by David Baker | Jun 9, 2026 | Choptank, Historic Landscape, Maritime, Past Event
The public is invited to a talk by Karen Footner about her grandfather, author Hulbert Footner, and his Maryland public history classic book, “Rivers of the Eastern Shore”, at the Museum of Rural Life, 16 North 2nd Street, Denton, MD, on Thursday, July 23,...
by David Baker | Jan 26, 2026 | Choptank, Maritime, Past Event
The Caroline County Historical Society will be hosting an event with author/writer Tom Horton to be held at 5 PM on March 3, 2026 at the Museum of Rural Life in Denton, MD. Mr. Horton will be giving a talk about the Choptank River, the largest river on the Eastern...
by Kennedy Thomason | Sep 9, 2024 | 20th Century, Age of Sail, Age of Steam, Colonial Era, Kennedy Thomason Project, Maritime, Mills, Preservation, The River is the Center by Kennedy Thomason, West Denton
From the blowing sails of schooners in the 1700s to the steady hum of steamboats in the 1800s, the Choptank River has been a silent witness to the evolution of vessels that carried not just goods and passengers, but also the dreams and aspirations of those who lived...
by Don Barker | Jan 29, 2024 | 20th Century, Age of Sail, Everyday Citizens, George Swartz, West Denton
Life in West Denton in the 1920s, on Choptank River, Caroline County, Maryland Below is text from “Chapter Three – Activities Along the River” of Bridges To My Maturity, Delightful Memories of What It was Like to be a Young Lad in the 1920s Along...
by Don Barker | Jan 29, 2024 | 20th Century, Age of Sail, Age of Steam, Everyday Citizens, George Swartz, West Denton
Life in West Denton in the 1920s, on Choptank River, Caroline County, Maryland Below is text from “Chapter Three – Activities Along the River” of Bridges To My Maturity, Delightful Memories of What It was Like to be a Young Lad in the 1920s Along...
by Don Barker | Aug 7, 2019 | Age of Sail, dbarker, Maritime
Stand in the Place: The Age of Sail returns to Denton and the upper Choptank River Sailing the Choptank was never easy. Even so, schooners, bugeyes, pungies, and skipjacks tied up at Denton from the 1700s till the 1930s. Now you too can sail with us from Denton down...
by Don Barker | Sep 23, 2018 | 20th Century, Age of Sail, dbarker
The skipjack Flora A. Price was built at Chase, Maryland, in 1910. She was one of the largest skipjacks ever built. Flora dredged Chesapeake oysters for 70 years. [See hundreds of photos and historic documents here.] Flora sailed as a yacht in the 1980s. [See...
by Don Barker | Dec 27, 2016 | Age of Steam, dbarker
Baltimore to Denton by Steamboat Joppa and Avalon were the two most notable steamboats that ran between Baltimore and Denton on the Choptank River from the 1880s until 1921. What happened to them after they disappeared from the Choptank? Steamboats on the Choptank As...
by Don Barker | Dec 26, 2016 | Age of Steam, dbarker, Everyday Citizens
The Wheeler Crowd J.S. Dodds tells how Minne Wheeler symbolized the ”hometown” atmosphere and service that Wheeler offered his clients along the Tuckahoe: “After Easton’s debut, Minnie Wheeler was relegated to the role of freight carrying. Although regular Minnie...
by Don Barker | Dec 26, 2016 | Age of Steam, dbarker, Everyday Citizens
Charles W. Wright was master of the Ruggles, Minnie Wheeler, and Chesapeake. He resigned from Wheeler employ in 1887 to accept the post of captain of the new steamer Choptank, of the Choptank Steamboat Company. Two years later, he joined the United States Steamboat...
by Don Barker | Dec 26, 2016 | Age of Sail, Age of Steam, dbarker, Everyday Citizens
Caleb Clark Wheeler of Gilpin Point Caleb Clark Wheeler was born in 1839 at Gilpin Point in Caroline County. At age 12 he began work as a cook on a sailing schooner that shipped goods and passengers between the Choptank and Baltimore. By age 18, he was a schooner...
by Don Barker | Aug 10, 2014 | 20th Century, Age of Sail, Everyday Citizens, George Swartz, West Denton
Life in West Denton in the 1920s, on Choptank River, Caroline County, Maryland USGS Topo, Denton Quadrangle, 1944 From chapter 3 of Bridges To My Maturity, Delightful Memories of What It was Like to be a Young Lad in the 1920s Along the Choptank River on the Eastern...
