Did Ferry Landing road used to have a ferry on it?

RoseRed

American Beauty
PREMO Member
It also had tunnels from the house down to the docks. They existed in 1890's when my great grandmother and her siblings lived in one of the gatehouses.... She had my dad and grandparents there years ago, and pointed out where it was.... Dad hasnt been back since, but I will get him there before he passes. He is 76.

I would be interested to hear about this.
 

ciwmj

New Member
I would be interested to hear about this.


Many of the old places on the Bay and River had tunnels .I lived in an old place that was built in the 1690's ,just south of the Base,the house is no longer there, and it had a tunnel.I was told that the tunnel was used for trading with folks that you didn't want others to know about. Also possibly used in the slave trade or underground railroad . The house that I lived in had a trap door in a closet that had a ladder that led to a tunnel .The tunnel only went for about 50 ft. as it had collapsed over the years. It at one time had led to the Bay, you could see on the surface of the ground the depression of the collapse.
 

RPMDAD

Well-Known Member
Many of the old places on the Bay and River had tunnels .I lived in an old place that was built in the 1690's ,just south of the Base,the house is no longer there, and it had a tunnel.I was told that the tunnel was used for trading with folks that you didn't want others to know about. Also possibly used in the slave trade or underground railroad . The house that I lived in had a trap door in a closet that had a ladder that led to a tunnel .The tunnel only went for about 50 ft. as it had collapsed over the years. It at one time had led to the Bay, you could see on the surface of the ground the depression of the collapse.

Very Very Cool. Love this kind of stuff.
 

RPMDAD

Well-Known Member
It also had tunnels from the house down to the docks. They existed in 1890's when my great grandmother and her siblings lived in one of the gatehouses.... She had my dad and grandparents there years ago, and pointed out where it was.... Dad hasnt been back since, but I will get him there before he passes. He is 76.

Great part of SOMD history outstanding. definitely need either to audio record it or write everything down. Very cool stuff, a lot of the old SOMD history around here is dying off with no real record.
 

steppinthrax

Active Member
As for the question that started the thread, if you look closely on google earth, you can make out the rows of pilings described in the MD historic site survey.

This should work:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=4150...Rd,+Dunkirk,+Calvert,+Maryland+20754&t=h&z=19

Thanks,

This is interesting, I see the google maps. There is a series of old pilings there. I'm curious on the history. It would be nice if there was a ferry that opened up there again. It makes sense since it is the Dunkirk area.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Thanks,

This is interesting, I see the google maps. There is a series of old pilings there. I'm curious on the history. It would be nice if there was a ferry that opened up there again. It makes sense since it is the Dunkirk area.

Ferry to where ?

Few ferrys make any economic sense these days. The number of people to go from Dunkirk to PG on any given day that would be willing to pay money rather than driving an extra 25 minutes is going to be tiny.

A ferrry from somewhere in SOMD to the eastern shore I would have use for. There was a study of the proposal for a private ferry sometime in the late 90s and some local politico is proud to have shot it down. Traffic since has gotten worse, could be worth looking at again.

I have taken ferrys in NC, from New London,CT to Long Island and from Cape May to Lewes,DE. In all cases, it would have been cheaper to drive, but rather than sitting in traffic, I was drinking coffee on the passenger deck. I suspect there would be some commercial traffic willing to use a ferry to carry goods to and from the eaatern shore.
 

corollinout

Member
There is an old warehouse building in the woods at the end of Ferry Landing Road. There is some old equipment, a car, and a trailer in the woods rotting. Best to be seen during winter, as ticks are very heavy down there.
 

So_what

Yes I'm an MPD, But who's
Ferry to where ?

A ferrry from somewhere in SOMD to the eastern shore I would have use for. There was a study of the proposal for a private ferry sometime in the late 90s and some local politico is proud to have shot it down. Traffic since has gotten worse, could be worth looking at again.
I suspect there would be some commercial traffic willing to use a ferry to carry goods to and from the eaatern shore.

Only problem with a ferry from SoMd to Eastern shore is nowhere to connect to easily. From Southern St.Mary's across you'd have to go around Smith's Island towards Crisfield but there's no infrastructure in that area to handle a ferry. Another possibility would be Chesapeake Beach across towards Cambridge area, again no real infrastructure once you got there. Use your Google map, there's no real roads connecting the waterfront to either Cambridge or Crisfield. :shrug:
 

ginwoman

Well-Known Member
Did Old Rolling Road use to roll?

Did Three Notch Road have three notches in it?

Did Great Mills Road use to be great (I doubt that one the most)?

Yes, Three Notch Road did have three notches in in. They were notches in the trees to indicate the trail.
 

Railroad

Routinely Derailed
Ferry to where ?

Few ferrys make any economic sense these days. The number of people to go from Dunkirk to PG on any given day that would be willing to pay money rather than driving an extra 25 minutes is going to be tiny.

A ferrry from somewhere in SOMD to the eastern shore I would have use for. There was a study of the proposal for a private ferry sometime in the late 90s and some local politico is proud to have shot it down. Traffic since has gotten worse, could be worth looking at again.

I have taken ferrys in NC, from New London,CT to Long Island and from Cape May to Lewes,DE. In all cases, it would have been cheaper to drive, but rather than sitting in traffic, I was drinking coffee on the passenger deck. I suspect there would be some commercial traffic willing to use a ferry to carry goods to and from the eaatern shore.

For a while this year I was making frequent trips to the Eastern Shore.

I can SEE the Eastern shore from my house.

But to get there I have to drive 3 freaking hours. :tantrum

For the money spent building and maintaining the Bay Bridge, the State could have bought a whole fleet of ferries and set up a few strategic ferry landings with access. Revenue would have been better, and people would have been much less fatigued by the trip - thus, they would have been safer drivers, and accidents could have been avoided.

Seattle, Washington chose the ferry route, and that infrastructure remains quite successful to this day. Somebody used a little commonsense over there.
 

Railroad

Routinely Derailed
Important note: The Bay Bridge connects what to what? Annapolis the State Capitol, which is close to Baltimore, to the resort area where a lot of rich folks like to live. Who did the movers and shakers take care of? Themselves and their friends.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Only problem with a ferry from SoMd to Eastern shore is nowhere to connect to easily. From Southern St.Mary's across you'd have to go around Smith's Island towards Crisfield but there's no infrastructure in that area to handle a ferry. Another possibility would be Chesapeake Beach across towards Cambridge area, again no real infrastructure once you got there. Use your Google map, there's no real roads connecting the waterfront to either Cambridge or Crisfield. :shrug:

Well, roads and docks can be built. The problem on this side of the eastern shore is that it is so damn shallow. The place that would make sense is Deal Island, Dames Quarter somewhere around there. 12 miles to US 13. Still would need some dredging which gets everybody upset.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
For a while this year I was making frequent trips to the Eastern Shore.

I can SEE the Eastern shore from my house.

But to get there I have to drive 3 freaking hours. :tantrum

Came back from Chincoteague on sunday afternoon :doh:

Get a plane, learn to fly it. From the airport in Leonardtown, Salisbury is a 26min flight in even a slow trainer plane.

For the money spent building and maintaining the Bay Bridge, the State could have bought a whole fleet of ferries and set up a few strategic ferry landings with access. Revenue would have been better, and people would have been much less fatigued by the trip - thus, they would have been safer drivers, and accidents could have been avoided.

They had that for 200 years, the Bridge is a good thing. With all the money collected from tolls, they should be able to add a third bridge by now.


Seattle, Washington chose the ferry route, and that infrastructure remains quite successful to this day. Somebody used a little commonsense over there.

Bremerton wouldn't exist without the military, Bainbridge is nothing but a suburb, the rest of the Olympic peninsula is spotted owls and loggers. Not sure western WA state is a great example of the ferry system working as an economic engine.
 
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