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Agriculture has been the basis of life on the Upper Eastern Shore for more than 375 years.
Countless generations of farmers and planters have worked the rich soils here. The land has produced great wealth and prosperity for some. For others the land was a place of toil and suffering under
slavery and indentured servitude. Throughout this history, the land has provided the necessities of life for those who can work it and make it produce. Today, this history can be seen in the landscape as
agriculture continues to be a major sector of local economies, evident throughout the four-county area.
Following their arrival from Europe, farmers quickly spread out across the land and established
farms. By 1800, every corner of the region had been settled. This history can be seen along every stretch of road. Old farmhouses, overgrown and abandoned barns, and corn cribs dot the fields. Historic
mills recall the old ways of life. Mills were regional centers of activity and gathering places, fueling the development of towns like Centreville and Trappe. After water-powered mills became obsolete, this
development stopped. Today, Trappe looks much as it did at the turn of the century.
At the end of the 19th century, fruit and vegetable production was at its apex. Canneries filled
railroad towns and lined rivers. Caroline County was the regional mecca for canning. It boasted more than 200 canneries. Few of these facilities remain, but their buildings stand along the wharves of
towns like Denton. Marking the more recent past, train depots and tracks, grain scales and elevators stand as contemporary monuments to the region’s agricultural legacy.
Because agriculture has diminished in importance during the 20th century, many components of the rail
network no longer function in their original capacity. For instance, many depots no longer serve passengers. Some have been converted into museums or other public uses; others have been abandoned.
Many abandoned rail lines have become opportunities for rail-to-trail adaptations. This has been accomplished in Easton, and similar efforts are underway in Caroline and Kent Counties.
Not all crops produced on the Upper Eastern Shore are shipped to national and global markets.
Corn is sold to local chicken farmers for feed. Fruits and vegetables are sold to residents and travelers throughout the shore region at farmer’s markets along roadsides and in town squares like Chestertown’s
Fountain Square.
On the whole, agriculture is ubiquitous and sites are found in every corner of the four counties.
Virtually every place on the Upper Eastern Shore region was cultivated, and agricultural resources are distributed evenly. The age and type of the agriculture resources can be divided, however. Older and
colonial-era sites are generally found on the hydric, coastal soils. More contemporary sites are located on prime soils farther inland where agriculture and agribusiness continue to be dominant factors in
local economies. Historic mills are generally found along waterways, whereas grain elevators and storage facilities are located near rail lines.
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