Salisbury in Wicomico County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Original Residents
Pemberton Park Historic Trail

Photographed By Nate Davidson, January 18, 2011
1. The Original Residents Marker
Inscription. The Original Residents. Pemberton Park Historic Trail. For millennia before Europeans arrived, the Chesapeake region was home to Native Americans and to a rich diversity of wildlife. Black bears and wolves roamed the woods while beaver, muskrat and otters foraged the wetlands. Schools of sturgeon, perch and shad swam in the river and great flocks of ducks, geese, and passenger pigeons flew overhead. Sustained by this natural bounty, Native Americans lived in large villages near the Chesapeake Bay in the summer and dispersed into smaller interior camps in the winter. As European settlement increased, Native Americans moved to reservations created on the banks of the Wicomico River. Tundotank Reservation lay across the river from Pemberton Plantation in the 18th century. There was a significant Native American population in this region until the mid 18th century.
Picture Caption , The illustrations of John White, the basis for this DeBry etching, are an important source of information about the first Americans. White visited coastal Native American villages as far north as the Chesapeake Bay in the 1500s. Stone tools used by native people in this region include a grinding stone, a mortar for grinding seeds and grains, and a full-grooved archaic-period ax. . This historical marker was erected by Wicomico County Parks and Tourism, Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. It is in Salisbury in Wicomico County Maryland
For millennia before Europeans arrived, the Chesapeake region was home to Native Americans and to a rich diversity of wildlife. Black bears and wolves roamed the woods while beaver, muskrat and otters foraged the wetlands. Schools of sturgeon, perch and shad swam in the river and great flocks of ducks, geese, and passenger pigeons flew overhead. Sustained by this natural bounty, Native Americans lived in large villages near the Chesapeake Bay in the summer and dispersed into smaller interior camps in the winter. As European settlement increased, Native Americans moved to reservations created on the banks of the Wicomico River. Tundotank Reservation lay across the river from Pemberton Plantation in the 18th century. There was a significant Native American population in this region until the mid 18th century. Picture Caption
The illustrations of John White, the basis for this DeBry etching, are an important source of information about the first Americans. White visited coastal Native American villages as far north as the Chesapeake Bay in the 1500s. Stone tools used by native people in this region include a grinding stone, a mortar

Photographed By Nate Davidson, January 18, 2011
2. Marker Location
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for grinding seeds and grains, and a full-grooved archaic-period ax.
Erected by Wicomico County Parks & Tourism, Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Native Americans.
Location. 38° 20.767′ N, 75° 38.7′ W. Marker is in Salisbury, Maryland, in Wicomico County. Marker can be reached from Pemberton Historic Park Road, 0.4 miles Pemberton Drive. Located within Pemberton Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Salisbury MD 21801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Wicomico Wetlands (within shouting distance of this marker); Nature's Pasture (within shouting distance of this marker); An Apple a Day (within shouting distance of this marker); A Water Connection (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Drop to Drink (about 400 feet away); A Show of Wealth (about 500 feet away); Pemberton Hall (about 500 feet away); The "Peculiar Institution" at Pemberton Plantation (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salisbury.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 22, 2011, by Nathan Davidson of Salisbury, Maryland. This page has been viewed 580 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 22, 2011, by Nathan Davidson of Salisbury, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.