The Flow of Progress: How the History Of Transportation Informs Our Relationship with the Choptank River

Artist rendition of Native Americans fishing from canoes.

Sourced from The River is The Center blog

We learn from history; we learn from each other

Editor’s note: In the September issue, Ms. Thomason’s wrote about how the changes in transport along the Choptank River. Her submission was an edited version from her blog at https://kthomason1209.wixsite.com/the-river-is-the-cen Dr. Christian E. Jensen, MD, wrote an informative response to the publisher of the Caroline Review, stating in part, that the increase of Free Blacks in Caroline County were not only a result of changes in agricultural commodities, mainly tobacco, but also due to “religious prohibitions and opposition toward slavery, particularly among our Nicholite faith.”

When told of Dr. Jensen’s letter, Ms. Thomason replied, “...I could not agree more.” She goes on to say that on her website and the Caroline County Historical Society’s website, there is a detailed post speaking to the faithful and religious viewpoints of early Caroline Countains against slavery. “(The) considerable population of Quakers in Caroline County would become entrenched in the fight against slavery, often directly aiding escaping slaves,” Ms. Thomason writes on her blog. As a student of history, Ms. Thomason goes on to say, “I always welcome input and collaboration, and that this is what historical education is all about!”

From the blowing sails of schooners to the steady hum of steamboats, the Choptank has seen the evolution of vessels that carried goods and passengers along its currents. But as we go through this timeline of transportation, I present this question: the Choptank River was once the heartbeat of Caroline County, but as its role in transportation and trade has diminished, how do we reclaim its significance in our community today?

The earliest use of vessels on the Choptank were Native American-made canoes. Natives used these canoes for fishing, oystering, and trade, as well as transportation. As white settlers pushed Natives off the riverbanks, they brought with them sailing vessels. The Choptank saw the evolution of sail from schooners and sloops to bugeyes, barques, pungies, and skipjacks In this early American era, the river facilitated the movement of goods while simultaneously creating networks between farmers, traders, and other businessmen. Even as Caroline gradually abandoned tobacco farming in favor of foodstuffs, the Choptank exported these goods and imported what couldn’t be purchased locally. Boat building became a significant industry along the Choptank as well, with shipyards in Greensboro, Hillsboro, West Denton, and Preston. This successful business brought many long-term settlers to the area, contributing greatly to our popularity and population.

Steamboats made a breakthrough on the Choptank around the 1830s. Steam revolutionized transportation on the Choptank River, drastically reducing travel time and costs while enhancing connections between Caroline County and major port cities. Steamboat Wharf in West Denton became one of the main stops for regular steamboat service via the Dupont, Joppa, Avalon, and many others. Even if you weren’t boarding one of these vessels, Steamboat Wharf was the place to be. Families came to watch the ships roll in, entrepreneurs set up shop near the docks, and the community gathered to see what new people or treasures the ships had brought. By the 1860s and 70s, railroads started to encroach on steamboat routes. By the 1920s steamboats were almost extinct, despite Caroline Countians’ best efforts to uphold the industry by purchasing their own steamer called City of Denton. Railroad bridges and drawbridges began to criss-cross the Choptank. The advent of automobiles required more of these bridges to be built as time went on. 

Up until this point, the river was used as the primary means of transport, not a barrier to it. I believe that when this shift was made, our regard for the river went on a downward spiral. Today the Choptank is mainly used for recreational boating, commercial crabbing, and as a pretty backdrop for prom photos.

I had the opportunity to speak with Coutrney Leigh, the Membership Manager for ShoreRivers. She shared my concern that in abandoning the river as a central part of our community, we have lost sight of its importance. When I asked her how she felt about our relationship to these waterways now, she said “the rivers connected us in our past, and they still do, but I fear that we are decreasing the ways they can connect us.” What she means here is that by privatizing waterfront property and commercializing the river, we are decreasing communal accessibility. Unfortunately, with decreased access comes decreased interest. In her experience, even those who claim to love the water seek to “use it, rather than co-exist with it.” 

It's hard to comprehend just how central the river was to everyday life before cars. Local and international trading, staying in contact with friends and family, sending resources to troops during wars, transporting prisoners, sending/receiving mail, importing goods not unavailable on the shore, traveling between local towns or to cities, and everyone's livelihoods, from farmers to fishermen to merchants, relied on the river. Though times have changed, I encourage you to reflect on how to reconnect with the Choptank as a vital part of our community and identity, and ensure its survival through the next generations. 

If you liked this excerpt, please follow my Caroline County History Project, "The River is the Center." This project emphasizes the Choptank River's central role in the county's history. To read the full version of this article, complete with more details on the vessels discussed above and in-depth historical analysis, visit my website at The River is the Center (https://kthomason1209.wixsite.com/the-river-is-the-cen). I also lead History on the Choptank historical river cruises, which are on select Saturday mornings throughout the boating season. For tickets, visit my website.