[Salisbury] Defining moment revisited

For most city residents, the phrase "Lake Humphreys Dam" probably doesn't mean a whole lot today.

However, city officials and area historians hope to change that Saturday as they honor the 100th anniversary of the dam breaking in 1909. The destruction of the dam -- created in 1743 to power saw and grist mills -- changed the landscape of Salisbury's downtown forever.

"If the dam hadn't burst, we would have gone on without the large development of Salisbury south of the river," said George Chevallier of the Wicomico Historical Society, who will make a presentation about the event. "The new road that was built just north of where the dam was is now Camden Avenue and contributed significantly to the growth of Salisbury."

Chevallier will talk about the history of Lake Humphreys and the dam. Saturday's ceremony will also feature pictures of the dam and the minutes from the 1909 City Council meeting detailing what officials did in the aftermath.

Chevallier said the failure of the dam ranks high in some of the most defining moments of Salisbury, given the fact that the lake -- named after land owner Thomas Humphreys -- was at the heart of the city's downtown area.

"The breaking of the dam to open up East Main Street is right up there with the Great Fire of 1886, which destroyed all of downtown," he said. "I think these two events are tied for 'most important' in the history of Salisbury."

With the lake gone, city planners had to consider how to best reconfigure the city, said Pete Cooper, who still dealt with the effect of the dam break years later as Salisbury Public Works director.

"It totally changed the map and future of Salisbury; 100 acres of water disappeared and were replaced with mud flats," he said.

With the break, the city suddenly had a surplus of land to develop, Chevallier said.

"The releasing of the water in Humphreys Lake resulted in the exposure of all the land on East Main Street all the way out past what is now Wicomico Middle School," he said. "Half of downtown is the result of land from the Humphreys family that was sold to the Salisbury Realty Co. and developed."

And while the days of a lake sitting in the middle of Salisbury are long gone, Cooper said it's still worth people recognizing it's impact to the Lower Shore.

"It was a very important event for both the city and the county, and I think it's worth remembering," he said.

Chevallier said it also serves as a good discussion topic.

"It is fun to try to imagine what Salisbury would look like if we still had Humphreys Lake," he said.


Courtesy Delmarvanow.com