By Amanda Geci Misty was foaled July 20, 1946, on Assateague Island. Her sire was the chestnut tobiano pinto Pied Piper, and her dam was the smokey black tobiano pinto Phantom. Misty was a 12 hand palomino tobiano and sabino pinto with the map of the United States on her side, and a blaze shaped like the state of Virginia. In winter she grew such a thick coat that her markings disappeared. Misty was foaled into the pony herd of Clarence (Grandpa) and Ida (Grandma) Beebe of Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Famed children's author Marguerite Henry visited to Chincoteague in 1946 search for a story for a book. Henry met the Beebe's and wanted to buy Misty to take back to Illinois with her to be the model for the book. Clarence at first refused, but sold Misty after Henry agreed to include their grandchildren, Maureen and Paul, in the book. Misty was sold to Henry for $150, and was shipped to Illinois after she was weaned from Phantom. Misty arrived at Mole Meadow in Wayne, Illinois on November 18, 1946. Misty stayed with Henry for over ten years, appearing for her fans at schools, movie theaters, museums, libraries, and horse shows. Misty shared her barn with Marguerite Henry's horse Friday, a Morgan Horse, and a donkey named Brighty, the model for Mrs. Henry's book Brighty of the Grand Canyon. Misty was sent back to the Beebe's, and to Chincoteague, in 1957 to have her foals. A goodbye party, with over 300 children, 160 adults, and Life magazine in attendance, was held at Mole Meadow. Clarence Beebe died soon after Misty was bred, and Ida Beebe asked their son Ralph to take care of Misty. The first and most famous book, Misty of Chincoteague, was published in 1947. It is centered around Misty, her mother Phantom, and Paul and Maureen Beebe. The book is a best seller, a Newberry Honor Book (1948), won the Lewis Carrol Shelf Award, and has had over twenty hardcover printings. Misty was a member of the American Library Association and attended a ALA convention. A second book, Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteague, was published in 1949. Henry was inspired to write Sea Star after witnessing the death of an orphaned foal while visiting Chincoteague. The third book, Stormy, Misty's Foal, was published in 1963. Stormy, Misty's Foal is about the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, and the arrival of Misty's last foal Stormy. The events in Stormy that happened to Clarence, Ida, Paul, and Maureen in the book actually happened to Ralph and Jeanette Beebe and three of their children, Denny, Billy, and Lee. Misty's barn flooded due to the storm, so she lived in Ralph and Jeanette's kitchen for three days before being moved to Pocomoke City to foal. All of the books are fiction, but are based on real people, ponies, places, and events. Stories about Misty appeared in Life Magazine, June 10, 1957, May 23, 1960, and May 26, 1961. She was also written about in National Geographic, December 1962. A nonfiction book called A Pictorial Life Story of Misty was published in 1976, and told of the real Misty's life with Marguerite Henry. Henry wrote Misty's Twilight in 1992. It is about Misty's great great grandfoal Misty's Twilight, a successful show horse and is also a work of fiction with real elements. Windy of Chincoteague, a small nonfiction book about Misty's first granddaughter Windy, was written in 1987 by Ronald Keiper. A Pony Promise was written in 1996 by Lois Szymanski. The book is fiction, but is based on the true story of Stormy's oldest daughter Windy nursing her half sister Misty II along with her own foal Cyclone because Stormy rejected Misty II. Nightmist the Miracle Pony, by Jessie-Ann Friend, was published in 2005. It is a children's book written about Misty descendant Nightmist. A series of children’s books by Misty family pony breeder Kendy Allen debuted in 2006 called The Ponies of Chincoteague. Misty’s Heart of the Storm about the Misty great great granddaughter of that name, Misty’s Black Mist and the Christmas Parade featuring Misty great granddaughter Misty’s Black Mist and the Chincoteague Drill Team, and A Chincoteague Pony Named Misty III about the newest Misty, have been published in the series. The Forgotten Pony by Jessie-Ann Friend was published in 2007. It is the story of the Misty great grandson Rainy's Boy and his owner Rebecca Stephens. A movie called "Misty" was made in 1960 by Twentieth Century Fox. "Misty" depicted the events in Misty of Chincoteague. Misty herself was not in the movie as she was too old to play the role of a young foal. Three ponies, a suckling, a weanling, and a yearling, played the part of Misty. The suckling was a bay foal named Emma that had her coat bleached to match. The majority of the filming for "Misty" was done on Chincoteague and Assateague. Most of the people in the movie were locals, there were only four professional actors in "Misty". Billy Beebe played "Tommy", and Denny Beebe rode the pony Patches in the movie. The premiere of "Misty" on Chincoteague was in 1961, and Misty was led down Main Street by Ralph Beebe. In front of the Island Theatre, now called Roxy Theatre, Misty put her front hoof prints in the cement, and Marguerite Henry wrote Misty's name in the cement underneath. A children's movie book was published in 1961 called Misty Makes a Movie. The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation was formed by Marguerite Henry and a young Misty fan, Rebecca Guisti, in 1990. The Foundation's mission was to promote reading and to preserve the Misty legend. Money was raised to purchase a small portion of the old Beebe Ranch. Statues of Misty were erected by the Foundation on the small piece of Beebe Ranch they bought, and at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. A Misty time capsule, to be opened in 2046, was buried at Kentucky Horse Park next to the Misty statue. The Misty statue on Chincoteague was moved from the foundation owned Beebe Ranch property to a park on Main Street in the summer of 2006. The land that had been dubbed Misty’s Meadow was sold for development. After Marguerite Henry's death, The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation was mismanaged, mainly by president Peter Stone, and fell apart. While the Misty of Chincoteague Foundation is still in existence, it is now a shell of what it used to be, and is a sad reminder of what could have been. A Foundation website promoting reading was launched in 2009. Misty only had three foals, Phantom Wings, Wisp O' Mist, and Stormy. A chestnut pinto Chincoteague Pony, Wings, sired all three of Misty's foals. Wings got his name because of a pinto marking he had in the shape of wings. Phantom Wings was Misty's first foal and only colt. He was a palomino tobiano pinto with pinto markings of the map of the United States, like his dam, and wings, like his sire. Phantom Wings was foaled on April 6, 1960, and died in 1964. Phantom Wing's name was chosen in a contest sponsored by Misty's publisher. The name was submitted by Carol and Cheryl Costello, twin girls from Wessington Springs, South Dakota. Misty's second, and lesser-known, foal was a solid chestnut filly named Wisp O' Mist, and nicknamed Little Wisp. Wisp was foaled March 21, 1961, and died in 1964. Phantom Wings and Wisp O' Mist tragically both died the same day after they had broken into a cow pasture and got sick off the cow's feed. Misty's most famous foal was depicted in her own book, Stormy, Misty's Foal. She was a chestnut tobiano pinto with a star in the shape of a crescent moon. Stormy was foaled on March 11, 1962 in Pocomoke City, Maryland, and died of old age in Pennsylvania in 1993. Misty and Stormy appeared in theaters and schools to help raise money to replenish the herds on Assateague after the storm. Despite the storm's wrath, Pony Penning was held that year thanks to Misty and her fans. Misty spent the rest of her life entertaining her fans at Beebe Ranch in the care of Ralph and Jeannette Beebe. She lived to know four of her grandchildren. Misty died in her sleep at 9:30 AM on October 16, 1972 at age 26. She was stuffed by Mr. Charles Oxenham of Glen Burnie, Maryland. The Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm became the home of the taxidermied Misty and was displayed at the farm for many years. After Stormy's death in 1993, she was also preserved via taxidermy and put on display at the Pony Farm. Both preserved ponies are currently in the care of the Beebe family, and are on display at Beebe Ranch during the summer. Ralph Beebe died suddenly of a heart attack in December 1973 and the Misty family were suddenly without a home. The Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm owned by Paul and Helen Merritt and their son Greg Merritt became the home of Misty’s family for several decades. Visitors from all over the country and the world visited the farm to see Misty's family up close. Many members of the Misty family were born, died, and were buried at the small farm at the corner of Maddox Boulevard and Deep Hole Road. The Pony Farm and Paul and Greg Merritt, were mentioned in the book Misty's Twilight. In A Pictorial Life Story of Misty the Farm and its famous residents were written about and pictured. Cloudy, Wisp O' Mist's only foal, became famous as he entertained the farm's visitors with the many tricks taught to him by his previous owner, Mr. Ed Clark. Stormy, the famous daughter of Misty spent most of her life at the Pony Farm. Paul Merritt retired in 1990, and started selling off Misty's descendants. The Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm finally closed after Pony Penning 1995. Rainy's gelding son Rainy's Boy was the last Misty descendant to live on the property. In 2004, the famous red barn that housed Misty's family for so many years was torn down after it had stood vacant for several years. When the Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm closed there was no longer a place for Chincoteague Island visitors to see Misty’s family. The Chincoteague Pony Centre has filled that void since its opening in 2000. The Pony Centre is located on Chicken City and its mission is to showcase the Chincoteague Pony. The Centre is run by Misty family Chincoteague Pony breeders Kendy and Keith Allen, most famously known as the owners of Misty II. Misty family and veterans of the pony swim are on display, and the ponies show off their talents in a nightly pony show. The museum has a large collection of Misty memorabilia including pictures, books, model horses, and artwork. Misty's last grandfoal, Misty II, spent her last summer at the Centre and is buried on the property. The Pony Centre is open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Chincoteague Pony Drill Team is associated with and performs at the Pony Centre. The Drill Team was founded in 1998 is the only one made up entirely of Chincoteague Ponies, several of whom are Misty family ponies. Ralph and Jeanette Beebe's son Billy King Beebe has developed the old Beebe Ranch at 3062 Ridge Road into a museum. Beebe Ranch reopened for visitors in 1999, and is continuing to be restored by the Beebe’s. The house's kitchen is where Misty stayed during the nor'easter described in Stormy, Misty's Foal. Old photos, memorabilia, and the preserved Misty and Stormy are on display. The barn with Misty and Stormy's stalls are also on the premises. The house of Clarence and Ida Beebe, illustrated in the Misty books, burned down in April 1996. The property Ridge Road where the famous house once stood has been overtaken by development. Clarence and Paul Beebe died before the birth of Phantom Wings. Paul Beebe died at age 21 in a car accident on Chincoteague in April 1957. Clarence Beebe died in June 1957. Ida Beebe died in October 1960. Clarence, Ida, and Paul Beebe are buried on Chincoteague in Greenwood Cemetery on Bunting Road. Maureen Beebe Hursh lives on Chincoteague. Ralph Beebe died of a heart attack in December 1973. Paul Merritt, owner of the Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm, died in 2005 after a long illness. Helen Merritt is still alive and living on Chincoteague. On November 26, 1997, Marguerite Henry died in her home at age 95 after several strokes. Breyer Animal Creations has immortalized Misty and several of her descendants into models. Misty (#20, 1972-current) and Stormy (#19, 1977-current) are two of Breyer's longest running models. Misty's son Phantom Wings (#29, 1982-1987) and her great great granddaughter Misty's Twilight (#470, 1991-1996) were made into models. The character Sea Star (#16, 1980-1987) was also made into a Breyer. To honor Misty's 50th birthday, Breyer made Misty's last living grandfoal Misty II and two of Misty II's daughters, Black Mist and Misty's May Day Twister (#3350, 1996-1999), into models that were sold as a set. Misty descendant Nightmist had a model horse made after him by the Peter Stone Company in 2003 in a run of 100 models. Misty herself only had three foals, but her descendants are much more numerous. Phantom Wings had only one known foal, Sandpiper, a colt out of Nora. Wisp O' Mist also only had one foal, Cloudy (1964-1990), a palomino gelding. All of the known Misty descendants alive today are descended from Stormy. Stormy had six foals total; palomino pinto stallion Thunder (1967), chestnut pinto mare Windy (1969-1998), chestnut pinto mare Breezy (1972-197?), chestnut Rainy (1973-199?), chestnut pinto mare Misty II (1974-2000), and chestnut pinto mare Foggy Mist (1978-199?). Misty II was the last living grandfoal of Misty when she died of cancer in 2000. Many of Misty's descendants have become successful show horses. The wild ponies of Assateague are not related to Misty. Misty may have left us, but she lives on through her books, her many descendants, and the millions of people around the world who have read, and will read her story. As Ida Beebe was quoted in A Pictorial Life Story of Misty, “Nothing dies as long as there is the memory to enfold it and a heart to love it”. Copyright 2010

Back to History of Misty