Denton in Caroline County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Steamboats on the Choptank River
Connecting Denton to the World
Photographed by F. Robby, September 20, 2010
1. Steamboats on the Choptank River Marker
Steamboats carrying passengers and freight brought prosperity to Denton and Caroline County during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Caroline County's economy was based on agriculture. Farmers had to market their products. Steamboats quickly and efficiently carried fresh and canned vegetables and fruit to the Chesapeake Bay and on to markets in Baltimore and elsewhere.
Farmers prospered. Canneries, granaries, a flourmill, fertilizer warehouses, a shirt factory, stores and a blacksmith shop flourished along the river in West Denton. Businessmen built banks and shops in Denton.
The steamboat era began in 1846 when the Maryland steamed upriver. It ended when the City of Denton docked here for the last time in the 1920s.
Erected by Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.
Location. 38° 53.298′ N, 75° 50.377′ W. Marker has been reported damaged. Marker is in Denton, Maryland, in Caroline County. It is on River Landing Road 0.4 miles north of New Bridge Road (Maryland Route 328), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Denton MD 21629, 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, and in the Tidewater. 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.
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. Choptank River Heritage Center (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed); Nest of Traitors (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 3, 2022
2. Steamboats on the Choptank River Marker
Unfortunately, the marker has weathered significantly.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 3, 2022
3. Steamboats on the Choptank River Marker
Photographed by F. Robby, September 20, 2010
4. Maryland Steamboat Company
In this picture, the marker is hidden by the bush next to the restored wharf that now houses a small museum.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2013, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 918 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 6, 2013, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland. 2, 3. submitted on September 5, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on September 6, 2013, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland.
