Near Crisfield in Somerset County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Old Ailsey's Light
Janes Island State ParkWhite Tail Trail
| | Maryland Park Service | |
Look to the north, toward the southern end of the grove of trees across the canal.
In the late 1700s, a ramshackle cottage stood across from this point, the home of a widow named Ailsey Evans. She eked out a living by planting a garden in the poor soil of Janes Island, collecting oysters and soft-shelled clams from around the shoreline, and raising a pig to slaughter each fall. With corn she grew herself, she baited traps for the ducks and geese that were so plentiful in the area.
Still despite the generosity of her family and neighbors, she lived a meager existence in a house that was nearly falling down, doing all the cooking in a large fireplace.
one day while preparing a meal, a spark landed on her threadbare apron and ignited. Panicking, Ailsey rushed outside into the dry grass, which burst into flame.
After more than 250 years, some people still claim to have seen a light flare up in the trees across from you, glow brightly, and go out.
Could it be the ghost of Ailsey Evans?
Erected by Maryland Park Service. (Marker Number 1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Disasters
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Location. 38° 0.88′ N, 75° 50.799′ W. Marker is near Crisfield, Maryland, in Somerset County. It can be reached from Canal Drive north of Alfred J Lawson Drive, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4931 Canal Dr, Crisfield MD 21817, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fields and Pastures (within shouting distance of this marker); Daugherty Creek Canal (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Loblolly Pine (approx. Ό mile away); Crisfield: The City Built on Oysters (approx. Ό mile away); Searching for Water (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ye Old St. Peters Methodist Church (approx. 1½ miles away); Somerset County's Memorial Bridge (approx. 1½ miles away); 'Spirit Of The American Doughboy' (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Crisfield.
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 272 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 13, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
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