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.

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.