,' be saved? Museum issues appeal
The phenomenon of 'Misty of Chincoteague'
The wild pony Misty rose to fame through the 1947 novel "Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry.
Henry's novel is based on the Beebe family and tells the story of their purchase of Misty and her mother, Phantom, from an auction during Chincoteague Island's annual Pony Penning. In 1961, the story was adapted into the film "Misty," which furthered the legend of both the ranch and the island's big annual pony showcase.
How Pony Penning rose to become a huge hit
Pony Penning, the weeklong celebration in July that includes the pony roundup, swim, auction and swim back, all began in 1925, and really took off with the publication of "Misty of Chincoteague."
The Pony Swim draws all kinds of pony lovers to wade into swamps, climb trees or whatever they have to do to get a glimpse, and they returned in force in 2022 after two years off due to COVID-19.
2022 PONY PENNING PHOTOS: Chincoteague Pony Swim 2022: See the wild horses
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And despite the setback of two virtual years, the related auction has also set records for three years running.
The 2022 auction raised a record total of $450,200 from the auction of 63 ponies, including 10 buybacks, according to a tally posted on the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce and Certified Visitor Center's site.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Chincoteague's Beebe Ranch will be saved as museum finalizes purchase
