(Chapter flow:)
ITS ORIGIN AND TOWN LIMITS
TOWN LIMITS
GROWTH, CHANGE OF NAME, ETC.
MERCANTILE ASPECT
MANUFACTURING
TRADES ETC.
SHIPPING INTERESTS
EASTERN SHORE STEAMBOAT CO.
SHIP BUILDING ETC.
HOTELS, LIVERY STABLES, ETC.
PHYSICIANS
LAWYERS
POST OFFICE
PRINTING OFFICES
SOCIAL ASPECT, ETC.
MORAL ASPECT
TEMPERANCE CAUSE
SCHOOLS
CHURCHES
Note: In duplicating this material for publishing on The Pocomoke Public Eye we have made minor adjustments to correct some of the spelling, punctuation, etc. We believe the errors were not in Rev. Murray's original writing but occurred in the process of formatting the material to a digital format for viewing online.
SHIP BUILDING, ETC. (Continued)
In 1869, Levin J. M. P. Broadwater and Thomas R. P. S. White established a steam saw mill, in New Town, and run it until 1869, when it was purchased by James T. Young, and he ran it until 1876, when he sold it to W. J. S. Clarke, and it was moved to Cashville, Accomac County, Virginia. In 1864, Y.J.S. Clarke and John H. Clarke, his brother established a Marine railway, and in 1869 they built a steam saw, planing and grist mill, in New Town. They also commenced ship building and repairing at the same time. In 1869, Hall, Bro. & Co. commenced the steam saw mill business. In 1873, they built their Marine railway and carry on ship building, also, in connection with these two branches of business. James T. Young, as has already been stated, is carrying on the steam mill business. Is running a steam saw, planing and grist mill, and carries on ship building in connection. Clarke & Co. and Hall, Bro. & Co. have three steam saw mills in the country, but the business of those mills centers here, so that I associate them with the steam mill business of Pocomoke City. In 1865, Thomas F. Stevenson commenced the business of steam milling in New Town. In 1866 he took as a partner his son, Riley M. Stevenson ; the firm is now doing business under the firm of Thomas F. & R. M. Stevenson. Theirs is a flour, grist and planing mill. It will afford any one pleasure to go into their establishment and witness the mechanical skill and neatness that characterizes every department. The father and grandfather of this firm is with them and works daily at the age of between 80 and 90 years. They are all natural mechanics and merit the praise that is accorded to them for the exhibition of such a talent. In 1872, James T. Hearn, Allison Fleming and Charles G. Dale established a steam flour and grist mill in this place. How long they continued I am not able to say. They, however, sold out to H. H. Dashiell, of Princess Ann, Somerset County, Md. The mill is still owned by Mr. Dashiell, but it is rented by R. T. Dixon, who is a live man, and is doing a heavy business in the manufacture of flour and meal. In summing up the steam saw, planing and grist mill business, together with the marine railway and shipbuild- ing business of Pocomoke City, we now have seven steam mills, including those in the country whose business is identical with the business of Pocomoke City. Five are saw mills, two of which have planing and grist mills attached ; two are flour and grist mills, one of which has a planing mill attached. There are three shipyards and two marine railways. They employ in the aggregate 160 hands annually, and do an annual aggregated business of $166,000. Before concluding this part of the history of New Town, now Pocomoke City, I would do injustice not to mention the case of Captain John H. Clarke, who is equally deserving of a liberal notice in this history. He was born in 1828 and lived with his father until 1846, at which period his father died. He was then 18 years of age. He farmed for two years and then engaged as hand on board of Captain Elijah Taylor's vessel, which engagement lasted two or three years, during which time he married Captain Taylor's oldest daughter. After this he engaged in partnership with his brother, W. J. S. Clarke, in the vessel business, and they owned sev- eral vessels together. This firm continued, when they entered into the steam mill, Marine railway and ship building business, finally ending in their large transactions. He has served one term, and is at present on his second, as commissioner of the county, with great acceptability. Above all he is recognized as a good and honest man. He owns ten or twelve hundred acres of land, eight or ten houses and lots. Captain Clarke has been an acceptable member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Pocomoke City, for many years, has been twice married; has eight children, five by his first wife and three by his second. He is now fifty-two or three years of age, in the prime of his strong man- hood, with the prospects of the future looming up brightly before him. His oldest son, William E. Clarke, is a whole- sale dry goods merchant in the City of Baltimore, and as he is a native of this place, and as it was here that he received his first business ideas, it is but right and proper that his history should be known. He was born on the 20th day of March, 1851. After receiving such an educa- tion as he was able to get here, he was taken at the age of 12 years into the store of his uncle, W. J. S. Clarke, where he remained three or four years, during which time he was thoroughly drilled by his sagacious uncle, whose business ability is proverbial. At the age of 15 or 16 years his uncle, seeing he had great business qualifications beginning to develop them- selves, took him to Baltimore and placed him with that popular and well-known house, Hurst, Purnell & Co., where he arose step by step from office boy to book- keeper, and has been for several years a partner in that gigantic establishment. Mr. Clarke is quite popular, and as a recognition of that fact, a new steamboat, which was built by Hall, Bro. & Co. and Clarke & Co., which cost $25,000, which has just made its first trip and which will ply between this place and the various tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, has been named after him. William E. Clarke is recognized by all as one of the leading business men of the Monu- mental City. He is 31 years of age, is scarcely in the prime of life, with success and emolument knocking at his door.
CONTINUES NEXT SATURDAY HERE AT THE POCOMOKE PUBLIC EYE.
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