Crisfield, Maryland, just across the Bay from this area was founded in 1666 and was originally known as Annemessex. (The Annemessex were an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia.) Sail Cove was its second name, but once oyster beds were discovered and the railroad was available courtesy of John W. Crisfield, the name was changed again.
The town prospered and was known as the leading oyster-producing city in the United States. By 1904 with the crabbing industry in full swing, Crisfield was the second largest city in Maryland, known as the seafood capital of the world.
In 1946 Egbert I. Quinn, editor of the Crisfield Times, started the National Hard Crab Derby to celebrate the town’s rich crabbing history. His idea was to honor the local crabbing tradition during Labor Day weekend. Quinn’s idea has grown continued growing over its 79 years. The three-day celebration for 2025 recently ended.
To add to the crab-picking contest and the crab race...