TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

1963.. The Governor is undecided, Worcester officials oppose it; what's the issue?; 1962..  Pocomoke City physician dies in auto accident; 1892.. Somerset County farmers snub state roadwork law; 1891.. Onancock holding a grand celebration; 1944.. Thanksgiving Dinner at a popular Salisbury restaurant; and more of the observations written by a visitor to Chincoteague in 1903. 

Although you may not find all of these items in a history book, they are a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye!  

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about?  It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

NOT GUILTY

 I-N-N-O-C-E-N-T

The Judge said that I am "argumentative" and I agreed, in fact I said "yes your honor I am 'VERY' argumentative. When you go to court and you are a defendant isn't it your or your attorneys job to argue? 

I told the judge that I removed the tags and why I removed the tags and that I didn't think that it was anyone's business why I removed "MY" tags from 'MY' car, in 'MY' yard etc. etc. and he agreed. 

The judge also caught Morgan in a lie (somewhat) and you could tell that did not go over well.

Oh well, anyway the judge agreed with me that I "had a reasonable expatiation of privacy",     

The verdict of me VS Morgan and PCPD. NOT GUILTY!

PLEASE Register Today!

PLEASE

Register Today! 

for the November

General Membership Luncheon

TOMORROW

Wednesday,

November 19

$12.00

Location:

Don's Seafood & Chicken House

1344 Ocean Hwy

Pocomoke City, MD

21851

12 - 1 PM

Featured Speakers:

Mary Brad Lambertson

Branch Executive Director

Lower Shore YMCA

Pocomoke 

and 

Dr. Jerry Wilson,

Superintendent

Worcester County

Public Schools

A Follow-Up:

Progress & Programs

Register at

pocomoke.com or

email Deb at pocomokechamber@gmail.com

Bob Jones‎Worc. Co., MD, History, Bob Jones, Coordinator

November 12 ·

 

"USS Pocomoke" received two battle stars for World War II Service: 

 

 

We see her here, 3 February 1943, location unknown. Note that her maintenance deck is crowded with single engine fighters.

Worcester County took pride in lending the name of its only river to a ship commissioned as the "USS Pocomoke," 18 July 1941, with John D. Price in command. It had a length of 492', a beam of 69' 6", and a draft of 21' 2". During the Second World War, both the American Navy built a number of seaplane tenders to supplement their aircraft carrier fleets. 

the Sweepers who kept the decks clean

 

The tenders allowed the aircraft, generally for long-range reconnaissance patrols, to be rapidly deployed to new bases because their runways did not have to be constructed, and support facilities were mobile much like supply ships for submarines or destroyers.

 

Relief from military tedium and war-time anxiety

During World War II, the "USS Pocomoke" was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Bougainville operation

Supporting air actions, 27 October 1943 to 1 May 1944 Western Caroline Islands operation

Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944

Marianas operation, Capture and occupation of Saipan, 17 June to 10 August 1944 

Christmas at sea

 

The photos taken aboard the "USS Pocomoke" come from the collection of Anthony Martiliano, who served on the ship. Here is the link: http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/41/4109c.htm I do not know if anyone from Worcester County was ever part of the crew though I am sure it would have been mentioned in our Worcester newspapers of the period. I add this particular post as part of our observance of Veterans' Day and our salute to those who gave up part of their lives so that we could keep ALL of ours.

TIME MACHINE... 1997, 1886, 1944, 1920, 1840, 1903.

"Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore."  Our tradition runs deep.  Excerpt from a letter to the editor from a visitor to Newtown, (former name of Pocomoke City) published in the Baltimore Sun, April 28,1847.

This place (Newtown) is a pretty snug little village, containing about 500 clever and hospitable inhabitants; it has good wide streets, quite clear of that "eye sore," known mostly over the Peninsula by the name of "deep sand"; the houses, though built of frame, are generally built substantially and with some discretion and taste; there are two neat, new, and quite handsome frame churches in it; as for the merchants of the place, suffice it to state that they are very clever and hospitable.  F. Mezick, Esq., the landlord with whom I stopped, and his very obliging and jolly assistant, are richly deserving of a passing notice, for the good treatment and the extension of the many civilities to "the stranger."


(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)

August, 1997
The Capital (Annapolis, Md)

Salisbury dorms are now wired for Net

Salisbury (AP)-  Students at Salisbury State University will have 24-hours access to electronic mail and the Internet in their drom rooms this fall, thanks to a crew of two dozen students that wired 1,735 rooms this summer.

The $1.2 project will improve communication with professors and shorten the line outside the campus' eight computer labs, said senior Wade Laye, who was among the students who signed up to do the wiring at $7.50 an hour.

"Tension goes up and students get frustrated because everyone waits until the last minute to start their papers," Mr. Laye said.

Campus housing officials estimated last year that 40 percent of students have a personal computer, but they only had an Internet connection if they signed up with a private  provider for about $20 a month.

Salisbury State's network connection will cost $30 for the whole Fall semester. Students still must provide the hardware.

Salisbury state trimmed the cost of the project by using student labor under the supervision of PrimeNet of Baltimore.

The original project estimate was $1.6 million.

November, 1866
Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) 

THE FATAL AFFRAY AT SNOW HILL.- The Snow Hili (Md.) Shield gives the particulars of the affray between two respectable citizens in that town on the evening of the 9th instant, which resulted in the death of Mr. Littleton J.
Richardson, at the hands of Mr. Jas. K. Purnell. The Shield says "the affray took place in the saloon of Mr. J. B. Kies, corner of Market and Pearl streets, shortly after the closing of the polls. It seems that some angry words had some minutes previously passed between the parties, (not of a political character, for each had voted the same ticket,) which was renewed upon a second meeting, a scuffle ensured, and  while Mr. Purnell was down upon the floor, and Mr. Richardson standing over him, the latter was shot by the former through the lungs, which proved fatal in about ten minutes.  Mr. Purnell gave himself up, and an investigation was had before Squire Russell, when he was released on $5,000 bail to answer a court, E. K. Wilson and Geo. W. Covington, Esqs., entering in one-half the amount, and the principal himself in the other. Mr. Richardson leaves a distressed wife and eight children (three of them small) to mourn him. He has two daughters married."

June, 1944 (Time Machine archive)

A Pocomoke area road construction project was one of twelve in Maryland for which Governor Herbert R. O'conor requested priority consideration from the federal government.  The project would involve relocation and rebuilding nine miles of a 24 foot lane of an ultimate dual highway on Route 13 from Pocomoke to the Virginia line.  The cost would be $665,000.  The governor's plea to the Facilities Review Board of the War Production Board stressed the urgency of the twelve projects from a safety and traffic requirements standpoint.

April, 1920
Marylander And Herald (Princess Anne)

"MIRACLE MAN" COMING

Firemen To Have Great Picture On April 26th With Vaudeville

(Excerpts)

"The Miracle Man," the greatest picture ever produced by motion picturedom, which has been causing such a great sensation in New York and elsewhere, will be shown on April 26th at the Auditorium, Princess Anne. The picture was to have been shown on April 9th, but owing to the great demand for it all over the country the date had to be postponed until the 26th.

This wonderful picture story is now being shown in the big cities for prices ranging from 75-cents to $2.50, and the price here will be 50-cents.  The firemen wanted to give the people of our town the best that money could buy, and they feel secure that they have obtained the par excellence of what the country affords.

In addition to the picture there will be five vaudeville acts by the youngsters, which should keep those happy who do not like pictures. The proceeds of the entertainment will be used to start a fund to buy an automobile fire engine of the latest improved type.

October, 1840
The Sun (Baltimore)

CAN ANY OF THE YANKEES BEAT THIS?-  The Worcester (Md.) Banner states that a pumpkin has been raised in that county, which measured seven and a half feet in circumference. Would not that make a lot of pies for thanksgiving day?


(A visitor to Chincoteague writes his observations)

August, 1903
The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Va.)

PART 5 (continued from last week)

Swlmmlng appears to be almost natural. Everybody is as much at home in the water as on land. One of the first sights I saw when I came over from Wishart's Point in the launch that carries the mail was a dozen boys, from six to ten years old, sporting in the water near the wharf, clad in bright colored trunks of the scantiest character.

Living is expensive in Chincoteague, despite the fact that every variety of sea food is right at hand. But flour and meal, meat of every character, poultry and eggs, groceries, of course, and all fuel, have to be brought from the outside. A leadlng man here told me he believed it was possible to clear a thousand dollars a year raising eggs and poultry on the island. Very few are raised. Ducks and geese are seen much more frequently than chickens. I was struck with the small number of dogs.

Everybody knows everybody else on Chlncoteague. Perhaps not more than 5 per cent of the inhabitants were born off the island. There are said to be factions and more or less dissension among the people, but none of this was apparent to me. There was a jollity, freedom of speech and manner, and propensity to "skylark" among the men, young and old, that is not found generally. I saw a man in front of the hotel this morning knock a pipe out of the mouth of a friend with whom he had been talking and then run to escape punishment.

Chincoteaguers work hard in the oyster season. I have not seen many men at work since I have been here, and it has always been easy to find a group of six or a dozen men who are ready to talk indefinitely. And to me it is about the best talking I have heard in a long time. The quaint language,  the rich flavor of the sea in all conversation, the sailor like directness of speech, are all wonderfully pleasing, and make it hard for one to tear himself away and work. "Peculiosity" and "phenomity" are two words I have added to my vocabulary since I came to Chincoteague.

The Chincoteague people have not had the school advantages which many of them desire, yet in recent years the sons of several men have gone to college from this island, and there were Chlncoteague boys in two or three Virginia colleges last year.

(More from this article next Sunday.)

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about?  It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!



"Somewhere Over The
Rainbow Bluebirds
fly.."

Flying On For JMMB.
Her Pocomoke Public
Eye postings (April,
2008 to June, 2014) 
kept us informed.