St. Michaels in Talbot County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Smith Island Power Crabbing Skiff
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 5, 2025
1. Smith Island Power Crabbing Skiff Marker
Hoopers Island waterman Gorman Simmons used this swift, efficient skiff to trotline for crabs. The slow-turning one-cylinder Falcon engine was all a waterman needed to move slowly along his line, watching for crabs to rise to the surface and then the grabbing them with a dip net.
Making do with found materials, Simmons resourcefully fashioned the gas tank from a five-inch naval gunpowder canister that floated up on Hoopers Island from the naval gunnery range on Bloodsworth Island.
Built: c. 1923, Smith Island, MD
Length: 21 ft (6.4m)
Beam: 5 ft (1.5m)
Erected by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1923.
Location. 38° 47.274′ N, 76° 13.195′ W. Marker is in St. Michaels, Maryland, in Talbot County. It is on Mill Street east of Burns Street, on the left when traveling east. 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: Chesapeake Bay Small Craft (here, next to this marker); St. Michaels Packing Company Warehouse
this page online
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 5, 2025
2. Smith Island Power Crabbing Skiff Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 36 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
