SHORTER'S WHARF LIGHT DORCHESTER

SHORTERS WHARF LIGHT

DORCHESTER COUNTY MARYLAND

Shorter's Wharf is on the Blackwater River in the area of

Robbins and Robbins Landing. The road leading there is Shorter's Wharf

Road. It was along this road that a Seaford minister, Rev Robert Hurst,

on his way to Shorter's Wharf community as he had done many tines, just

as the lights of the homes at the Wharf came into view, a bright light

suddenly caught his eye, coming from the east it hit the rear of his car and

as he said “ grabbed hold “. Hurst hit the gas, but the light stayed within

five feet of his car. He could not outrun the light nor could he shake it

off. Then he stopped his car, and as quickly as the light approached , it

disappeared into the woods.

The Rev. Hurst had seen the Shorter's Wharf Light, also called Cal's Light by locals.

Cal's Light has a weird background , and a Shorter's Wharf

resident, Art Abbott , knew all about the light. He had seen it hundred

of times. His first look at the light was in 1920 when he was 17 years

old, out duck hunting, at his duck blind at Swan Pond. It was getting dark, I was gathering things to leave when I saw it about a mile away. He ran,

but could not get away from t he light as it moved with jet speed and

would 'strike' a few yards behind him. When he reached his boat up the

creek, got in, tuned to take another look, the light sat on the edge of the creek bank, then 'went out'.

Art's father, Carl , had been the first to be known to 'touch' the light.

It was in 1917, he and Mack Willey were on the Blackwater River one

night and ahead of them they both saw the light resting on the bank of

the river, moving very slowly, like it was shivering. Soon the gap between

the men and the light closed in, Abbott reached our to grab it but there was nothing to hold on to, it was a fog, neither hot nor cold. That's why

the local's call it Cal's, after Carl Abbott.

Abbott saw the light many years later, and in his old age, on his

death bed, the light, appeared less that a hundred feet from his house,

bounced off the bow of his boat into the dark woods. Abbott died soon

after.

The Shorter's Wharf Light has been known to foretell death,

and appears at Sandy Island Grave Yard when some one in the area

is on their death bed. .

You will not see the light during daylight, nor on the western side of

Shorter;s Wharf Road..

It is not a marsh gas light and why not ?

1938, five hunters were on a marsh path walking in the early

morning darkness , talking about the light, when all of a sudden someone yells “there she is “ and for sure there it was, at the mouth of Blackwater

River., the size of a basket ball, it was still. Then it bounced for a few

seconds, then came straight at the hunters fast as all hell was loose.

It closed a 10 mile gap between the hunters in less than 10 seconds. The

five hunters were 400 yards from the woods when the light came past them,

with a six foot long blazing tail and dove into the woods to disappear..

Yes sir, that light is there alright, no two ways about that.

Arthur Abbott describes the light. At first sight it is small, shaped like

a ball, bounces a bit before it moves and darts away. The faster it moved

the brighter the light gets until it is blueish white. Going over the marsh

it appeared to be floating and had a orange harvest moon color. Of all

the places in the swamp for it to go, it has to come up to you. The only time

` it fly’s higher that 12 feet up is when its in the tree at the grave yard. When

still it has a jettery motion and never stays in one place very long. No

one had been hurt by the light as far as it is known.

Arthur Abbott has told about one time he and another friend were going

across the marsh at night and the light came at them, fast. When it reached

them, a few yards apart, it slowed to follow for at least 5 minutes.

1934, Wilson Abbott, Arthur's brother, who lived a mile back off the road,

had seen the light many times, was on his deathbed, the light came and

sat on the sill several minutes. Wilson died shortly after.

In September 1966 , 9 o'clock at night, the light predict another

death. Several people traveling the Shorter's Wharf Road, while near

the Sandy Island Graveyard, saw the light in the tallest tree there for

nearly a half and hour. At 11 o'clock that night, Dorothy Abbott, a

Blackwarter resident and Abbott relation, was killed in an auto accident at

Jacktown intersection.

For the past 100 years of history, it's noted, the Shorter Wharf Light has

it favorite “ haunts “. Seen at Piney Island, along the Blackwater, it

shoots across to Piney Landing, then to Wroten Graveyard, then to the

Sandy Island graveyard and on up the Swan Road.

Mrs Ted Abbott, has told of watching it for two hours bouncing on Shorter's

Wharf Bridge. She noted that whenever a car crossed the bridge , Cal's

Light went out, but came back on as the car was over the bridge.

The Robbins Back Landing incidence with Abbott his wife and two

friends, waited there an hour and a half, no light. Just as the car starter

turned over, here comes the light, shoot out of darkness, right to the car

door handle, there it stayed as the auto tore out of this place.

The Emerson Slacum story. Emerson, a grown man of strength, feared

neither man nor beast, with a partner and his extra fine pack of dogs,

were racoon hunting in the dark of night. They were on Sandy Island near

the graveyard, where everyone knows there is nothing there to harm you.

Off they go, through the dark and the forest and undergrowth. After a

few minutes the dogs picked up a coon trail, running and barking through

the underbrush to a tree where they stopped and Slacum thought they had

'treed' a racoon, but none was found . This procedure was repeated four

time with 'no racoon'. What made the dogs, the best pack around these

parts, act so wild. Then there it was, atop the tallest tree, the bright light.

Slacum and partner, dogs and all lost no time getting out of the marsh,

never to return lookin for racoons.

Marsh gas, methane or phosphorous, car or boat lights, soneone with

a search light, have all been ruled out. Whatever it is made of continues

to haunt and travel the marsh at Shorter's Wharf and if you want to see it,

go to Robbins Back Landing, the first left lane after crossing the bridge

at Shorter's Wharf, going towards Robbins and wait. If at firsts you don't

see it, come back until you do. It is there, the light, many “ things “ are

stranger than science.

An abstract from “ Between The Blackwater And The Nanticoke ', the

history and legend of Eastern Dorchester County, 1967 , by Bruce

Neal Stump. Harrison H, 12/29/2018 for www.delmarhistory.blogspot.com