Time Machine: 100 years ago this week in Pocomoke's newspaper; 2004 feature article.

 

(excerpt)

Pocomoke Public Eye note: In later years Alice R. Young was a longtime editor of The Worcester Democrat.

(See enlarged text below ad)

*October, 2004

(The Pocomoke Public Eye: Newspaper typo- 4th line below should read, "It was sold in the 1990's. Bottom of paragraph should read, "which used to be WDVM."  Note, Pocomoke City's Klein Leister was a financial partner in getting the Ocean City station on the air. The Pocomoke station's name change to WGOP occurred when the corporation owning the station switched call letters sending the WDMV letters to a station it operated on the western shore.  Choppy told a friend, "It broke my heart." Choppy likely felt the same way when fire destroyed the Pocomoke station in August, 2022,)

Salisbury Daily Times

tkforppe@yahoo.com

A page from 1916's Maryland's Colonial Eastern Shore

 

(Continues next Saturday with another page from Maryland's Colonial Eastern Shore.)

Rabid otter injures two-

(WBOC)

TEMPERANCEVILLE, Va. - Two people are being treated for exposure to rabies in Accomack County after health officials say they had a violent encounter with an infected river otter.

(View news story:)

Two treated following encounter with rabid otter in Accomack County | Latest News | wboc.com

Somerset Board of Ed. virtual meeting-

 

Special Called Board Meeting: September 29, 2025 at 5:30PM

Somerset County Public Schools

September 23, 2025

The Somerset County Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 5:30 PM. The meeting will be held virtually and livestreamed on the SCPS Board Meeting YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/boardmeetingscps.

Meeting agendas and supporting documents will be posted when available.

(link to the posting:)

Documents | Somerset County Public Schools

(View related news story:)

Somerset County Board of Ed cites security concerns for move to virtual meetings | Latest News | wboc.com

Time Machine Preview-

This Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye: 

PLUS

A feature article from 2004 on

Pocomoke City's Choppy Layton

(circa late 1950's)

(UPDATED) Crisfield Crab and Clambake-

(View WBOC news stories:)

Community comes together for 48th Annual Crisfield Crab and Clam Bake | Latest News | wboc.com

Politics takes center stage at 48th J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield | Latest News | wboc.com

Consolidation at Wallops--

 

(View Shore Daily News story:)

Wallops and Goddard to consolidate into fewer buildings at each site - Shore Daily News

Carraige rides coming to Chincoteague-

 

(View article:)

Town of Chincoteague Approves Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides | Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Officials: Bay Bridge is safe-

 (WBOC)

Maryland Transportation Authority responded to a photo of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge that went viral on Facebook, with many believing the bridge on the westbound side was not safe.

(View news story:)

Maryland Transportation Authority says Bay Bridge is safe after photo goes viral | Latest News | wboc.com

Will Worcester oversee solar farms?

 (WMDT)

Worcester County Commissioners are looking at ways to control (solar farm) development locally.

(View news story:)

Worcester County officials opposed to solar panel farms without local county oversight - 47abc

We asked.. (1875 Pocomoke to Philly on the RR)

 
What was a typical train ride like from Newtown/Pocomoke to Philadelphia circa 1875?

In 1875, a train ride from Newtown (later named Pocomoke City) to Philadelphia would have been 

a long, bumpy, and dirty journey involving multiple transfers and different railroads. The trip was a significant undertaking, not a simple, direct ride like today, and would have exposed passengers to a mix of discomfort, occasional danger, and the constant buzz of industrial-era technology. 

The route: A complex journey

Because a direct Newtown-to-Philadelphia rail line did not exist in 1875, passengers would have traveled on several different railroad companies' lines to complete the journey. 

• The first leg of the trip would have been on the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad, which later merged with other lines, and involved a number of transfers.
• Travelers would have likely ridden north through towns on the Delmarva Peninsula, connecting to different short-line railroads along the way.
• Eventually, they would have reached a hub such as 
  Wilmington, Delaware
  , where they could catch a train from a major railroad like the Pennsylvania Railroad into Philadelphia. 

Life inside the car

The interior of a standard passenger car in 1875 was a far cry from modern trains.

• Seating: Standard cars featured wooden benches placed crosswise, with a narrow passage down the middle.
• Dirt and cinders: A constant annoyance was the dirt and smoke from the locomotive. Soot and sparks flying from the steam engine would enter through the windows, coating passengers and their belongings in black cinders. The air quality could be poor, especially when passing through tunnels.
• Heating: On cold days, a charcoal or anthracite coal stove in the car's center would provide heat, sometimes becoming red-hot.
• Toilets: Unlike earlier train travel, restrooms were available on many trains by the 1870s. However, they were basic—just a bowl with a hole that emptied directly onto the tracks. 

The experience of the ride

The journey was defined by a constant, rattling motion and noise.

• Bumpy and noisy: The ride was bumpy due to early track technology and hard-sprung cars, making conversation difficult. The noise from the engine and the clanking of the wheels was constant.
• Jolting and jarring: The trains of 1875 had rudimentary brakes, which meant that starting and stopping were often jerky and sudden.
• An uncertain schedule: Timetables were not always reliable, and delays were common. Weather, mechanical failures, or animals on the tracks could stall a trip for hours. 

The constant fear of danger

Passengers during this era faced risks that are largely absent from modern rail travel.

• "Snake heads": A feared danger was the "snake head," where a loose, flat-bar iron rail would come undone and pierce the floor of the train car, impaling unlucky passengers sitting above it.
• "Railway madness": Doctors at the time worried about the psychological effects of the constant motion and noise. They theorized it could lead to "railway madness" or "train psychosis" in some individuals. 

Food and facilities

Passengers had to plan ahead for meals, as dining cars were not standard on all routes, especially shorter ones.

• Passengers often had to make do with whatever food was available at infrequent stops.
• Over time, luxurious dining and parlor cars would be introduced, but these would primarily serve first-class, long-distance routes. 

A changing landscape

For those traveling during this period, the train ride offered a new perspective on the landscape.

• Unfiltered views: Though obscured by dirty windows and cinders, the changing landscape of the Eastern Shore would have unfolded in a new way.
• Signs of the times: Passengers would have witnessed the growing influence of the railroad, from small hovels and stations popping up along the route to the economic and social changes the new infrastructure brought to each town

Time Machine: 100 years ago this week in Pocomoke's newspaper; 1848, 1965.

 

October, 1848

Lancaster Examiner (Pa.)

*September, 1965

(MR. BEARD.  Mrs. George Henderson combs her husband's beard during the weeklong Pocomoke Centennial.  Mr. Henderson won top honors in the beard contest. He hasn't shaved since June.)

(MR. AND MRS. CENTENNIAL. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Duncan of Market St., Pocomoke City, pose in their clothing after they won the Mr. and Mrs. Centennial contest. Mr. Duncan is Worcester County Treasurer.)

(YESTERYEAR. Sales personnel in many of the downtown stores dressed in costumes of past years during the centennial. Here, from left, are Mrs. Thomas Elliot, Robert Judd, and Mrs. Agnes Webb. Mrs. Elliot is the wife of the president of the Jaycees, who are sponsoring the event.)

 

(OLD COSTUMES. Mrs. Marie McKay, left, of Walnut St., and Mrs. Anna Outten, of Stockton Rd., Pocomoke City, discuss some of the activity.)

(INDIAN DANCE. Girl Scouts from Troop 770 dance on the streets in an Indian tribal dance. The girls in Indian costumes danced to the beat of the tom-tom. Girl Scout leader, Mrs. Dan Redden, sits on the pavement, beating on the tom-tom.)

(CENTENNIAL TIME. A giant banner hangs across Market St., Pocomoke City's main street, advertising the Centennial. The 28-member Junior Chamber of Commerce sponsored the activities.)

 

(Salisbury Times)

tkforppe@yahoo.com