Eastern Shore of Maryland
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a territorial part of the U.S. state
of Maryland
that lies predominately on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay
and consists of nine counties. The origin of term Eastern Shore was derived to distinguish a territorial part of the State of Maryland from the Western Shore of Maryland, land west of the Chesapeake Bay. As of 2010, its population was 449,226, with just under 8 percent of Marylanders living in the region.
(or the western border of Harford County); a southern portion of border (Mason-Dixon Line
) of the State of Pennsylvania; the west and south of the borders of the State of Delaware; part of the East coast of the Atlantic Ocean
; and the north border of the Eastern Shore of Virginia
. The Eastern Shore of Maryland is part of the Delmarva Peninsula
.
The counties in Maryland include: Caroline County
, Cecil County
, Dorchester County
, Kent County
, Queen Anne's County
, Somerset County
, Talbot County
, Wicomico County
, and Worcester County
.
On the south, the Calvert-Scarborough Line separates the Eastern Shore of Maryland from that of Virginia. A modern Worcester County highway map (PDF) shows its location. While not exactly where it was laid down in the 17th-18th century, it has moved little once everyone could agree on where Watkins Point, on the western side of the peninsula, is and where the shore of the Bay began (since the bay side peters out into marshes and wetlands).
The northern limit is harder to place.
Some dispute Cecil County as a true Shore county, however, because of the presence of I-95
and related development, proximity to and influence from nearby urban areas such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Wilmington
, Delaware; and the state of New Jersey
, as well as its position straddling the Elk River
— leaving half geographically west of the Shore, if the Elk River is taken as its northern edge.
Land and water both figure in the argument about whether Cecil County is part of the Eastern Shore, and so do man-made features.
Like New Castle County Delaware, Cecil County is crossed by the fall line
, a geologic division where the rockier highlands of the Piedmont
region becomes the coastal plain
, a flat, sandy area that forms the coast. The coastal plain includes the Delmarva Peninsula
and that includes the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The geology of Delmarva is an inseparable part of the Eastern Shore, which has few rocky outcrops south of Kent County, Md.
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal crosses from Back Creek on the Elk River to Port Penn, Del. While it was a shallow canal with locks after its construction in 1829, it was deepened in the early 20th century to sea level, and physically separates the Delmarva Peninsula from the rest of the United States. Maryland, south of the canal, is usually considered the Eastern Shore by residents. (The term "Western Shore
" is less common).
The north-south section of the Mason-Dixon Line
forms the border between Maryland and Delaware. Like the canal, it's a manmade construct, originally marked every mile by a stone, and every five miles by a "crownstone." The line is not quite due north and south, but is as straight as survey methods of the 1760s could make it and is completely artificial.
It was surveyed as a compromise solution to a century-long wrangle between the Penn and Calvert families of England. If the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Bay watershed was taken as the borderline, Delaware would be about half its current size.
Finally, although this has received less attention than other parts of Eastern Shore culture, commercial east-west ties between Delaware towns and Maryland towns were culturally significant in Colonial and Early American periods despite the border line (which largely cut through woods and swamps). Trade with Philadelphia was conducted by overland routes to Delaware towns like Odessa (then called Cantwell's Bridge) and Smyrna (then called Duck Creek). Agricultural products and milled grain were taken up the Delaware River by "shallop men" in small vessels called shallops. These cultural connections continue to this day.
Ocean City
is a modern resort on what was once called the "seaside" or "seaboard side." It is on a long north-south sandspit that is essentially a barrier island.
was granted land (part of Colony of Virginia) in 1629 and named Kent County. In 1631, he sailed north up the Chesapeake Bay
from South and West-side of the Chesapeake to an area known today as Kent Island, Maryland. There he made a fortified settlement that is considered to be the first English settlement within the Province of Maryland
, known today as State of Maryland. Talbot County
, Maryland was formed in 1662. Cecil County
, Maryland was formed in 1674. Wicomico County
, Maryland was formed in 1867, as the 9th and last county.
The first county formed was Kent County
, settled by William Claiborne
in 1631.
Cecil County was created in 1674, by proclamation of the Governor, from eastern portions of Baltimore County and northern portion of Kent County.
The last county formed was Wicomico County, created from Somerset and Worcester Counties in 1867.
was founded on July 4, 1875 when the Atlantic Hotel opened on Assateague Island
. At the time, Assateague Island was continuous from the Delaware state line to well south of Ocean City: the Ocean City Inlet wasn't formed until a hurricane, in August 1933, cut across the south end of the town, although the inlet was cut not by waves sweeping inland, but by 4 or 5 days' worth of freshwater runoff from the coastal creeks running seaward. By 1935, government money had built jetties to make the inlet permanent, dividing Fenwick Island (north)
from Assateague Island (south). Early transportation to the island was by train.
Until the 1820s, travel and commerce between the Eastern Shore and Baltimore were less important than the connections between it and Philadelphia. Water travel by sailboat and steamer linked the Eastern Shore to Baltimore more tightly beginning about 1813, when the first steamboat traveled the Bay. By the 1880s, railroad lines linked the Eastern Shore to Philadelphia and later, Norfolk, Va. by way of a railroad line straight south from Wilmington, to Dover, Delmar, Salisbury, and Cape Charles, Va. Maryland's Eastern Shore was served by branch lines running generally southwest from the main route. See Delmarva Railroad Lines. The Eastern Shore's many branchlines were built after the Civil War by local companies; eventually all were controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (which also bought control of the steamboat and ferry routes); then Conrail; and now Norfolk Southern.
A west-east rail route ran from a ferry terminal at Claiborne, west of St. Michaels, to Ocean City, via the Baltimore and Eastern Shore Railroad
and the Wicomico and Pocomoke Railroad. Travelers could also take a ferry to Love Point on Kent Island, board a Queen Anne's Railroad
train, and travel east to Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Automobile transportation across the Chesapeake Bay was by ferryboat until 1952, when the first Chesapeake Bay Bridge
was opened for traffic.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s developers began selling lots on Assateague Island, south of the inlet. However, a storm on March 6, 1962
destroyed houses, shacks, and roads. The state and federal governments intervened before reconstruction by creating the Assateague Island National Seashore
and Assateague State Park
.
An Eastern Shore Baseball League
operated on three different occasions between the 1922 and 1949. It was a Class D minor league with teams in all three states of Delmarva.
The most populous city on the Eastern Shore is Salisbury, Maryland
and the most populous county is Wicomico County. The Salisbury metropolitan area
is the only metropolitan statistical area and the only Combined Statistical Area
is the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA.
. Currently the entire Eastern Shore is in Maryland's 1st Congressional district
.
Nine-term Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest
was defeated for his party's nomination in February 2008. The 2008 race for Congress was won by Frank Kratovil
, the first Democrat to represent the district in Washington, DC, since 1991, narrowly defeating Republican Andy Harris by less than 3,000 votes. Harris defeated Kratovil in 2010.
spanning over thirty blocks and containing carnival rides and games, restaurants, bars, arcades, and clothing boutiques.
Other tourist destinations include the town of St. Michael's
on a neck surrounded by water; the colonial former port of Oxford
; Chestertown
; and isolated Smith Island
in the Chesapeake Bay. North of Crisfield is Janes Island State Park
, which has camping and kayaking trails through marshlands.
is home to a fishing, crabbing, and seafood processing industry.
, large-scale chicken breeding (Perdue Farms
was founded in Salisbury
, Maryland and is headquartered there today), and tourism
. Tobacco was grown during Colonial times but no longer. The farm economy switched to grain in the second quarter of the 18th century.
; the Chesapeake Bay
; the Susquehanna River
; the Delaware Bay
; the Delaware River
; and the C & D Canal.
The two major highways on the Eastern Shore are U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 50 which meet in Salisbury.
.
Airports for private planes include:
in 1833-1835, 1852 and recently in 1998 for the Eastern Shore becoming its own state. Early proposals encompassed a state of the entire Delmarva Peninsula
. The proposal in 1998 by state Senators Richard F. Colburn
and J. Lowell Stoltzfus
did not specify the status of the nine counties of the Eastern Shore after secession.
are a minor league baseball team who play Class A baseball
in the South Atlantic League
at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium
in Salisbury
, affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles
.
hosts the largest cycling event east of the Mississippi - the Seagull Century; the nation's second largest KCBS barbecue competition - Pork in the Park; and two major Maryland wine and craft beer festivals.
Easton hosts a three day artist event, the Waterfowl Festival every November.
Duck and goose hunting from blinds
is a popular activity using carved wooden duck decoys, which can also be prized works of art.
was filmed on locations at Maryland's Eastern Shore, including the historic Inn at Perry Cabin
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
that lies predominately on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and consists of nine counties. The origin of term Eastern Shore was derived to distinguish a territorial part of the State of Maryland from the Western Shore of Maryland, land west of the Chesapeake Bay. As of 2010, its population was 449,226, with just under 8 percent of Marylanders living in the region.
Geography
The Eastern Shore consists of 9 of the 23 state counties that lie within: the east-side of the major part of the center of the Chesapeake Bay; the east-side part of the center of the Susquehanna RiverSusquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
(or the western border of Harford County); a southern portion of border (Mason-Dixon Line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
) of the State of Pennsylvania; the west and south of the borders of the State of Delaware; part of the East coast of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
; and the north border of the Eastern Shore of Virginia
Eastern Shore of Virginia
The Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties on the Atlantic coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is separated from the rest of Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Its population was 45,553 as of 2010...
. The Eastern Shore of Maryland is part of the Delmarva Peninsula
Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
.
The counties in Maryland include: Caroline County
Caroline County, Maryland
Caroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...
, Cecil County
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, Dorchester County
Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...
, Kent County
Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...
, Queen Anne's County
Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
, Somerset County
Somerset County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Talbot County
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Wicomico County
Wicomico County, Maryland
As of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile...
, and Worcester County
Worcester County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*82.0% White*13.6% Black*0.3% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*3.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.
On the south, the Calvert-Scarborough Line separates the Eastern Shore of Maryland from that of Virginia. A modern Worcester County highway map (PDF) shows its location. While not exactly where it was laid down in the 17th-18th century, it has moved little once everyone could agree on where Watkins Point, on the western side of the peninsula, is and where the shore of the Bay began (since the bay side peters out into marshes and wetlands).
In 1668, Philip (Calvert -ed.)obtained recognition from Virginia of Maryland's claims to what is now Somerset County and actually participated in the survey of the dividing line between the two colonies with the Surveyor General of Virginia, Edmund Scarborough. At about the same time, he negotiated treaties with Lower Eastern Shore Indian tribes who were harassing English settlers. The terms of these treaties established rules of behavior in Indian-English relations that applied to whites as well as Indians, and on the whole, kept peace in the area thereafter.
The northern limit is harder to place.
Some dispute Cecil County as a true Shore county, however, because of the presence of I-95
Interstate 95 in Maryland
Interstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
and related development, proximity to and influence from nearby urban areas such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, Delaware; and the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, as well as its position straddling the Elk River
Elk River (Maryland)
The Elk River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. It is about long, and as the most northeastern extension of the Chesapeake Bay estuary, serves as one entrance to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. It is located in Cecil County, Maryland, with its headwaters extending...
— leaving half geographically west of the Shore, if the Elk River is taken as its northern edge.
Land and water both figure in the argument about whether Cecil County is part of the Eastern Shore, and so do man-made features.
Like New Castle County Delaware, Cecil County is crossed by the fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
, a geologic division where the rockier highlands of the Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
region becomes the coastal plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
, a flat, sandy area that forms the coast. The coastal plain includes the Delmarva Peninsula
Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
and that includes the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The geology of Delmarva is an inseparable part of the Eastern Shore, which has few rocky outcrops south of Kent County, Md.
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal crosses from Back Creek on the Elk River to Port Penn, Del. While it was a shallow canal with locks after its construction in 1829, it was deepened in the early 20th century to sea level, and physically separates the Delmarva Peninsula from the rest of the United States. Maryland, south of the canal, is usually considered the Eastern Shore by residents. (The term "Western Shore
Western Shore
Maryland's Western Shore, not to be confused with Western Maryland, is an area of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay. The term does not identify an official region of Maryland but it is often used in contrast to "Eastern Shore"...
" is less common).
The north-south section of the Mason-Dixon Line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
forms the border between Maryland and Delaware. Like the canal, it's a manmade construct, originally marked every mile by a stone, and every five miles by a "crownstone." The line is not quite due north and south, but is as straight as survey methods of the 1760s could make it and is completely artificial.
It was surveyed as a compromise solution to a century-long wrangle between the Penn and Calvert families of England. If the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Bay watershed was taken as the borderline, Delaware would be about half its current size.
Finally, although this has received less attention than other parts of Eastern Shore culture, commercial east-west ties between Delaware towns and Maryland towns were culturally significant in Colonial and Early American periods despite the border line (which largely cut through woods and swamps). Trade with Philadelphia was conducted by overland routes to Delaware towns like Odessa (then called Cantwell's Bridge) and Smyrna (then called Duck Creek). Agricultural products and milled grain were taken up the Delaware River by "shallop men" in small vessels called shallops. These cultural connections continue to this day.
Ocean City
Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City, sometimes known as OC, or OCMD, is an Atlantic Ocean resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Ocean City is widely known in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is a frequent destination for vacationers in that area...
is a modern resort on what was once called the "seaside" or "seaboard side." It is on a long north-south sandspit that is essentially a barrier island.
Early history
William ClaiborneWilliam Claiborne
William Claiborne was an English pioneer, surveyor, and an early settler in Virginia and Maryland. Claiborne became a wealthy planter, a trader, and a major figure in the politics of the colony...
was granted land (part of Colony of Virginia) in 1629 and named Kent County. In 1631, he sailed north up the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
from South and West-side of the Chesapeake to an area known today as Kent Island, Maryland. There he made a fortified settlement that is considered to be the first English settlement within the Province of Maryland
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
, known today as State of Maryland. Talbot County
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Maryland was formed in 1662. Cecil County
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, Maryland was formed in 1674. Wicomico County
Wicomico County, Maryland
As of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile...
, Maryland was formed in 1867, as the 9th and last county.
Formation and etymology of the counties
- 1642 Kent CountyKent County, MarylandKent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...
-In 1642, the governor and council appointed commissioners for the Isle and County of Kent. This act appears to have led to the establishment of Kent County, name after KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
County, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. - 1661 Talbot CountyTalbot County, Maryland-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
- named for Lady Grace Talbot, the wife of Sir Robert Talbot, an IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
statesman, and the sister of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron BaltimoreCæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron BaltimoreCecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, 1st Proprietor and 1st Proprietary Governor of Maryland, 9th Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland , was an English peer who was the first proprietor of the Province of Maryland. He received the proprietorship after the death of his father, George Calvert, the...
. - 1666 Somerset CountySomerset County, Maryland-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
-named for Mary, Lady Somerset, the wife of Sir John Somerset and daughter of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour. - 1669 Dorchester CountyDorchester County, MarylandDorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...
-Named for the Earl of Dorset, a family friend of the Calverts (the founding family of the Maryland colony). - 1706 Queen Anne's CountyQueen Anne's County, MarylandQueen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
- formed from northern parts of Talbot and southern portions of Kent. Name after Queen Anne of Great Britain who reigned when the county was established. - 1742 Worcester CountyWorcester County, Maryland-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*82.0% White*13.6% Black*0.3% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*3.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
-named for an Earl of Worcester. - 1773 Caroline CountyCaroline County, MarylandCaroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...
- formed from parts of Dorchester and Queen Anne's Counties. The county derives its name from Lady Caroline Eden, wife of Maryland's last colonial governor of Province of MarylandProvince of MarylandThe Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
, Robert Eden. - 1674 Cecil CountyCecil County, MarylandCecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
. - 1867 Wicomico CountyWicomico County, MarylandAs of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile...
.
The first county formed was Kent County
Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...
, settled by William Claiborne
William Claiborne
William Claiborne was an English pioneer, surveyor, and an early settler in Virginia and Maryland. Claiborne became a wealthy planter, a trader, and a major figure in the politics of the colony...
in 1631.
Cecil County was created in 1674, by proclamation of the Governor, from eastern portions of Baltimore County and northern portion of Kent County.
The last county formed was Wicomico County, created from Somerset and Worcester Counties in 1867.
Later history
Ocean CityOcean City, Maryland
Ocean City, sometimes known as OC, or OCMD, is an Atlantic Ocean resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Ocean City is widely known in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is a frequent destination for vacationers in that area...
was founded on July 4, 1875 when the Atlantic Hotel opened on Assateague Island
Assateague Island
Assateague Island is a long barrier island located off the eastern coast of Maryland and Virginia. It is best known for its herds of feral horses, pristine beaches, and the Assateague Lighthouse. The island also contains numerous marshes, bays and coves, including Toms Cove...
. At the time, Assateague Island was continuous from the Delaware state line to well south of Ocean City: the Ocean City Inlet wasn't formed until a hurricane, in August 1933, cut across the south end of the town, although the inlet was cut not by waves sweeping inland, but by 4 or 5 days' worth of freshwater runoff from the coastal creeks running seaward. By 1935, government money had built jetties to make the inlet permanent, dividing Fenwick Island (north)
Fenwick Island, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 342 people, 178 households, and 126 families residing in the town. The population density was 994.5 people per square mile . There were 666 housing units at an average density of 1,936.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 99.42% White, and 0.58%...
from Assateague Island (south). Early transportation to the island was by train.
Until the 1820s, travel and commerce between the Eastern Shore and Baltimore were less important than the connections between it and Philadelphia. Water travel by sailboat and steamer linked the Eastern Shore to Baltimore more tightly beginning about 1813, when the first steamboat traveled the Bay. By the 1880s, railroad lines linked the Eastern Shore to Philadelphia and later, Norfolk, Va. by way of a railroad line straight south from Wilmington, to Dover, Delmar, Salisbury, and Cape Charles, Va. Maryland's Eastern Shore was served by branch lines running generally southwest from the main route. See Delmarva Railroad Lines. The Eastern Shore's many branchlines were built after the Civil War by local companies; eventually all were controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (which also bought control of the steamboat and ferry routes); then Conrail; and now Norfolk Southern.
A west-east rail route ran from a ferry terminal at Claiborne, west of St. Michaels, to Ocean City, via the Baltimore and Eastern Shore Railroad
Eastern Shore Railroad
The Eastern Shore Railroad, Inc. was a Class III short-line railroad that began operations in October 1981 on the 96 mile former Virginia and Maryland Railroad line on the Delmarva Peninsula...
and the Wicomico and Pocomoke Railroad. Travelers could also take a ferry to Love Point on Kent Island, board a Queen Anne's Railroad
Queen Anne's Railroad
The Queen Anne’s Railroad was a railroad that ran from Love Point, Maryland to Lewes, Delaware and was connected to Baltimore via ferry. The Queen Anne's Railroad company was formed in Maryland in 1894, and received legislative authorization from Delaware in February 1895...
train, and travel east to Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Automobile transportation across the Chesapeake Bay was by ferryboat until 1952, when the first Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
was opened for traffic.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s developers began selling lots on Assateague Island, south of the inlet. However, a storm on March 6, 1962
Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 occurred on March 6–8, 1962 along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. It was considered by the U.S. Geological Survey to be one of the most destructive storms ever to affect the mid-Atlantic states...
destroyed houses, shacks, and roads. The state and federal governments intervened before reconstruction by creating the Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island National Seashore is a unit of the National Park Service occupying much of Assateague Island along the Atlantic coast of Maryland and Virginia. It is a barrier island shaped by stormy seas and gentle winds. It lies adjacent to Assateague State Park and Chincoteague National...
and Assateague State Park
Assateague State Park
Assateague State Park is a public beach and state park of Maryland that lies at the northern end of Assateague Island. Reachable via Route 611, across Sinepuxent Bay via the Verrazano Bridge , Assateague State Park offers beaches and campsites to the public for a fee...
.
An Eastern Shore Baseball League
Eastern Shore Baseball League
The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a Class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not consecutive, and featured teams from Maryland,...
operated on three different occasions between the 1922 and 1949. It was a Class D minor league with teams in all three states of Delmarva.
Demographics
Although the Eastern Shore comprises more than a third of Maryland's land area, it has a population of 420,792 (2004 census estimate), about 8% of Maryland's population.The most populous city on the Eastern Shore is Salisbury, Maryland
Salisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
and the most populous county is Wicomico County. The Salisbury metropolitan area
Salisbury metropolitan area
The Salisbury Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties—Somerset and Wicomico—on Maryland's Eastern Shore, anchored by the city of Salisbury...
is the only metropolitan statistical area and the only Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
is the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA.
Government
Though six of the nine counties have a majority of Democratic-registered voters, the shore has supported Republicans in presidential and gubernatorial elections, and sends mostly Republicans to the Maryland General AssemblyMaryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
. Currently the entire Eastern Shore is in Maryland's 1st Congressional district
Maryland's 1st congressional district
Maryland's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maryland. The district encompasses the entire Eastern Shore, including Salisbury, as well as parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties....
.
Nine-term Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest
Wayne Gilchrest
Wayne Thomas Gilchrest is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives who represented . In 2008, the moderate Gilchrest was defeated in the Republican primary by State Senator Andy Harris....
was defeated for his party's nomination in February 2008. The 2008 race for Congress was won by Frank Kratovil
Frank Kratovil
Frank Michael Kratovil Jr., is the former U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He was defeated in his bid for reelection on November 2, 2010. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, the first Democrat to represent the district in Washington, DC, since 1991, narrowly defeating Republican Andy Harris by less than 3,000 votes. Harris defeated Kratovil in 2010.
Tourism
Ocean City has been a tourist destination for Baltimoreans and Marylanders from the Western Shore in general, thus rendering the flavor of Ocean City life unlike that of the rest of the Shore. The skyline, containing many tall hotels and condominiums, is in contrast to the rest of Delmarva. On the southern end of Ocean City is a recreational boardwalkBoardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
spanning over thirty blocks and containing carnival rides and games, restaurants, bars, arcades, and clothing boutiques.
Other tourist destinations include the town of St. Michael's
St. Michaels, Maryland
Saint Michaels is a town in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2000 census. Saint Michaels derives its name from the Episcopal Parish established here in 1677...
on a neck surrounded by water; the colonial former port of Oxford
Oxford, Maryland
Oxford is a waterfront town and former colonial port in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 771 at the 2000 census.-History:Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland...
; Chestertown
Chestertown, Maryland
Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,746 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. The ZIP code is 21620 and the area codes are 410 and 443...
; and isolated Smith Island
Smith Island, Maryland
Smith Island is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in the Chesapeake Bay. North of Crisfield is Janes Island State Park
Janes Island State Park
Janes Island State Park is a state park in the state of Maryland. It is located in Somerset County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay. The park features boat launch, canoe/kayak rental, cabins, camp fire programs, camp sites, camp store, dump station, fishing and crabbing, flat water canoeing and...
, which has camping and kayaking trails through marshlands.
Fishing
At the southern end of the Chesapeake coast of Maryland, the town of CrisfieldCrisfield, Maryland
Crisfield is a city in Somerset County, Maryland, United States, located on the Tangier Sound, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. The population was 2,723 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area...
is home to a fishing, crabbing, and seafood processing industry.
Agriculture
The main economic activities on the Eastern Shore are vegetable and grain farming, seafoodSeafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, large-scale chicken breeding (Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms is a major chicken processing company based in Salisbury, Maryland, United States with annual sales in excess of $4.6B.-Origin and war era:...
was founded in Salisbury
Salisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
, Maryland and is headquartered there today), and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Tobacco was grown during Colonial times but no longer. The farm economy switched to grain in the second quarter of the 18th century.
Waterways
Various waterways provide a medium for commerce and boaters: The Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
; the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
; the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
; the Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
; the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
; and the C & D Canal.
Roads
There are three major routes onto the Shore:- The Chesapeake Bay BridgeChesapeake Bay BridgeThe Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
spans 4.35 miles (7 km) of the Chesapeake BayChesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and at the time of construction was the longest continuous over-water steel structure. A second parallel span was added in 1973 and a third has been discussed, most recently in 2006. A third span will not open, according to state officials, until about 2025. The bridges made Kent IslandKent Island, MarylandKent Island is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay, and a historic place in Maryland. To the east, a narrow channel known as the Kent Narrows barely separates the island from the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the other side, the island is separated from Sandy Point, an area near Annapolis, by...
, site of the first English settlement on the Shore, into a bedroom community for Washington, Annapolis and Baltimore. Kent Island is part of Queen Anne's County. - Route 13U.S. Route 13 in MarylandU.S. Route 13 is a U.S. Highway running from Fayetteville, North Carolina north to Morrisville, Pennsylvania. In the U.S. state of Maryland, the route runs from the Virginia border south of Pocomoke City in Worcester County north to the Delaware border in Delmar, Wicomico County, where the route...
North. - Maryland Route 213Maryland Route 213Maryland Route 213 is a state highway located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the United States. The route runs from Maryland Route 662 in Wye Mills, Queen Anne's County north to the Pennsylvania border in Cecil County, where it continues into that state as Pennsylvania Route 841...
South.
The two major highways on the Eastern Shore are U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 50 which meet in Salisbury.
Airports
The Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport, in Salisbury, is the only commercial airport on the Delmarva PeninsulaDelmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
.
Airports for private planes include:
- Bay Bridge AirportBay Bridge AirportBay Bridge Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Stevensville, Maryland. The airport is named for the nearby Chesapeake Bay Bridge and is mostly used for general aviation....
in Stevensville. - Cambridge-Dorchester AirportCambridge-Dorchester AirportCambridge-Dorchester Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Cambridge, in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
in Cambridge. - Crisfield Municipal AirportCrisfield Municipal AirportCrisfield Municipal Airport is a public airport located from Crisfield in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. Crisfield is located near the center of the Delmarva Peninsula in the heart of Bay Country. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and the Chesapeake Bay just a few miles to the west...
in Crisfield. - Easton Municipal Airport, in EastonEaston, MarylandEaston, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
. - Ocean City Municipal Airport in Ocean City.
Secession
The Eastern Shore has always been a distinctive region, and has several times attempted to split off from the state of Maryland. Proposals have been debated in the Maryland General AssemblyMaryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
in 1833-1835, 1852 and recently in 1998 for the Eastern Shore becoming its own state. Early proposals encompassed a state of the entire Delmarva Peninsula
Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
. The proposal in 1998 by state Senators Richard F. Colburn
Richard F. Colburn
Richard F. Colburn , is a Republican State Senator for District 37 in Maryland. He is married to Alma Colburn and has one daughter, Johanna Colburn.-Background:...
and J. Lowell Stoltzfus
J. Lowell Stoltzfus
J. Lowell Stoltzfus is a Republican Senator, and former Minority Leader, representing Maryland's 38th Legislative District, which covers parts of Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester....
did not specify the status of the nine counties of the Eastern Shore after secession.
Sports
The Delmarva ShorebirdsDelmarva Shorebirds
The Delmarva Shorebirds are a minor league baseball team based in Salisbury, Maryland. They are one of three Single-A affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles and a member of the South Atlantic League. The Shorebirds play at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.The "Shorebirds" name refers to the marine waterfowl...
are a minor league baseball team who play Class A baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium
Arthur W. Perdue Stadium
The Arthur W. Perdue Stadium is a baseball stadium in Salisbury, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Orioles Class A affiliate Delmarva Shorebirds, and was named for the founder of Perdue Farms, Arthur Perdue. It features the Maryland Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame. The stadium seats...
in Salisbury
Salisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
, affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
Cultural
SalisburySalisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
hosts the largest cycling event east of the Mississippi - the Seagull Century; the nation's second largest KCBS barbecue competition - Pork in the Park; and two major Maryland wine and craft beer festivals.
Easton hosts a three day artist event, the Waterfowl Festival every November.
Duck and goose hunting from blinds
Hunting blind
A hunting blind is a cover device for hunters, designed to reduce the chance of detection; ground blinds are an alternative to the traditional Treestand, movements in a well-designed ground blind can virtually be undetectable by the game....
is a popular activity using carved wooden duck decoys, which can also be prized works of art.
Media references
The 2005 film Wedding CrashersWedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Diora Baird, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell....
was filmed on locations at Maryland's Eastern Shore, including the historic Inn at Perry Cabin
Inn At Perry Cabin
The history of the Inn at Perry Cabin dates back to the colonial era and the site of the property was one of the original land grants from the English Crown to the New World....
.
Notables
- Frank "Home Run" Baker – baseball player
- Gilbert ByronGilbert ByronGilbert Valliant Byron was born in Chestertown, Maryland on July 12, 1903. He is known as "The Voice of the Chesapeake, and also referred to as "the Chesapeake Thoreau" because he shares the same birth date with Walden Pond's Henry David Thoreau...
– "Poet of the Chesapeake" - William ClaiborneWilliam ClaiborneWilliam Claiborne was an English pioneer, surveyor, and an early settler in Virginia and Maryland. Claiborne became a wealthy planter, a trader, and a major figure in the politics of the colony...
– first English settler within Maryland - Frederick DouglassFrederick DouglassFrederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...
– abolitionist - Jimmy Foxx – baseball player
- Robert GoldsboroughRobert GoldsboroughRobert Goldsborough was an American lawyer and statesman from Maryland. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress....
– delegate to the Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution.... - Edward Lloyd – delegate to the Continental Congress
- Bill NicholsonBill Nicholson (baseball)William Beck "Swish" Nicholson was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies...
– baseball player - Matthew TilghmanMatthew TilghmanMatthew Tilghman was an American planter and Revolutionary leader from Maryland, who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776.-Early life:...
– delegate to the Continental Congress - Tench TilghmanTench TilghmanTench Tilghman was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary war. He served as an aide de camp to General George Washington, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel....
– aid-to-camp to George Washington - Harriet TubmanHarriet TubmanHarriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; (1820 – 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves...
– the Underground Railroad
Towns and cities
County seats:- DentonDenton, MarylandDenton is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caroline County. Denton is the birthplace of former Delaware governor Sherman W. Tribbitt and author Sophie Kerr, as well as the long time home of former Maryland...
– Caroline CountyCaroline County, MarylandCaroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As... - ElktonElkton, MarylandThe town of Elkton is the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,893 as of the 2000 census and 14,842 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Cecil County...
– Cecil CountyCecil County, MarylandCecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper... - CambridgeCambridge, MarylandCambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,326 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality...
– Dorchester CountyDorchester County, MarylandDorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake... - ChestertownChestertown, MarylandChestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,746 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. The ZIP code is 21620 and the area codes are 410 and 443...
– Kent CountyKent County, MarylandKent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197... - CentrevilleCentreville, MarylandCentreville is an incorporated town in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, United States. Incorporated in 1794, it is the county seat of Queen Anne's County. The population was 1,970 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 21617 and the area code is 410. The local telephone exchange is 758...
– Queen Anne's CountyQueen Anne's County, MarylandQueen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place... - Princess AnnePrincess Anne, MarylandPrincess Anne is a town in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,313 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Somerset County.Princess Anne is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area....
– Somerset CountySomerset County, Maryland-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:... - EastonEaston, MarylandEaston, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
– Talbot CountyTalbot County, Maryland-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:... - SalisburySalisbury, Maryland-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
– Wicomico CountyWicomico County, MarylandAs of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile... - Snow HillSnow Hill, MarylandSnow Hill is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,409 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Worcester County.-History:...
– Worcester CountyWorcester County, Maryland-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*82.0% White*13.6% Black*0.3% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*3.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
See also
- Western ShoreWestern ShoreMaryland's Western Shore, not to be confused with Western Maryland, is an area of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay. The term does not identify an official region of Maryland but it is often used in contrast to "Eastern Shore"...
- Eastern Shore of VirginiaEastern Shore of VirginiaThe Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties on the Atlantic coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is separated from the rest of Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Its population was 45,553 as of 2010...
- Delmarva PeninsulaDelmarva PeninsulaThe Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
- Eastern Shore Baseball LeagueEastern Shore Baseball LeagueThe Eastern Shore Baseball League was a Class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not consecutive, and featured teams from Maryland,...
- WBOC-TVWBOC-TVWBOC-TV, channel 16 , is a CBS affiliate based in Salisbury, Maryland, USA. WBOC-TV is owned by the Draper Holdings Business Trust, with its main studios in Salisbury, secondary studios/office facilities in Dover and Milton, Delaware, and transmitter in Laurel, Delaware...
- WMDT-TV
- Salisbury UniversitySalisbury UniversitySalisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland.According to U.S. News and World Report's 2009 America's Best Colleges index, "In guidebooks and surveys by U.S...
- University of Maryland, Eastern Shore