Scotland in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Treacherous Waters
"The Express sailed from Baltimore The weather was very rough and the steamboat was pitching badly. The gale increased to a frightful extent and the steamboat was tossed helplessly about Again and again waves swept over her and the Captain abandoned all hope."
Report on the loss of the Express, October 1878
The Chesapeake's system of lighthouses, buoys and markers has helped keep mariners on course for generations. But the bay is a challenging waterway of tidal changes, vast shallows and constantly shifting shorelines. The region's heavy storms and high winds can also push ships out of safe channels and into danger. Since European exploration of the bay began, more than 4,000 vessels have gone down. Some lay beneath the waves in front of you.
"[Keeper] William Yeatman would take in people when ships wrecked. There were lots of ship wrecks at Point Lookout, 'awful lot, terribly many.' If a storm was coming, sometimes the boats would go into the harbor (river side). Everyone in the family had to take turns ringing the fog bell during bad weather."
Katharine Marie Ardeeser Hessler, granddaughter of William Yeatman
[Caption:]
Wreck of the Express
The passenger
this page online
Erected by Maryland Park Service; Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1878.
Location. 38° 2.323′ N, 76° 19.311′ W. Marker is in Scotland, Maryland, in St. Mary's County. It can be reached from Point Lookout Road (Maryland Route 5) 2.3 miles south of 3rd Way, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10350 Point Lookout Rd, Scotland MD 20687, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, 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: It Takes More Than Lighthouses (a few steps from this marker); Keeping the Buoys Seaworthy (within shouting distance of this marker); Buoys and Beacons of the Chesapeake Bay (within shouting distance of this marker); The Bay Is a Sunken River (within shouting distance of this marker); Rough Treatment (within shouting distance of this marker); New Buoy Technology (within shouting distance of this marker);
Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 15, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
