Garrett Island (Maryland)
Encyclopedia
Garrett Island is an island located in Cecil County
, Maryland
, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) from the mouth of the Susquehanna River
, directly west of Perryville
and north of Havre de Grace
. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
. The island is crossed by the CSX Susquehanna River Bridge on the north side and the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge
on the south side.
.
by King James I
, and the earliest documented European presence dates to 1637 when William Claiborne
established a trading post
on the island. In the same year, Maryland troops evicted Claiborne's Virginia
traders from the Upper Chesapeake region and built Fort Conquest on what was then called "Palmer's Island." During the later colonial period
, the island was farmed by a family named "Watson" and it eventually came to be called "Watson Island."
Watson Island was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
(B&O) in the 1880s so a bridge could be built across the Susquehanna River at that point. The island was named after John W. Garrett
, then president of the railroad.
s, common loons, tundra swans, and 14 species of ducks.
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
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...
, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) from the mouth of 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...
, directly west of Perryville
Perryville, Maryland
Perryville is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,672 at the 2000 census. The town is located off Interstate 95, on the north side of the mouth of the Susquehanna River.-History:...
and north of Havre de Grace
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland, United States. Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which was first named Le Havre de Grâce, meaning in French "Harbor of Grace." As...
. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1933 as a waterfowl sanctuary for birds migrating along the critical migration highway called the Atlantic Flyway...
. The island is crossed by the CSX Susquehanna River Bridge on the north side and the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge
Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge
The Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge is a bridge carrying the traffic across the Susquehanna River on U.S. Route 40 between Havre de Grace and Perryville via Garrett Island in northeast Maryland. It is the oldest of the eight toll facilities operated and maintained by the Maryland Transportation...
on the south side.
Geography
The Cecil Observer, quoting the Chesapeake Bay Journal, describes the geologic history of Garrett Island: "'Garrett Island is the geologic remnant of what was once an offshore volcano in an ancient sea. The rocky high ground on the island's west side is the remains of the volcanic core. Basalt and quartz formed by the volcanic activity are still present.'" Garrett Island is the only rocky island in the tidal waters of the Chesapeake BayChesapeake 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...
.
History
Human presence on Garrett Island is known from 8,000 to 5,000 years ago. John Smith may have visited the island in 1608 but there is no definitive documentation proving this. In 1622, the island was given to Edward Palmer as part of a land grantLand grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
by King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and the earliest documented European presence dates to 1637 when 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...
established a trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
on the island. In the same year, Maryland troops evicted Claiborne's Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
traders from the Upper Chesapeake region and built Fort Conquest on what was then called "Palmer's Island." During the later colonial period
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
, the island was farmed by a family named "Watson" and it eventually came to be called "Watson Island."
Watson Island was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
(B&O) in the 1880s so a bridge could be built across the Susquehanna River at that point. The island was named after John W. Garrett
John W. Garrett
John Work Garrett was an American banker, philanthropist, and president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ....
, then president of the railroad.
Wildlife
Garrett Island provides habitat for 44 species of birds including eagleEagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, common loons, tundra swans, and 14 species of ducks.