Near Crisfield in Somerset County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Searching for Water
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
| — | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | — |
Imagine you are parched and can’t find fresh water. That’s what happened to John Smith and his crew as they explored the Chesapeake’s Lower Eastern Shore in June 1608.
They sailed up the Pocomoke River, recorded on Smith’s map as the Wighcocomoco. Finding only muddy water, they turned back near what is now Pocomoke City, not realizing that a short distance further upriver they could have found the fresh water they so desperately sought.
“The next day, searching them for freshwater, we could find none; the defect whereof forced us to follow the next eastern channel, which brought us to the River of Wighcocomoco (Pocomoke).”
Smith described seeing many low islands along the eastern shore of the Bay. Rising sea levels have caused some islands to disappear and reduced the size of others.
Stuck in Limbo
The crew headed back into the Bay, where a squall nearly sank their boat. Bailing for their lives, they came ashore at Bloodsworth Island, which they named “Limbo.” They stayed two days, repairing damage from the storm.
Explore the John Smith Trail along the Chesapeake’s Lower Eastern Shore:
◆ Enjoy paddling the more than 30 miles of Janes Island Water Trails.
◆ Visit the historic town of Crisfield for a firsthand view of Chesapeakewatermen at work.
Click or scan to see
this page online
◆ Visit Tangier Island to see one of the Eastern Shore’s “shallow broken isles” explored by Smith in 1608.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Exploration • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1608.
Location. 38° 0.619′ N, 75° 50.858′ W. Marker is near Crisfield, Maryland, in Somerset County. It is on Alfred Lawson Drive west of Canal Drive, on the left when traveling west. The marker stands in Janes Island State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 26280 Alfred Lawson Drive, Crisfield MD 21817, 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Crisfield: The City Built on Oysters (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Loblolly Pine (about 400 feet away); Daugherty Creek Canal (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fields and Pastures (approx. ¼ mile away); Old Ailsey's Light (approx. 0.3 miles away); Somerset County's Memorial Bridge
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 22, 2016
2. Searching for Water Marker
This is a photo of the marker prior to its current installation.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 12, 2024
4. John Smith Explores the Chesapeake side of the marker
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 22, 2016
6. Janes Island State Park boat dock
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 22, 2016
7. Sign at the entrance to Janes Island State Park
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 22, 2016
8. Janes Island State Park plaque
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 22, 2016
9. Anchor on the grounds of Janes Island State Park-Headquarters office
Photographed by Don Morfe, September 22, 2016
10. Welcome to Janes Island State Park billboard
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 14, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 537 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 13, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on October 14, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 13, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on October 14, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker without the glare from the sun. • Can you help?
