St. Michaels in Talbot County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Too Much of a Good Thing
Photographed By Don Morfe, November 5, 2011
1. Too Much of a Good Thing Marker
Inscription.
Too Much of a Good Thing. . Chesapeake waterman used all these tools to harvest oysters. This hardware tells a story of human ingenuity and greed.
Hand tongs, in use since the early 1700s, extended human reach to oysters too deep to gather by hand. A hundred years later, dredges, so efficient they had already scraped clean the oyster bars in Long Island Sound, arrived on the Bay from New England. But still some oysters remained too deep for tonging and legally off-limits to dredges. With the invention of mechanical patent tongs in 1887, oystermen harvested these protected oysters too.
To learn more about the depletion of the Chesapeake oysters and the men who used these tools, visit the Oystering on the Chesapeake exhibit.
Chesapeake waterman used all these tools to harvest oysters. This hardware tells a story of human ingenuity and greed.
Hand tongs, in use since the early 1700s, extended human reach to oysters too deep to gather by hand. A hundred years later, dredges—so efficient they had already scraped clean the oyster bars in Long Island Sound—arrived on the Bay from New England. But still some oysters remained too deep for tonging and legally off-limits to dredges. With the invention of mechanical patent tongs in 1887, oystermen harvested these protected oysters too.
To learn more about the depletion of the Chesapeake oysters and the men who used these tools, visit the Oystering on the Chesapeake exhibit.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.
Location. 38° 47.232′ N, 76° 13.176′ W. Marker is in St. Michaels, Maryland, in Talbot County. Marker is on Mill Street. This marker is on the grounds of the Chesapeake Maritime Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Saint Michaels MD 21663, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Rebuilding Rosie Parks (a few steps from this marker); Delaware (a few steps from this marker); The Miles River (within shouting distance of this marker);
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 29, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 353 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 29, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
