Cambridge in Dorchester County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The River
Photographed by Maggie Prats Lora, December 8, 2019
1. The Choptank River Marker
As a deep water tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, the Choptank River was a commercial artery of the Eastern Shore since colonial times. Cargoes of timber, tobacco, and farm harvests were hoisted by dockworkers to waiting ships.
During the early years of the slave trade, captive Africans were unloaded here too. Later, thousands of enslaved people were shipped from Long Wharf to plantations in the south.
Ironically, the Choptank River also served as a route to Freedom, part of the Underground Railroad. Slaves fleeing on foot knew to follow the river's course north to its headwaters in Delaware. Some escapees hid aboard vessels, aided by Captains or crewmen willing to take the risk. Penalties for assisting runaways were steep.
When suspected Underground Railroad Agent Hugh Hazlett arrived here from Denton to stand trial for assisting runaway slaves, his boat was met by an angry mob. Found guilty Hazlett received a sentence of 44 years in prison.
Wharf
Photography Collection, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, the New York Public Library, Astor,Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: World War I Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Distinguished Service Cross (within shouting distance of this marker); The Last Skipjack to Be Built (within shouting distance of this marker); The Waterman's Way of Life (within shouting distance of this marker); To the memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The River (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); World War II (about 400 feet away); Cambridge House B&B (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cambridge.
Regarding The River. Underground Railroad on the Choptank River
Hugh Hazlett, Underground Railroad Agent
Additional keywords. Long Wharf
Photographed by Maggie Prats Lora, December 8, 2019
2. The River Marker
Photographed by Maggie Prats Lora, December 8, 2019
3. The River Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 13, 2020, by Maggie Prats Lora of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 303 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 13, 2020, by Maggie Prats Lora of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
