When Pocomoke Was Young- A continuing weekly feature.

(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.

(Old Winter Quarter is referenced and highlighted about three quarters way into this section.) 

 TRADES, ETC. 

The house and ship-carpentering has been represented 
by the following named persons : House carpenters were 
William Beauchamp, William Wheeler, Capt. Benjamin 
Hall, Henry Beauchamp, Wrixham Burnett, William 
McMaster, James Benson, Henry Coston, Jesse L. Long, 
William H. C. Long, Littleton Duer, Edgar Duer, Francis 
Duer, Ralph Ross, John Richards, Jun., Thomas Davis, 
John Merrill, John Bevans, James Broughton, Edward 
Davis, Edward Merrill. Edward Ross. Ship carpenters 
were Jesse Henderson, Jacob Riggin, John Carsley, Peter 
Carsley, Frank Whittington, E. James Tull, Henry Tapt- 
man, Wm. Smith, Samuel Richardson, Silvanus Maddux, 
James McDaniel, Edward Mills, Thomas Thorington, 
William H. McDaniel, Jesse Taptman, William Lankford, 
Alfred Lankford, Christopher Schillinger, William Bonne- 
well, Alfred Herbert, Alfred Mills, Thomas Jones, John 
J. Dickinson, Charles Williams, John E. Tull, Joseph L. 
Hitch, Hargis Hayman, Curtis Tull, James Ford, Thomas 
Sears, Wm. R. Jones, James Bonnewell, Edward Townsend, 
Tobe Bonnewell, John Crammer, Albert Henderson, Silas 
Ellis, William H. Matthews, Harry Whittington, William 
Cathel, Noah Dutton, Levin Dutton, John J. Deputy, 
Samuel Gibbons, John O. Fitzgerald, Capt. John Fitz- 
gerald, Jesse Crockett, Charles Crockett, John Foster, Jr., 
John Foster, Sr., Julius Henderson, Caleb Dickinson, 
Walter Hughes and Frank Jones. 

In connection with ship-carpentering we have the follow- 
ing caulkers: James H. Gardner, Isaac Fisher, Henry 
Henson, Grant Long, William Sturgis and John Somerneld. 

The blacksmith business has been represented by the 
following named persons: Joshua Sturgis, Ephraim Town- 
send, Matthias N. Lindsey, George W. Landing, Major 
T. and Jerome B. Hall, George Hall, William and John 
Paradee, Lycurgus Stevenson, Wilmer Mills, RufUs Ste- 
venson, John Foley, the Messrs. Hayman, Isaac Dennis, 
John G. Angelo, Alexander Harris and William Banks. 

As the idea of improvement is one object in this 
history, I desire to call attention to one name, and that is 
George W. Landing. 

He was raised but a few miles from this place on a 
farm. At a suitable age he was apprenticed to a man in 
Berlin, Worcester County, to learn the blacksmith business. 
After serving his apprenticeship he came to New Town 
and established himself in business. It was not long 
before he invented a new plow, this plow was an iron 
mouldboard and point all made in one piece, when the 
point wore out he would weld to it another; previous to 
this the plows had wooden mould boards with an iron 
point fastened to them. In the invention of this plow, 
Mr. Landing attained great celebrity as a blacksmith. He 
worked hard and had a constitution to stand it; made 
money and took care of it. He, however, became an 
aspirant for political fame, retired from the blacksmith 
shop, and was so successful in his aspirations, that he 
could be elected to the legislature over almost any candi- 
date that might oppose him. In his political career he 
went by the name of the Old Blacksmith. He has, 
however, retired in a great measure from politics and 
business life, having possessed himself of considerable 
property, and is nearing the sixty-fifth year of his age. 

The coopering business, in the earlier history of New 
Town, was carried on very extensively, it was, however, 
confined exclusively to making tubs and buckets; there 
were six pieces, flitting in each other, from the cooler to 
the wash tub, which was called a nest of ware. Men 
became so expert in its manufacture, that they have made 
as high as eight nests a day. The nest of ware, when 
bound with iron hoops, would sell for one dollar and 
twenty-five cents; when bound with wooden hoops, for 
fifty cents. The manufacture of this ware, as late as 1845 
became so extensive, that the ware received the appella- 
tion of New Town currency. 

Since 1845, the business has dwindled so, that today, it 
is becoming obsolete, there being only two or three per- 
sons in the place who make a few buckets and do some 
repairing. 

About 1 Si 5, (?) Rev. James Tilghman and General Ebenezer 
Hearn commenced the tanning business, in New Town. 
After Mr. Tilghman died, which event occurred in 1816, 
General Hearn carried the business on in his own name, 
until Gibson Cannon, a relative of his, who had served an 
apprenticeship with him, became of age, when he took 
him in as a partner. Mr. Cannon did not, however, con- 
tinue in the business but a few years before he withdrew 
on account of feeble health. When another apprentice of 
General Hearn's, John S. Mills became of age, he then 
was taken as a partner by General Hearn. This firm 
continued until Mr. Mills died, which event took place 
about the year 1844. General Hearn still continued the 
business, but now, in his own name again, until 1851 or 2, 
when he sold out to John W. Quinn. Mr. Quinn con- 
ducted the business until 1854 or 55, when he closed out. 

In 1861, Levin Atkinson and George Hargis estab- 
lished themselves in the business, which firm continued but 
a few years, when Mr. Hargis sold out to Mr. Atkinson- 
Mr. Atkinson conducted the business until a short time 
before he died, which event transpired in October, 1877. 
Since that time the tanning and currying trade, as a sepa- 
rate branch of manufacturing has ceased to be carried on 
in Pocomoke City. All who have carried on the tanning 
and currying business in New Town, without an excep- 
tion, have passed away. 

A tribute to the practical mechanics, engaged in the 
tanning and currying trade, in New Town, is in place just 
here. General Ebenezer Hearn was born in Sussex 
County, Delaware, March the 7th, 1792. Mr. Hearn 
served an apprenticeship in Delaware. After he was of 
age, he went to Modest Town, Accomac County, Va., and 
worked journey work for Mr. Lippincott of that place. He 
did not however, continue long in Modest Town before 
he came to New Town and engaged, as above stated, in 
the business with Rev. James Tilghman. Some years 
after this he married the oldest daughter of Dr. Steven- 
son. He soon began to be prosperous in his business- 
In the course of time he purchased a tract of land called 
Cowley, but more familiarly known as Old Winter Quar- 
ter. This tract of land he purchased of Mr. John Stevens, 
a regular descendant of Col. William Stevens, of colonial 
fame. As Old Winter Quarter has been a place of 
renown, the reader may be anxious to know something 
more about it. It adjoins Pocomoke City; in fact, the 
dwelling and principal part of the farm is within the 
corporation of the town. When General Hearn pur- 
chased it, it was a perfect wilderness; was interspersed 
with branches, sand hills, mud and swamp, where the 
yew pawns and prickly pears grew, and where it is 
said, bears were numerous, and old Blue Beard lived. 
These were terrible scarecrows to the boys when they 
would go into Winter Quarter yew pawning. Many a farce 
has been played upon strangers in getting them to dig in 
the sand hills of Winter Quarter for Blue Beard's money 
which, it has been said, that he buried there. 

Here Mr. Hearn built his house, which yet remains a 

fine one. Probably, about this time, he was chosen 

captain of militia. He now was called Captain Hearn; 

subsequently he was placed upon the Governor's Staff, as 

one of his aids, with the title of Colonel, he now was 

called by that title, and later again he received the title of 

General, since which time, he was called General Hearn to 
the day of his death. 

General Hearn was a man of pleasure, he was fond of 

fox hunting and a game of chess; he also became a great 

politician, of the Whig party, and has been elected to 

the legislature of Maryland oftener, probably, than any 

other man in Worcester County, in his day. He was kind 

and genial, calm and even in his disposition, and never in 

a hurry, and was very popular. He was independent in 

his circumstances, and when he died he left a handsome 
estate to his children. He died January 13th, 1854, in 
the 62nd year of his age, honored and respected by all 
who knew him, and was buried in the family burying 
ground, in Winter Quarter. 

Gibson Cannon was born in Sussex County, in the State 
of Delaware. During his partnership with General 
Hearn, he married Miss Elizabeth Sturgis, in 1832. His 
health, as before stated, was so feeble as to compel a 
change; consequently he went to merchandising at Cot- 
tingham's Ferry; here he continued for three or four 
years, when in 1839, July the 3rd, he died, being, at the 
time of his death, in the 34th year of his age. He was 
buried in the Protestant Episcopal Church burying 
ground, of Pocomoke City. Mr. Cannon left a widow 
and two children, who are still living; his widow and 
daughter are living in this place; his son, Clayton, 
is living in the City of Baltimore. 

As Mr. Cannon is a native of this place, it gives me 
pleasure to state that he is an enterprising business man 
of the monumental city. At the age of fifteen years he 
entered the store of Colonel William H. Merrill as clerk 
and continued one year, then he went to Baltimore and 
engaged with Gibson & Co., auctioneers, at the age of six- 
teen, here he continued one year. At the age of seven- 
teen, he entered the wholesale dry goods house of Lewis, 
Drost & Co. How long he continued in this situation I 
cannot say, but from there he entered a savings bank, 
then in the course of time, he procured a situation in one 
of the National Banks of the City, then again, he accepted 
a situation as cashier, in a bank in Annapolis. From 
there he returned to Baltimore and entered the Trader's 
National Bank as cashier, which situation he still holds. 
Clayton Cannon had to make his own mark. I need not 
tell the reader how well he has done it. He now ranks 
well with the banking businessmen of Baltimore, with an 
unspotted character, at the age of forty- six years. 

After Gibson Cannon retired from the tanning and 
currying business, General Hearn took John S. Mills, who 
had just finished his apprenticeship, as a partner in the 
business. Mr. Mills continued in this firm until he died. 
He died quite a young man, and left a widow, and one 

child by his first wife: that child is the Rev. Joseph L. 
Mills, D. D., of the Methodist Protestant Church.

 CONTINUES NEXT SATURDAY HERE AT THE POCOMOKE PUBLIC EYE.