Crisfield in Somerset County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Drop Tongs
Drop tongs were invented in the 1880s. They hung from a boom on a large workboat and were raised by hand winders that were later replaced with motor-driven winches. Held open by a mechanical latch, the tongs drop onto the oyster bed. The latch releases, and the tongs close on the oysters as they are winched back onto the boat. Unlike hand tongs, drop tongs can be used in deep water.
Hydraulic patent tongs, another form of drop tongs, were invented in 1958. Like drop tongs, these hang from a boom on a large workboat. They are opened and closed on the oyster bed by a ram, powered through hoses by a hydraulic pump on the boat. Whatever harvesting methods is used, oysters still need to be culled by hand. Undersized oysters are returned to the bay, and mussels, sea squirts and other hangers-on are removed. In Maryland, oysters harvested from natural beds must be at least 3 inches long.
Erected by Crisfield Heritage Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1958.
Location. 37° 58.684′ N, 75° 51.572′ W.
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: Oyster Dredges (here, next to this marker); Watermen of the Tangier Sound (here, next to this marker); Skipjacks and Bugeyes (here, next to this marker); Hand Tongs (here, next to this marker); Crab Pots (here, next to this marker); Crab Shedding Float (here, next to this marker); Crab Scrape (here, next to this marker); African American Watermen of the Chesapeake
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 102 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 13, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
