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Virgin forests dominated the landscape when white settlers first explored the land now known as Cecil County. The only trails within the thick vegetation were thin Native American paths known only to the native people. The best way for settlers to travel the new land was by water. Soon after the pioneers arrived, trading posts and crude lodges were built near the shore. Ferries were then constructed to transport travelers across streams, and inns and taverns were built to service the weary wayfarers. Civilization and commerce evolved at ferry and shipping centers throughout the county. Beginning
with Capt. John Smith's original exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in 1608, Cecil County has developed and maintained a cultural connection with its five main rivers and a large canal. Where mills, factories, waterfowl, and fisheries once provided sustenance for the county's residents, today recreational boating, fishing, and nature tourism bring jobs and entertainment.

With fortunes that have ebbed and flowed with the tides, Annapolis has graced the banks of the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay since the seventeenth century. Generations have worked the docks, sailed its waters and hunted for Chesapeake Gold--oysters--even as the city became home to a proud military tradition in the United States Naval Academy. Local author Rosemary F. Williams presents a vivid image of Annapolis with tales of violent skirmishes between the dashing Captain Waddell and crews of outlaw oyster poachers, the crabbing rage of the twentieth century, feisty shipwright Benjamin Sallier and the city's Golden Age of Sailing. Williams's fluid prose and stunning vintage images chronicle the maritime history of this capital city and reveal its residents' deep connection to the ever-shifting waters.