Smith Island, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Smith Island is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Somerset County
, Maryland
, United States
. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
In the last 150 years, Smith Island has lost over 3300 acres (13 km²) of wetlands due to erosion
into the Chesapeake Bay
. To prevent the island from being lost to erosion, restoration efforts will be ongoing for the next 50 years to restore 1900 acres (8 km²) of submerged aquatic vegetation and 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) of wetlands.
People traveling to Smith Island can only access it by boat. Passenger-only ferries
connect Smith Island at Ewell
to Solomons, Maryland
, to the west, and Crisfield, Maryland
, to the east. Tourists arriving by ferry can sleep in a guest house and enjoy seafood meals. Visitors are also charmed by the islanders' hardy fishing livelihood and devotion to the Methodist church. One visitor, the author William Least Heat-Moon
, described his conversations with islanders in his best-selling book Blue Highways
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²) of it is land and 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²) of it (51.42%) is water.
of 2000, there were 364 people, 167 households, and 112 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 81.7 people per square mile (31.6/km²). There were 256 housing units at an average density of 57.5/sq mi (22.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.08% White, 0.82% African American, 0.27% Native American, and 0.82% from two or more races.
There were 167 households out of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples
living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 14.6% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 34.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $26,324, and the median income for a family was $29,375. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $23,996. About 14.4% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 67.9% of those age 65 or over.
The most notable feature of the island is the local dialect which is like the dialect of the West Country of England. The dialect contains some relict
features indicative of its origins but is not, as is often claimed, a surviving pocket of Shakespearean-era English. This dialect is like the Ocracoke
Brogue
, sometimes referred to as the Outer Banks Brogue.
. The most famous dish is a locally produced cake featuring 8 to 15 thin layers filled with creme, frosting and/or crushed candy bars. The cake is iced with a cooked chocolate icing. The cake is often made using a commercial cake mix but with unique additions such as condensed milk
. It can also be made from scratch using flour. The most common flavor is yellow cake with chocolate icing but other flavors such as coconut, fig, strawberry, lemon, and orange are also common. Known simply as the Smith Island Cake, the dessert is baked for any occasion and not reserved only for holidays. The cake is also baked as the feature prize for a local fundraising tradition called a cake walk
which is a game played like musical chairs
where donated cakes serve as the prize. Great attention is paid to the perfection of the pencil-thin layers that form the distinctive cake. Before each round, the prize cake at stake is cut in half and shown to the players who pay to participate in the game. A poorly stacked cake may not attract many players and as a result, not raise as much money as a more perfectly executed cake.
On April 24, 2008, Smith Island cake was designated as the official dessert of the state of Maryland.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in 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:...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is included in the 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...
Metropolitan Statistical 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...
.
In the last 150 years, Smith Island has lost over 3300 acres (13 km²) of wetlands due to erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
into 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...
. To prevent the island from being lost to erosion, restoration efforts will be ongoing for the next 50 years to restore 1900 acres (8 km²) of submerged aquatic vegetation and 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) of wetlands.
People traveling to Smith Island can only access it by boat. Passenger-only ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
connect Smith Island at Ewell
Ewell, Maryland
Ewell is an unincorporated community located on Smith Island in Somerset County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
to Solomons, Maryland
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...
, to the west, and Crisfield, Maryland
Crisfield, 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...
, to the east. Tourists arriving by ferry can sleep in a guest house and enjoy seafood meals. Visitors are also charmed by the islanders' hardy fishing livelihood and devotion to the Methodist church. One visitor, the author William Least Heat-Moon
William Least Heat-Moon
William Least Heat-Moon, the byname of William Lewis Trogdon is an American travel writer of English, Irish and Osage Nation ancestry. He is the author of a bestselling trilogy of topographical U.S. travel writing.-Biography:...
, described his conversations with islanders in his best-selling book Blue Highways
Blue Highways
Blue Highways is an autobiographical book by William Least Heat-Moon, born William Trogdon.In 1978, after separating from his wife and losing his job as a teacher, Moon, 38 at the time, decided to take an extended road trip around the United States, sticking to only the "Blue Highways." Heat-Moon...
.
Geography
Smith Island is located at 37°58′7"N 76°1′22"W (37.968632, -76.022849).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²) of it is land and 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²) of it (51.42%) is water.
Demographics
The Island (actually there are several islands) are predominantly low, salt marsh with an elevation of less than four feet. There are three communities: Ewell and Rhodes Point - connected by a 1.5 mile single lane road - and Tylerton, accessible only by boat. As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 364 people, 167 households, and 112 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 81.7 people per square mile (31.6/km²). There were 256 housing units at an average density of 57.5/sq mi (22.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.08% White, 0.82% African American, 0.27% Native American, and 0.82% from two or more races.
There were 167 households out of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 14.6% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 34.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $26,324, and the median income for a family was $29,375. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $23,996. About 14.4% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 67.9% of those age 65 or over.
History and language
British settlers arrived on the island in the 17th century, arriving from Cornwall and Wales via Virginia.The most notable feature of the island is the local dialect which is like the dialect of the West Country of England. The dialect contains some relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
features indicative of its origins but is not, as is often claimed, a surviving pocket of Shakespearean-era English. This dialect is like the Ocracoke
Ocracoke, North Carolina
Ocracoke is a census-designated place and unincorporated town located at the southern end of Ocracoke Island, located entirely within Hyde County, North Carolina. The population was 769 as of the 2000 census...
Brogue
Brogue
A brogue is a strong accent, notably in Irish dialects of English. For example, in the folksong "Finnegan's Wake", the character of the song, Tim Finnegan, was said to have a "beautiful brogue so rich and sweet"....
, sometimes referred to as the Outer Banks Brogue.
Smith Island Cake
Smith Island has its own region-specific traditional cuisineCuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
. The most famous dish is a locally produced cake featuring 8 to 15 thin layers filled with creme, frosting and/or crushed candy bars. The cake is iced with a cooked chocolate icing. The cake is often made using a commercial cake mix but with unique additions such as condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
. It can also be made from scratch using flour. The most common flavor is yellow cake with chocolate icing but other flavors such as coconut, fig, strawberry, lemon, and orange are also common. Known simply as the Smith Island Cake, the dessert is baked for any occasion and not reserved only for holidays. The cake is also baked as the feature prize for a local fundraising tradition called a cake walk
Cakewalk (carnival game)
Cakewalk is a game played at carnivals, funfairs, and fundraising events. It is similar to a raffle and musical chairs. It was supposedly invented by the Revd Lewis Daly after the scales broke for the "guess the weight of the pie" game at the St Margaret's Church annual fete of 1869 in King's...
which is a game played like musical chairs
Musical chairs
Musical chairs is a game played by a group of people , often in an informal setting purely for entertainment such as a birthday party...
where donated cakes serve as the prize. Great attention is paid to the perfection of the pencil-thin layers that form the distinctive cake. Before each round, the prize cake at stake is cut in half and shown to the players who pay to participate in the game. A poorly stacked cake may not attract many players and as a result, not raise as much money as a more perfectly executed cake.
On April 24, 2008, Smith Island cake was designated as the official dessert of the state of Maryland.