Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-31
ia s.st.ss.
Baltimore Sun Special.

q
country from the Tilghman's Island of
today. Then the white population was
less than 50 now it is more than 1900.
There were not then 90 dwellings on
the island of late years that many new
ones are built every year, until the
upper, the middle and the lower Sec
tions of the island look like three viii
l8ges, all of which are connected by
dwellings dotted along the highway be-
tween them. Jacob Gibson probably
had more wealth in personal property
on Sharpe's Island than all the inhabi-
tants OF Tilghman's Island together.
What there was of cattle, sheep and
hogs in the fields and poultry In the
yards Cockburn got. He burned several
small houses and outbuildings and de-
stroyed some timber. "Old George" a
Tilghman slave, who afterward belonged
to the Harrisons of Long Point, where
In his old age he had comfortable
quarter and a boy to wait on him, was
one of the victims of Cockburn's ma
RAIDERS, and used to tell how dem ar
Britishers made me run down my own
hawg, and not only dat, my young
master, dey made me kill i'm and skin
I'm, dam um!' and the old negroes
heart would burn with indignation at
the memory. Old George lived to be
100, according to the record of his
birth kept by his mothers master, and
lived in great comfort in his old age
He, died in 1856 on Cedar Point farm,
the home then Of his last master, the
late Theodore P. Harrison of Baltimore.
As in many other places, the sawmill
was the pioneer in the development and
better civilization of the island, In
1910 the Gen. Tenoh Tilghman who was
mentioned In the Sun Of Friday last as
having died years ago in one of the
rooms Of the annex to Barnum's Hotel,
now being demolished, was the owner
OF the most of Tilghman's Island and
established its first sawmill in connec-
tion with a Mr.. Roszell, who operated
1T. About this time also Gen. Thigh
man established sawmills in the virgin
forests Of other sections of Talbot
county. He once owned more land than
any other man ever did in Talbot
county, except Col. Edward Lloyd, who
was the father of the present Col. Lloyd
of Wye House, and was in many re-
spects remarkable man. He was the
promoter Of Talbot's first railroad and
president of the company; he brought
the first German and Irish immigrants
in numbers to the county; was the first
grower Of peaches for market, and in
troduced on the Eastern Shore the pro-
cess of fruit evaporation.
The island extends from Knapp's mar
rows, separating it from the Bay Hun
bred mainland, southwardly to Black
Walnut Point, four miles. Its width
varies, but it is always narrow. Who
was Knapp who gave his name to the
narrows even tradition does not preteno
to know, The name is in danger Of
being, corrupted into Nab's Narrows.
The first name of Tilghman's Island
was Choptank Island, when it was un.
inhabited, save by the aborigines. Sir
Vincent Lowe afterward acquired it,
and the Loves held it for several gen
erations. A fine body of farming land
on the island now owned by Lowe de
scendents. Among the earliest whit,
settlers were the descendants of Row
land Haddaway, that grand old man, J
as historian calls him. There is ex
tant commission in the navy, such a!
1t was during the Revolution, to Capt
Oakley Haddaway, who commanded ;
barge and helped patrol the Chesa
peake. This family is still prominen
on the island. A descendant of Capt
Oakley Is the Rev. George W. Hadda
way, an eloquent preacher of the Mary
Church, now stationed at Crisfield
The Tiighmans got their holdings Il
the island before the Revolution.
The rapid growth of the island ii
wealth and population did not begin un
til after the close of the Civil War, an,
has been greatest in the last SO wears
Before 1860 the place was attractip,
settlers from ''down the bay and TIL
land had became much subdiyided, blu
wheat, corn and potatoes were tn
staples of wealth. The boating bushes
was small. The oyster business wa
undeveloped. The fish and crab in
dustries were unknown. There was onl
one store, two or three mechanics, on
school, one church and no postoffic
there. Progress came when the wealt
in the surrounding salt waters becam
appreciated and how to handle it wa
ascertained. There are now tire
churches, three schools, nine stores
mechanical shops, shipyards, packin
\ Establishments, hundreds of sailboats
livery stables, boarding houses, SC
cieties and their halls and everythin
that belongs to progressive and happ
ciyilization--exceptr rum shops.
II is worthy of note that Tilghman'
Island was the first place in Table
county to prohibit the sale of LIQUOR
and the first in Maryland, except
possibly. few factory towns. MOI
than rs years ago the women of Nd
island, which had become run
cursed,'' Il they said, took hold Of til
matter and had an act passed by I'll
Legislature to forever prohibit liout
licenses ON the island, under seye,
penalties. These women did not fo
with local option; that is, taking
vote on license. They went to I'll
fountain. of law and had it done ,
Annapolis. Anathema would be hurle
at any one who should now propose
substitute for prohibition any kind
. license system on Tilghman's Islam,
There used to be great deficiency
the drinkable water supply. Fres
water had frequently to be hauled
long distance, and was then used wit
out ice, as o rule. The wells we're sha
low to catch the surface water. At!
feet salt water would be broache
The only exception was an S0-foot We
on Valliant's Black Walnut farm, whic
with the walnut trees, were wash,
away by erosion years ago. The pla
is now almost honeycombed with Dor,
tartesianl wells 300 or 400 feet de,
which give Overlooking streams Of ii
best drinking water. This has given
great impetus to the summer boardii
business, and this season all the ci
applicants for board there cannot
accommodated.
I The building,by the Baltimore, Ches
peake & Atlantic Transportation Co.
n wharf IN the crealx sif1a If tho iula
has done much to help business al
travel. Every midnight there is
steamboat at this wharf from Bali