Penquin at Solomon's Island

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#336699" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Penquin at Solomon's Island</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#993300" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sterling and Yeomac"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id134.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sandy point"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Water Color Prints Matted for 14 x 18 or"><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Water Color Prints Matted for 14 x 18 or"><U><B>Return to water color and oil page</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>           </div> <div> <B>Solomon’s Island is located at the Southern tip of Calvert County, Maryland where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay.  The area was first settled in 1690 and was known as Bourne’s Island and, later, Sandy Island.  In 1865 Issac Solomon acquired a tract of land on the Island giving rise to it’s current name.  Solomon’s Island rapidly became a center of Ship and boat building and commercial fishing.  During the 1880's more bugeyes were built here than in any place else in the Bay and during the 1930's many Internationally famous racing yachts were built here for the wealthy.  Because of it’s location it also became the focus of commercial seafood packing in the latter half of the 19</B><B>th</B><B> century and remained so well into the latter half of the 20</B><B>th</B><B> century.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The J.C. Lore and Sons Oyster House, founded by Joseph C. Lore at the height of the Chesapeake oyster industry in 1888, was one of the largest and most successful seafood packing companies in Southern Maryland and specialized in packing and shipping Patuxent River fish, crabs and oysters, crabs, and oysters.  J. C. Lore and Sons ceased operation in 1978.  In 1979 the packing house was acquired by the Calvert Marine Society as part of their Museum complex.  On August 7, 2001 the Secretary of the Interior designated the J. C. Lore & Sons Oyster House as a National Historic Landmark.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Oyster House also operated it’s own fishing boats. The 1957 edition of the Merchant Vessels of the United States lists three vessels; the 61 foot Juanita, the 61 foot William B. Tennison (the bow of which is visible on the left in this scene) and the 45 foot Penguin shown in this scene.  Penguin was built in 1936 in Wingate, Maryland near Hooper’s Island on the Honga River on the Eastern Shore.  </B><B> The stern on these boats was round and sloping at a rather sharp angle away from the rail.  This gave the boat a very streamlined and speedy look that quickly acquired the nickname “Hooper Island Boat” or “Hooper Island Draketail”.  </B><B>The Hooper Island Draketail originated in this area and, except for the Skipjack, is the most well known boat type unique to the Chesapeake Bay and is recognized as such in the Smithsonian's National Watercraft Collection.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Penguin was acquired by the Calvert Marine Society along with the Oyster House and is one of the Museum’s most treasured assets. </B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>