1893 Map of Sharps Island

About this map

Sharps Island stands at the center of this late nineteenth-century maritime landscape, a landmass that has notably changed in the decades since this survey. Located at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Little Choptank River, the island is shown with the Sharps I. Light marking the vital shipping channels of the Eastern Shore. The coastline of Talbot and Dorchester counties is defined by a complex network of necks and coves, where water-dependent life centered on Tilghman Island and the village of Tilghman. Maritime navigation is the primary focus, with the Knapp Narrows providing a critical passage between the bay and the mainland. The detailed hydrography and named points, such as Black Walnut Pt. and Cook Pt., illustrate a geography shaped by the oyster trade and bay commerce before modern erosion significantly altered these shorelines.