St. Michaels in Talbot County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Hooper Strait Lighthouse Boat
Originally, a small boat hung here. This boat was the only way the lighthouse keepers had to get back to the mainland and civilization, a good five miles away. By sail, the trip took an hour or two; with a motorboat, 45 minutes to an hour. Most lighthouse keepers had grown up on the water and knew how to handle a boat. Usually their trips were uneventful.
But there were, of course, exceptions.
Early on the morning of February 11, 1914, as assistant keeper Captain William Asbury Crockett was returning to the Tangier Sound Lighthouse, the breeze freshened, clouds moved in, and the day turned bitter cold. Soon Crockett's little boat was driving up and down through heavy seas. From the lighthouse window, keeper Edward L. Thomas watched his colleague's progress, holding his breath each time the boat disappeared between huge waves. Finally Crockett was hit hard and swept overboard. Thomas scrambled to launch the lighthouse's other small boat, but Crockett was dead by the time he reached him.
That night he wrote in his log book: "Keeper done all within his power to rescue him, but failed. Regretted very much as he was a man that was all right on everything and he was and he was tidy and clean and one and any keeper could rely on. He was a christian man, a gentleman."
Topics and series. This historical marker
this page online
Location. 38° 47.258′ N, 76° 13.155′ W. Marker is in St. Michaels, Maryland, in Talbot County. It can be reached from the intersection of North Talbot Street and Dodson Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 213 N Talbot St, Saint Michaels MD 21663, 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 walking distance of this marker: 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse (a few steps from this marker); How the Screwpile Lighthouse Got Its Name (a few steps from this marker); Iconic Chesapeake Light (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Point Lookout Fog Bell Tower (within shouting distance of this marker); Thor, Pilothouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Dorothy Lee (within shouting distance of this marker); Tolchester Beach Bandstand
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 5, 2025
2. Hooper Strait Lighthouse Boat Marker
The marker can be found along the outdoor railing on the first level of the lighthouse.
Other markers no longer nearby. Point Lookout Fog Bell Tower (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed); Hooper Strait Lighthouse (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Tolchester Bandstand (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Miniature Skipjack, Spat (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 5, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
