POPLAR ISLAND OF THE CHESAPEAKE

POPLAR ISLAND 1877

There were only four property owners of property on Poplar Islands in 1877 through the

1880's. They were Captain Howeth, H. N. Sherwood, Captain D. Jones and the

Carroll estate on Cobblers Nexk. Until the 1920's fifteen families made their home there.

Valliant's Store with the post office was located on the smallest island. The larger island

had the school house which also served as the church, a saw mill, graveyard, a road to

at least a half dozen farms. Coaches Island, a separate island, also had several families.

The poplar Island farmers grew tomatoes, tobacco, watermelon, cantaloupe, corn and wheat.

The wheat was threshed with a steam engine powered thresher which now is said to lie about

one eighth mile off shore under water. They used oxen and horses to do the pulling of other

equipment. The people rode horses or walked as there were no carriages. Neither did they

have electricity.

Former Poplar resident Ida Richardson, now living in Tilghman, at age 87 says the church was always almost full but no preacher lived on the island. In the same building she

remembered going to school to Joseph Valiant,”a right good teacher” last ever on the

island..

Sail canoes were the main vessel to each the mainland and oyster's were a good harvest from

the “Poplar Pot”, the natural harbor of the islands chain. Fish, especially rock fish were

plentiful.

Nannie Howeth,87 years old, also former resident, also lived in Tilghman, around the corner

from Ida Nannie was widow of Harvey Howeth, died at age 88. They married 7 June 1916,

lived on Poplar for four years until the brothers, Jim an Charles, sold the farms. This is the

farm the burial plot was on “ever to remain undisturbed according the deed, not accounting

for the effect of the Chesapeake.

Poplar Island was left to the moonshiners. In 1929 Federal Revenuers raided it, arrested

five, seized their yacht, and smashed the thousand gallon still.

Source: Eugene Meyer's “Maryland, Lost & Found”. 1986. Abstract December 13, 2017

by HARRISON HOWETH.