Maryland, My Maryland Part 4

Photo: Tom at
 English Wikipedia

Thank you for joining me on another virtual visit to the beautiful and historic state of Maryland. For those of you who missed the first post in the series can read about the Western Region here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2022/09/maryland-my-maryland-part-3.html.

Today we’re visiting the beautiful Eastern Shore region. Many of my happiest memories are connected to this area of the state that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay (or the eastern side of the Susquehanna River). Nine counties that were created between 1642 and 1867 and named for a queen and various earls or their wives comprise the region. The Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that Maryland shares with Delaware and Virginia. Although the region makes up more than one-third of Maryland’s land, only 8% of the state’s inhabitants live here.

During the colonial and federal periods, the area was developed primarily for agriculture and continues to remain mostly rural. The largest “city” in the region is Salisbury with about 33,500 residents. Because of its location at the head of the Wicomico River, Salisbury became a major trading area early in the state’s history.

Three industries: fishing (especially for shellfish such as blue crab, lovingly referred to as Maryland

Photo: Pixabay/Wen Zhu

Crab by locals), chicken farming, and tourism. With its miles of coastline, the resort town of Ocean City is the hub of the state’s tourism, seeing more than eight million visitors annually. At the end of the three-mile boardwalk, family-owned and operated Trimper’s Rides has hosted theme-park attractions since 1893 when German immigrants Daniel and Margaret Trimper sold everything they had in Baltimore and bought a seaside property.

Every summer, our family would pack up and go to Ocean City for two weeks. My paternal grandparents would also come and always stayed in the condo opposite ours. I watched the 1969 moon landing on a teeny-tiny black-and-white television propped on a tray table in my grandparents' condo.

Pixabay/Lois Szymanski

Ocean City is a popular “jumping off” spot to visit the nearby island of Assateague (any of you read Misty of Chincoteague?). A 37-mile-long barrier island, two-thirds of which is in Maryland and one-third of which is in Virginia, Assateague is home to large herds of feral ponies. Legend has it that the horses are descendants of survivors of a Spanish galleon that sank on its way to Spain during a storm in 1750, however, most scholars believe the animals are descended from domesticated stock brought to the island by farmers to avoid fencing requirements and taxation.

The north-south section of the Mason-Dixon Line forms the border between Maryland and Delaware.

Courtesy of visitcaroline.org

Originally created to lay out the boundaries between four states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia), the line is now known for its demarcation of the North from the South during the Civil War. Crownstones were placed every five miles, but many of the markers are long gone. The reason for the line? A feud about colonial territory between the Penn and Calvert families of England.

Other islands include Janes, Pooles, Kent (another popular tourist destination), Holland, Tizzard, Barren, Bloodsworth, Tangier, Smith (for which the nine-layer cake and state dessert is named), Poplar, and Tilghman (where my husband and I visited as part of our training to become B&B owners). The region has been home to many well-known individuals including author Frank Barth, actress Linda Hamilton, entrepreneur Frank Perdue, and abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman.

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Estelle's Endeavor

Will a world at war destroy a second chance at love?

Estelle Johnson promised to wait for Aubry DeLuca, but then she receives word of his debilitating injuries. Does she have the strength to stand by him in his hour of need?

Aubry DeLuca storms the beaches at Normandy, then wakes up in the hospital, his eyes bandaged. Will he regain his sight? Will the only woman he’s ever loved welcome him home or is he destined to go through life blind and alone?

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Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda is a former trustee for her local public library. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star Spangled Banner fame). Linda has lived in historic places all her life, and is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors. Learn more about Linda and her books at http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com