Potomac River Dory Boat

Potomac River Dory Boat (HM2KBW)

Location:
Buy flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 8.205', W 76° 31.725'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 222 views
Inscription
The Potomac River dory boat was built almost exclusively within St. Mary's County, Maryland, and appeared around the 1880s when Maryland was known as the greatest oyster-producing region in the world. Originally designed as a two-masted sailing craft, it was used for tonging and dredging oysters in the waters of the Potomac River and its tributaries. A descendant from an earlier popular flat-bottomed Potomac River craft called the "Black Nancy," this newly-designed work boat was larger, more stable, and a better sailor. Its unique design features a V-bottom, planked lengthwise instead of the usual cross-planking. The dory boat was discontinued around the 1930s. Only seven remain in existence today, three of which ware under the stewardship of the St. Mary's County Museum Division.

The "Early Times"
This Potomac River dory boat was built in 1916 at St. Patrick's Creek, Maryland by Captain William H. Thompson for Captain Garnett Arnold. Originally named "Elsie" by Capt. Arnold in honor of his youngest sister who had died as a child, this 34-foot craft was built as a sailing dory. In the early years, she was used for oyster dredging and transporting Capt. Arnold to work at the shipyards in Quantico, Virginia during World War I. She was later used for oyster tonging, hauling sein nets taking out fishing parties, and



hauling building materials from Alexandria, Virginia. In 1974, Capt. Arnold gave the boat to his son Richard, a former St. Mary's County Commissioner. Her name was changed to the "Early Times" in honor of the old days of the river and its history. She remained in the Arnold family for almost 80 years. In 1995, Richard's widow, Evelyn, donated the Potomac River dory to the St. Mary's County Museum Division. It was restored to her original 19196 working boat design in 2003 by museum staff.
Details
HM NumberHM2KBW
Tags
Placed ByMaryland Heritage Area Authority, St. Mary's County Museum Division
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, September 4th, 2019 at 8:01pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 366025 N 4222091
Decimal Degrees38.13675000, -76.52875000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 8.205', W 76° 31.725'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 8' 12.3" N, 76° 31' 43.5" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal AddressAt or near , ,
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What country is the marker located in?
  2. Is this marker part of a series?
  3. What historical period does the marker represent?
  4. What historical place does the marker represent?
  5. What type of marker is it?
  6. What class is the marker?
  7. What style is the marker?
  8. Does the marker have a number?
  9. What year was the marker erected?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?