Mewhiter’s Drug Store and Del Curry’s Eatery

First photo: Here’s Mewhiter’s early drug store on the corner of Bohemia Avenue and Second Street. The lady is Miriam Hamilton Watson and the man is unidentified. Please let me know if you recognize him.

Second photo: This is inside Delmar Curry’s tiny restaurant, circa 1930. It was located just next to Franklin Hall, towards the canal. I don’t remember Del or the building, but John Vaughn told me about him and his shop; John said that Del made very good oyster stew. In his youth Delmar worked on one of the Ericsson Line steamers.

Charles Tatman’s Store, Two Views

First photo: This is Tatman’s Self Service Market after a snow storm in the early fifties. I remember the store and the Tatman family very well. The store was located on the corner of Bohemia Avenue and Second Street, directly across from the American Store (now our town hall). This was also the site of Marins gift shop and, before that, the location of our post office, as well as many other establishments over the years. Note the initials, R.G.E, printed on the store front. Can anyone tell me what they stand for? Just to the right of the store was Dr. Smithers’ home and office. He was our town dentist.

Second photo: Here is the inside of Tatman’s market, with Charles behind the counter. I don’t know who the girl is. If anyone does, please let me know.

Early Bank with Fletch Nickerson

Here’s the National Bank building, constructed in 1903 with Port Deposit granite, where I got my first loan at 6% interest. You can see that the World War I memorial plaque had not been placed. The building would later become our Town Hall and is now a gift shop.

Here is popular banker, Fletch Nickerson, with his ever-present stogie. How many bankers today can enjoy that on-the-job pleasure? He made sure my father signed for me before he Okayed the loan.

Two Views Trinity Methodist Church, circa 1910

First photo: This is an early picture of the church that was completed in 1889. It, along with our early bank, was constructed of Port Deposit granite. The house at left was to become the home of Eel Ireland and his wife, Naomi.

Second photo: Here’s another view with Birdie Battersby’s former house just left of the church. In 1936 the house caught on fire and was extinguished by our fire department. Raymond Whiteoak told me this about the construction of the church: “My father, Clifford, said that my grandfather hauled all the building materials for the church with a team of horses and a wagon. Well, he would drop off the materials to the workers. Then he’d go and get whiskey and get them all drunk. It’s funny. Not many people know that their church was built by workers drinking my grandfather’s liquor.”

Two Early Churches

First photo: Here’s the early church that stood on the site of where the Trinity Methodist Church exists today on the corner of Bohemia Avenue and Third Streets. Certain school classes were held here, also. Notice the gas light and the hitching post.

Second photo: This is the Trinity Methodist Church in the early 1900s. The Blue Max can be seen in the distance, with a widow's walk that once was there. Eloise Davis, when I talked with her about the church, remembered that there was a grave yard in the lot. She said that when the building was being renovated she saw a girl walking down the street with a bone that had been uncovered during excavation.

Early Chesapeake City School

First photo: Here is the school that my father graduated from in 1925. It was located on Third Street, up close to the street in front of the present elementary school. Walter Cooling told me that one day he got tired of the boring classroom so he jumped out the window of the room at the far right there, and spent the rest of the day fishing in the canal.

Second Photo: This is the back of the old school. It was circa 1930 and was possibly being renovated at this time. The pretty scholars: at left is Francis Spear and next to her is Myrtle Foard. Myrtle was Roy Foard’s wife and the grandmother of Bobby Foard, our current funeral director.

Harriott Hotel

First photo: This is what the Bayard House (Hole in the Wall) looked like in the early 1900s. The building is the oldest one in town and was owned and operated by Bill Harriott with help from his son, Punch. At right is the dance hall with the overhead walkway. Legend has it that Bill hanged himself upstairs, and that sometimes on a dark night, if you listen closely, you can still hear him swaying back and forth. I’ve listened many times for the creaking sound but have not heard it yet. Have you?

Second photo: Yes, this is Bill Harriott, rowing his homemade boat made out of 3,000 newspapers. The photo is from a newspaper article about 1910. Notice the wooden, steam, tugboat moored on the other side. It is most likely the Wister, one of six such tugboats that worked the canal and bay at that time.