Last updated 8/26/99.
Selby Community Association
History of Selby on the Bay
Mayo Peninsula Economic History:
Shellfish
For centuries the Chesapeake Bay and its many estuaries have been
this area's livelihood, though she is showing signs of damage
from the constant withdrawal of her treasures. Local watermen
still use the Bay for their livelihood, but many watermen must
supplement their income with part-time trades to make up for the
smaller harvests and dramatic fluctuations in the health and
production of sealife in the Bay. Our Chesapeake Bay's seafood
has long been recognized as some of the finest in the US.
Tobacco
Besides the harvests of the Chesapeake Bay, our area is well
known for a product that was given to us by the native Indian
tribes of North America - Tobacco. Maryland has long been famous
for the quality and fertility of her soil to produce the finest
tobacco around and it has been shipped around the globe. Tobacco,
known as the "Golden Leaf" was used as money for trade
and purchases for over 150 years in Anne Arundel County,
Maryland. With the diminishing profit in tobacco growth, many new
crops have become popular to the area such as corn, soy and
various fruits. Most of the farms on the Peninsula are long gone
today.
Real Estate
With the number of legal professionals and government leaders in
our area, Annapolis and the surrounding waterfront areas have
become the residential oasis for some of the most influential
business people and politicians in our country. This growth has
put premiums on the waterfront property and isolated vistas in
our area and has put Anne Arundel County on the Real Estate sales
fast-track. Property values in our area have been historically
more stable than any other county around us.
With the advent of the automobile and fast, new
interstate highways, our area became a full-time suburbia for our
two closet major cities: Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland
starting in the 1960's.
Much of the real estate sales in this area began to take off
after the rebuilding of the US economy after the stock market
crash of 1926. With rejuvenated economic-growth in the US in the
1930's, successful businessmen and families from Washington and
Baltimore began to look for summer vacation cottages to invest in
while enjoying their new-found wealth. Many city-folk ventured
out to the countryside (areas like the Mayo Peninsula) and found
real estate building lots for very fair prices.
The salesman had many gimmicks and incentives to sell, what at
the time was mostly swampland, to prospective buyers. I have
heard from several elderly friends in Herald Harbor that they
received their building lots in Herald Harbor (near Crownsville)
free, in exchange for purchasing subscriptions to the Washington
Herald Newspaper in the 30's.
Most of the old beach communities had makeshift beaches for
bathing and a very laid-back social climate that attracted the
busy city buyers who wanted a little peace and quiet, as well as
the peace of mind for investing in "vacation" homes.
Most of Selby on the Bay's lots were bought up by individuals
seeking a cottage by the beach in a communal setting that was
rural, but not too secluded and loaded with the simple pleasures
of peninsula life. Approximately a 60 minute drive (way back
when) down Central Avenue from DC,and a little less to Baltimore,
families could visit on the weekends and possibly a few weeks at
a time over the summer months and forget about the smog and the
hustle of the city.
Because the original homes built here were not four season homes,
many of the original cottages in the area had little to no
insulation or heating systems. Many had very little closet space
and most had screened-in porches because they were not designed
for "all-season" living.
When you brought family and freinds down to stay at your cottage,
you would open the windows and air-out your cottage and if you
had indoor plumbing you would turn on the water pump and fill the
"winterized" water system. If you had power to your
cottage you would install the fuses, test them and then survey
your cottage for any winter damage.
Boating
Here on the Mayo Peninsula, where the watermen have made such an
impact on the stable economic growth of our area - it is sad to
see the watermen unable to make a consistent decent living. The
cost of equipment and the radical swings in production are
sending the independent waterman looking for other means of
making a living. The working boats of yesterday are now far
out-numbered by the pleasure and luxury boats we now see
traversing Selby Bay.
Decades ago, pleasure boating was a rich man's sport that the average family simply could not afford. In the past few decades, with the advent of cheaper, more cost-effective means of manufacturing pleasure craft - boating popularity has grown tremendously. Along with this increase in boating popularity has come an increase in boating-related businesses that have been very helpful for the economic growth of our area. The pleasure boating industry (sail or power) has made its economic mark on Annapolis and the many marinas that are scattered throughout the rivers converging on the Chesapeake.
Big Business
A luxury boat has always been the ideal place for big business to
get a favor done or corner a deal, boating - predominantly
sailboating has become the mainstay of the deal-makers in our
area. The sailboat and powerboat sales shows clog the streets of
Annapolis in a yearly ritual that would have one wondering if the
President was in town.
In the "Sailing Capital of the World", boats of many
types are sold, traded, bartered and leased to some of the most
powerful people in the world. Many people in our area love
boating so much that they live on their crafts all year long - it
makes sense when you think that many of these boats cost more
than some of our residences in our area.
Reference: Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland & reference text "History of Mayo, Maryland", see below
History of Mayo, Maryland
copyright 1996 by Caroline L. Britt Mullins
a book published by Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland
21202
Much of the historical data/ information used in the history
section of our website comes from "The History of Mayo,
Maryland" a book written by a local resident, Caroline L.
Britt Mullins.
The author has recently written another book, named "Coming
Into Her Own", 1998.
Caroline L. Britt Mullins has lived in Anne Arundel County for
fifty years. Her roots on her grandfather's side date back to the
1600's (the beginning of AA Co., Annapolis, St. Mary's City and
Kent Island's First Settlement. Her great-grandfather came from
Germany and settled in Mayo in the late 1800's in the section
that is now called Germantown on Whitemarsh Creek. Her
grandfather and relatives built the home that her mother still
lives in today. She is proud to be from that area of Mayo and of
her roots.
Ms. Mullins also specializes in Genealogy Research for families.
To reach the author directly you can e-mail her at Pocahonas@aol.com (no T)
or write her at: Caroline Mullins, PO Box 23, Riva, MD 21140
Beginning in 1652 - Captain Edward Selby
Our close locality to Annapolis, a very early American
settlement, has given our peninsula a very rich and colorful
history. The first documented owner of the peninsula was Captain
Edward Selby in 1652 or 1658 in a land grant of 490 acres, which
came to be known as "Selby's Marsh" from the Second
Lord Baltimore, Cecilus Calvert. Though, not accurately
documented, Selby's Marsh appears to have consisted of a large
section of the Mayo Peninsula that includes the existing
communities today from Selby on the Bay, Holly Hill all the way
to Carr's Wharf. "Selby Marsh" was either a descriptive
name, pointing out this "tidal" area's main feature or
a combination of Edward Selby's and Thomas Marsh's last names.
In those times, several other gentlemen had also obtained
ownership of small parcels of the Peninsula: Edward Lloyd, Thomas
Meeres, Richard Day, Thomas Marsh, George Kemp and John Norwood
all left Virginia with Captain Selby for Maryland in search of
religious freedom. In 1665 and 1688, Edward Selby added
contiguous tracts to expand his estate, they were known as
"Popular Hill" and Selby's Stopp".
Captain Selby thrived in this area - his wealth from tobacco and
his prominence in public affairs helped to make him one of the
most important gentlemen in the region. It also helped him to
acquire most of the Peninsula up until his death in 1688, when,
at that time he owned 1400 acres of the property between the
Rhodes and South Rivers.
Before his death, Edward Selby leased property to John Gresham II
in or around 1686. On that property still standing today is the
residence that John Gresham II had built there. Surely one of the
first fine homes in the area. "Gresham" is possibly the
oldest structure in the area outside of Annapolis and is located
in the woods across Mayo Road from River Club Estates.
The Gresham estate is also referred to in old documents as
"Love Neck".
1693 - The Gassaway's and William Cotter
Upon the death of Captain Edward Selby,
Sr., "Selby Marsh" was divided (250 acres each) between
his son, Edward Selby Jr. and his daughter Thalmon (Selby)
Clarke, who was the wife of Benjamin Clarke. After some financial
failure in 1693, a portion of Edward Selby, Jr.'s property was
sold to William Cotter who was the husband of Jane Gassaway,
daughter of Colonel Nicholas Gassaway of Birdsville.
William Cotter, apparently was a very elegant gentleman and won
over the aristocratic Gassaway family easily. "Old Rough and
Ready" Colonel Gassaway, a powerful Anne Arundel County
political figure and prominent local aristocrat, surely must have
felt Cotter to be a decent husband for his daughter to allow them
to marry after courting for such a short period of time. Colonel
Gassaway died shortly after his daughter's wedding and never
learned of his son-in-law's illegal maritime hobbies. Colonel
Gassaway's Tombstone Marker was discovered at the Gresham
Plantation being used as a footstep - it was moved to St. Anne's
Church in Annapolis, Maryland in the 1960's.
In 1696, a ship from England landed and moored at the Port of
Annapolis and secret conferences were held in the city. News
traveled through the countryside that the English official's were
searching for pirates in our region. The locals were surprised
when the pirates were taken into custody by the Englishmen and
the pirates were discovered to be locals John Blackmore and
Selby's own, William Cotter.
The two men were sentenced and released "To stand and be
indebted unto our Sovereign Lord William, the third, King of
England, Scotland, France, and Ireland in the sum of five hundred
pounds sterling each... That they, the said John Blackmore and
William Cotter shall personally appear and be forthcoming
whenever His Majesty's pleasure is known concerning them, in the
meantime to be of good behavior as to any acts of Pyracy."
After 1698, John Blackmore and William Cotter purchased the
parcel of Selby closest to Loch Haven, "Bessendon" from
John Purdy. At his death in 1702, William Cotter, Sr.'s land
transferred to his younger son William Cotter, Jr. the eldest son
having died before his father.
After a dashing bachelor's life and increasing his family's
fortune, William Cotter Jr. died without ever marrying and
without any direct heirs in 1749. His property went to his
nephews, the sons of his sister Sarah and her husband and cousin,
Captain John Gassaway, the grandson of "Old Rough and
Ready".
A widely respected politician as "High Sheriff" and
"Keeper of the Public Gaol" in Annapolis in 1753,
Captain Gassaway was elected to the Lower House of the General
Assembly of Maryland to represent "Ann Arrundl Covnty."
The fine Captain had his son's, William, Thomas and Henry
Gassaway inheritance land surveyed in 1750. The resurvey or
consolidation of "Selby's Marsh, Popular Hill and Selby's
Stopp" renamed their part of the peninsula to "Cotter's
Desire", probably after their renowned pirate grandfather.
Cotter's Desire remained in the Cotter and Gassaway family's
hands for the next 121 years.
1765 - Admiral Joseph Mayo, U.S.N.
Around 1765, Joseph Mayo bought 622 acres
of the peninsula, which included the Gresham Plantation for
$10,000 in silver. By the time of the American Revolution of
1776, Benjamin and John Selby, probably grandsons of Edward Selby
Jr., owned the remainder of Selby's Marsh that had been in their
family since their great grandfather had been given the original
land grant from Lord Baltimore.
In 1814, Joseph Mayo deeded the Gresham Plantation and parts of
the area in Cotter's Desire (that would later become Selby on the
Bay), to his nephew Commodore Isaac Mayo.
More so than any of his ancestors who owned large parts of the
Mayo peninsula, Commodore Isaac Mayo is responsible for the
notoriety of his family's name in our area and why this area
became known as the Mayo Peninsula.
Commodore Mayo was an intelligent, adventurous sailor, as well as
a family man. In 1835, Mayo married Sarah (Battaile Fitzhugh)
Bland the daughter of Chancellor Bland, Consul to Brazil. Within
a few years of their marriage Sarah gave birth to a daughter,
Sarah Battaile Mayo.
Having fought and commanded naval battles around the world,
Commodore Isaac Mayo was a highly-decorated and respected naval
officer of the United States Navy. It is said that his influence
helped to determine the use of the Fort Severn site as the new
United States Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1845.
In 1850, Mayo was named Commander-in-Chief of the US Naval Forces
in the Mediterranean and off the West Coast of Africa, his
flagship being the USS Constitution.
Commodore Mayo sympathized with the south at the start of the
Civil War and in turn directed his resignation to President
Lincoln protesting the Union's policy of coercion. The president
refused his resignation and dismissed Mayo and six other officers
of similar rank for their support of the Confederacy. After a
long and revered naval career, serving in the War of 1812,
receiving the Medal of Valor, commanding for the US in the
Seminole & Mexican wars, and being appointed a Commander in
Chief for the US Navy, Isaac Mayo left the service shunned by the
American Government.
Commodore Mayo died shortly after his disgrace and his name was
never cleared by the United States Navy.
A portrait of Commodore Mayo "in his finest" hangs in
the Legislative Office Building in Annapolis, Maryland.
1865 - End of the Mayo Peninsula Landlords
Sometime near the death of Commodore Mayo
in 1865 Thomas H. Gaither, Sr., the son of John and Jane Gaither,
(who owned property at the head of the South River) married Sarah
Battaile Mayo, daughter of Commodore Mayo. On February 26, 1878,
Commodore Mayo's grandson and trustee of his estate, Thomas H.
Gaither, Jr. donated property on old Turkey Point Road for the
then Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church which is now known as
the Mayo United Methodist Church in Turkey Point.
By 1878, Joseph Buick owned 267 acres of Selby and Judge Harry
Jones Tuck owned part of Selby near the Gresham Plantation. Judge
Tuck was the son of Washington Greene Tuck, a physician at St.
John's Medical School of Annapolis and Lucie Ann Jones. He was
the reported builder of the Birch Manor House on Hillside at
Sixth Avenue in Selby on the Bay.
Birch Manor was named after a later owner, Thomas S. Birch the
husband of Dr. John Collison's daughter. Thomas Birch obtained
the 268 acre property from his father, James R. Birch, who had
purchased it from William H. Turk in 1865.
The manor was originally a plantation house for the tobacco and
tomato farming land that today makes up Selby on the Bay. The
estate originally controlled all of the land in Selby and where
the American Legion Post 226 stands and supposedly maintained a
large peach orchard as well.
Serving as a boarding house in the 1930's & 40's, Birch Manor
acts as a private residence today remaining with the iron rings
on the walls of the basement, in the slaves quarters. Though
always considered part of Selby's Marsh and Cotter's Desire, this
area was also known as Brown's Discovery.
The remainder of Cotter's Desire that was owned by the Gassaway's
was sold and transferred to various individuals by William
Stewart, the trustee of Dr. John Gassaway's estate, the last
remaining Gassaway.
The remaining property of Commodore Mayo stayed in the Mayo
Family's hands until Thomas Gaither Jr. sold it to Oscar Keys in
1915.
In 1916, Cotter's Desire received its first division when Mr.
Keys sold 8-acre parcels to Albert Bull, Leander Jackson and John
Evans. The balance of Cotter's Desire was sold in 1920 to Maurice
Ogle, a descendent of Maryland Governor, Samuel Ogle.
The area now known as Selby Beach, was the most popular swimming
and picnicking spot around the area in 1920, and was called
"The Cedars" because of all of the beautiful cedar
trees that scattered the waterfront- it later would be called
"Cedar Grove".
Much of the Birch's property in Selby on the Bay was cleared land
for farming tomatoes and tobacco. In 1923, Mr. Birch sold 254
acres of his plantation in Cotter's Desire to Enoch P. Johnson.
Just prior to 1923, Mr. Birch sold a total of 13 acres on the
east side of Winding Road to seven newcomers to Selby on the Bay.
In 1928, Captain F.S. Crismond purchased a large tract in Selby,
including Selby Bay Yacht Basin, an icehouse and three tenant
houses for marina workers.
Mr. Crismond developed the Cedar Grove portion of Selby, located
on Cedar Grove Road near Selby Beach. The Selby Bay Yacht Club,
would not be founded until 19 years later in 1947, by Walter
Podrog of Washington, D.C.
Mr. Dewitt Knickerbocker and his wife, arrived to Selby around
1930 and stayed here seasonally, using his cabin as a hunting
lodge in the Winter months, and as a vacation home for his wife
in the Spring and Summer. His cabin was located on Beach Drive
Boulevard and faced Selby Bay, in Selby Proper. He and his wife
spent all of their summers in Selby until his death in 1965.
1930 - The Beginning of Selby on the Bay
The beginning of real growth in our
community came when developer's Otis L. Williams, Jr. and Alvin
G. Branham purchased 206 acres on Selby Bay in 1930 from Enoch P.
Johnson of Baltimore and started the Selby on the Bay Properties
Company, Inc., 1121 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington D.C. Phone:
NAtional 4933-34.
Mr. Williams and Branham purchased the large tract of our
community from Central Avenue (Mayo Road) up to Selby Bay and
began platting the Selby on the Bay community into building lots
and using a sales concept that was relatively successful.
From its start the "company" knew the best way to sell
the marshy property was to give the buyers something for their
money. The Selby on the Bay Properties Company dredged the point
off of the current Holiday Point Marina and dumped the murky sand
onto what is now Selby Beach. The company also built a picnic
pavilion, which it also used as a sales office to sell the lots
on which families could build their dream summer vacation
cottages. The sales method they used was known as a "Lunch
and Lecture" seminar, where salesmen would perform their
sales pitch while invited guests and other prospective customers
stared out at lovely Selby Bay and had a free picnic lunch.
Imagine what in 1930, the view that they were lured by must have
been like; a very serene and welcoming waterfront on Selby Bay.
Most of the Selby on the Bay Properties Company's customers were
Baltimore-Washington middle-class looking for the quiet and
calming effects of private beach community life.
Along with their purchase, was the verbal promise from Branham
and Willimas of each new property owner's exclusive use of the
developing Community Beach, Pavilion and Park.
These little known facts about our area come
from various history books and local historians.
Maryland -
Or what became Maryland, was given to the
First Lord Baltimore, George Calvert in 1632 by the King of
England, Charles I. George died before he received his charter
and it went to his son, the Second Lord Baltimore, Cecilus
Calvert. Cecilus Calvert received the charter from the King, but
never saw the colony develop before he died - his son inherited
it.
Declaration of Independence -
Four Marylanders signed the document:
William Paca, Thomas Stone, Samuel Chase, Charles Carroll.
Our National Anthem -
The "Star Spangled Banner" was
written by Francis Scott Key, inspired by our American Flag
flying over Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, after a battle with
the British in the War of 1812.
Our State Capital -
Was moved from St. Mary's City in southern
Maryland to Annapolis in 1695.
Indentured Servants -
Many of the original settlers in our area
came over from England on boats as servants to rich Lords and
Dukes. They pledged their allegiance for a period of time
(usually 7 years) to their master in return for a parcel of their
Lord's acreage. Many of these indented servants were tricked and
never received the promised freedom and property, but at the time
its was probably still better in this new abode. The appeal of
the new land, America and the possibility of being able to leave
the harsh, restrictive treatment of the Royalty of their mother
country was not a tough decision for our forefathers.
Local Materials and Livestock -
Used to arrive and leave the Mayo Peninsula
by the steamboat ferry "Emma Giles" at the old pier
that sits at the end of Carr's Wharf Road. Before the advent of
cars and the construction of bridges, ferry travel was the best
mode of transportation. Ferry service used to run 3 or 4 times a
week and ended at Carr's Wharf in 1926. The hotel next to the
ferry ramp closed when the ferry discontinued service. The ferry
also used to land at the South River Landing at Londontowne
Public House.
Camp Letts -
In 1920, John Letts donated the funds for a
purchase of 219 acres off of the Rhode River to be used as a
permanent resident camp for the YMCA, today that property is
still a functioning YMCA camp named after the donor Letts.
Camp Wabana -
Located on old Calawasee Road in Beverly
Beach, it was named for an Algonquin Indian Princess Calawasee.
Calawasee had been a vacation retreat consisting of five cottages
and a lodge when it went up for sale. Calawasee was sold in 1942
and Camp Wabana was founded by Reverend W. A. Emmans, Pastor of
the Maryland Avenue Baptist Church, and his wife. The pastor had
longed searched for a place to begin a camping ministry in the
area and Calawasee provided a perfect setting. An
interdenominational Christian boys and girls summer camp, it is
still going strong today. Wabanna is an acronym for Washington,
Baltimore and Annapolis. The camp is located at 101 Likes Road,
Mayo, Maryland 21106. You can contact camp personnel at (410)
798-0455 or Fax (410) 798-1214.
Legalized Gambling -
In the economic resurgence Post WWII era,
Beverly Beach, North Beach and Chesapeake Beach were the gambling
hot spots of Maryland. As popular as Atlantic City, New Jersey is
today, our area was the place to go for seashore fun for the
family with slots machines just off of the sand. The old
pavilions stood in Beverly Beach for many years after legalized
gambling was ended in Maryland, as an eyesore for some while
bringing back fond memories for others. The area has been cleaned
up and revitalized now, but the pavilion still stands as cover
for beach functions.
Civil Rights -
In as recent as the 1960's, certain ethnic
groups were forbidden to use many of our community beaches. As in
most parts of the US, Deeds of Title for property sold had
wording banning ownership of property by Negroes and Italians.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 leading to an Injunction against
racial discrimination at Beverly Beach and the outlawing of slot
machines by the General Assembly closed the popular private
resort in 1968.
Floating Home -
The sailboaters weren't the first to
discover the floating residence. In 1932, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Goetz floated their home into Selby Bay by tug-boat on a steel
barge. Moving their Baltimore home by water to Selby on the Bay
in that era of time must have been a phenomenal feat. The home
they loved so much is located on Beach Drive Boulevard at Arundel
Avenue in Selby on the Bay.
The Beverly Beach Peninsula -
Known for Steiner's Warf, Cadle Creek,
Dutchman Point and Saunder's Point this area was named
Scrabbletown in 1892. In 1895, it was known as
"Jamestown", named by a local schoolteacher for the
first English settlement of America in Virginia.
Loch Haven -
Served as a United States Naval Submarine
base during the 1930's and WWII. President Roosevelt docked here
once when traveling to visit dignitaries in Annapolis.
Travel to Annapolis -
By horse and buggy from the peninsula in
1900 it was an all day ride with ferries and Indian paths to
maneuver. Travel by water to Annapolis in those days was much
quicker and safer.</p>
American Legion Post 226 -
Cummings-Behlke Post 226 was first
organized in 1947. Named for three local sons that paid the
ultimate price in World War II for the freedom that we all take
so easily for granted. The post now maintains about 700 active
members and it certainly has been a proud part of all of the
local communities history for the past 50 years.
MCA Hall -
Built in 1898 by the Mayo Beneficial
Association, or Modern Woodsman's Association. The original
builders donated the building to the community association in
exchange for life membership. The original association was
created to help local families of people who were unable to work
and widows of its members to help get along after their passing.
South River High School -
Completed in 1978, along with Central
Elementary, Special, Middle and the Vocational Tech school, they
were part of the largest public educational complex in Maryland.
Before 1979, Southern High School ran two shifts (7am-12pm &
12pm-5pm) daily to accommodate all of the local area high school
students. The new Annapolis High School opened 1979, moving from
the city to its current location in Riva.
Holiday Point Marina -
The property where the Holiday Point Marina
sits in Selby on the Bay used to be an old tomato cannery. When
the Maryland seafood industry took off in the 1940's it was
converted to an oyster house to package the widely renowned
delicacy. The popularity of Maryland Blue Crabs did not become
widespread until better ways to transport them and keep them
fresh were developed.
Annapolis Mall -
The grand opening of the Annapolis Mall in
1980 marked a beginning of a major economic boom for the City of
Annapolis and added great convenience for local shoppers. The
previous local shopping megaplex was Parole Plaza, which was
closest shopping Plaza from southern Maryland to Severna Park.
Tastee Freeze -
Many younger locals may think that the
Hardee's on Route 2 was the first franchised fast-food restaurant
to our area when it opened in 1979. I bet there are a few locals
that remember the first-franchised fast food store to the
Edgewater area - Dairy Queen, which used to be where the new
Kentucky Fried Chicken is now located. How about Beverly Farms,
Collison's, Gatt's Corner Store or Dave's Corner? None were
franchises but all were a big part in supplying the area in the
1950-60's expansion of our area.
Newspapers -
Before the USA Today there was the old
Washington Herald, The Washington Star, and The Evening Capital.
In the early 80's the predominant local paper became the Capital,
which had dropped the Evening in its title and started printing
in color. The Capital is still delivered in the afternoon as it
has since its start.
US Naval Academy -
The United States Naval Academy opened in
1845. Originally developed from the premier sailing school in the
country, the US Government realizes its value in training some of
the greatest Naval Commanders in US History.
Slavery -
At the start of the Civil War in 1861
Annapolis was pro-south and state legislators are imprisoned in
northern prisons until they swore oath of loyalty to Union.
A Mayo Elementary Book Report from the kids of Mayo, 1952
Transcribed to MS Word 8.0 document by Martin O'Callaghan, April 12 1999.
(This is an old book report that I recently found while organizing and filing some old SCA files. It is a report that appears to be from the entire fifth grade class of Mayo Elementary School in the 1952-53 school year. I wonder how many kids were in the fifth grade class and who they were? Most of them probably still live around here. I think Mrs. Taylor was principal at Mayo when my brother Kevin and I attended in the late 1960's.)
DISCOVERING OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY
By GRADE V 1952-1953
Mayo Elementary School
Mrs. Emily Taylor/ Teacher
Mrs. Margaret Johnson/ Principal
Mrs. Dorothy Kirkley/ Supervisor
DISCOVERING OUR COMMUNITY
Table of Contents
I. Geography
II. Historical Background
III. People from Early Settlers to Present Population
IV. People at Work
V. Transportation and Communication
VI. Housing
VII. Community Services
VIII. Development of Religion
IX. Educational Opportunities
X. Recreational Facilities
XI. Civic Groups and Government
XII. Our Community Looks at the Future
XIII. Strange Discoveries - "Believe It or Not"
I. GEOGRAPHY-
Mayo is located on a peninsula on the western shore of Maryland
between Rhode River on the southwest and South River on the
northeast, and bordering the Chesapeake Bay. It is on Maryland
Route 214, eleven miles southeast of Annapolis, the Capital of
Maryland. It is convenient to the capital of the United States,
Washington, D.C., which is twenty-nine miles to the southwest,
and to the largest city in Maryland, Baltimore, which is
thirty-five miles to the north.
According to the 1950 census, the population of Mayo is nine
hundred people 1 .Mayo is
not incorporated and has no set boundary by land. The approximate
area is one thousand two hundred seventy-five acres, or two and
one-half square miles.tab The average temperature for Mayo in the
month of January is 35.3o . The average temperature for July is
77.5 o. The temperature has been as high as 106 o and as low as 6
o below zero during the past forty years.
The annual precipitation for this vicinity is 44.72 inches and
statistics show that during the past forty years the heaviest
rainfall is during the month of August 2.
Footnotes: 1 World Book M by Field Enterprises 2 Climate of the States - Maryland and Delaware - Agricultural Yearbook Separate No. 1839 - U.S. Department of Commerce - Weather Bureau
(End of page 1)
In the summer our area is cooled by the "bay
breeze." Our class feels that in winter the warm air of the
bay causes our precipitation to be mostly rain when other areas
in nearby Maryland are having snow.
Mayo has a growing season of two hundred and five days. The last
day of frost occurs about April 10th and the first frost in the
fall comes about November 1st.
Mayo has always depended upon her natural resources. In the
rivers and bays that wash her shores are caught hardhead, rock,
perch, spot, flounder, eel, sunfish, bluefish, pike, carp,
catfish, herring, shad, oysters, manoes, crabs and turtles. In
the lowlands around the shores are found many muskrat homes.
During the winter many waterfowl feed at our shores and provide
food during the hunting season. In the fields and wooded area
rabbits, squirrels, pheasants, quail, opossums, raccoons and
foxes are hunted during the open seasons.
The soil of Mayo is the sandy clay type and has proved especially
good for growing tobacco.
Mayo was once covered by trees and even now has stretches of
spruce, pine, gum, oak and maple trees. There are also holly,
dogwood, cedar, hickory, walnut and chestnut trees.
II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Settlement began in Mayo on July 26, 1658 when Cecilus Calvert,
Lord Baltimore, granted a tract of four hundred ninety
(End of page 2)
acres of land between South River and Rhode River to Captain
Edward Selby, which the captain named "Selby's Marsh."
Captain Selby kept two hundred sixty acres for his own plantation
and put the rest of the land out on rent roll for nineteen
schooling a year.1 In 1665
and again in 1688 he added more tracts of land to his estate
until he had acquired something like one thousand four hundred
acres. With his wealth from tobacco and his prominence in public
affairs, Captain Selby became one of the most successful and
important gentlemen of the Rhode River area. It is for him that
the present shore development, which is part of Mayo, gets its
name. He died in 1688 and, by his last will and testament, left
his plantation to his only son and heir, Edward Selby, Jr. Young
Selby had several financial reverses and in 1693 he sold to
William Cotter, who had just recently arrived upon the Maryland
scene.
Legends have come down to us that the dashing William Cotter made
quite a favorable impression upon the social life in the Rhode
River area. Within two years of his august arrival, he married
Jane Gassaway, a leader and one of the political bosses of Anne
Arundel County. He died a short time before his daughter's
marriage.
Footnotes: 1 From an interview with Mrs. Genevieve Von Aschenberg, Gresham Farm, Edgewater, Maryland.
(End of page 3)
In 1696 a vessel arrived unexpectedly from England and
anchored at the Port of Annapolis, which is now a part of near-by
Woodland Beach, with an agent of the King of England on board.
Secret conferences were held with certain provincial officials
and it soon leaked out that one-time pirates were reported living
in the Rhode River area. Excitement ran high.\par The pirates,
much to the surprise of everyone, turned out to be none other
than William Cotter and his fellow countryman, John Blackmore.
They were immediately placed under bond and "to be of good
behavior as to Acts of Pyracy." Richard Beard, the surveyor
who laid out the port of Annapolis, was then High Sheriff for
Anne Arundel County. It was his duty to tell the officials
"that by virtue of His Excellency's proclamation for
suppressing Pyrates, he has taken into custody Mr. John Blackmore
and William Cotter, who went out from the Isle of Jamaica in the
West Indies under the command of one George Rainer, returning two
years later."
They were released "To stand and be indebted unto our
Sovereign Lord William, the third, King of England, Scotland,
France and Ireland in the sum of five hundred pounds sterling
each. That they, the said John Blackmore and William Cotter shall
personally appear and be forthcoming whenever His Majesty's
pleasure is known concerning them; in the meantime to be of good
behavior as to any acts of Pyracy."
(End of page 4)
William Cotter lived only four years after his pledge of good
behavior, for he died the latter part of March 1702 and was
buried on March 28. At the burial the clergy spoke of him as a
"good housekeeper of this Parish."
The elder cotter son died unmarried and the younger son, William
, fell heir to the entire estate. After a gay bachelor life at
his plantation home and adding further to the Cotter wealth, he
died in 1749, leaving his estate to his nephews, William, Henry
and Thomas, sons of his sister, Sarah. Sarah had married her
cousin, Captain John Gassaway, a grandson of "Old
Rough-and-Ready" Nicholas Gassaway.\par In the following
year of 1750, Captain John Gassaway had a resurvey made of their
entire estate and named it "Cotter's Desire" in memory
of either his father-in-law, the old pirate, or his
brother-in-law who had made his sons heirs to the Cotter's
fortune.
Captain John Gassaway followed in the footsteps of his
grandfather and became quite an important political figure in the
county. He was High Sheriff and Keeper of the Public Goal at
Annapolis, and in 1753 he was elected to the Lower House of the
General Assembly to represent Anne Arundel County.
Cotter's Desire remained in the Cotter and Gassaway families for
one hundred twenty-one years or until 1814 when William Stewart
was appointed by the court as trustee to sell the property of Dr.
John Gassaway, deceased. The property
(End of page 5)
was transferred to various individuals between July 1814 and
January 1835, at which time Cotter's Desire was deeded to
Commodore Isaac Mayo, U.S.N., for whom the community of Mayo and
Mayo Road are named.
Cotter's Desire continued in the Mayo family for about eighty
years. On June 29, 1915, Thomas H. Gaither, grandson of Commodore
Mayo, conveyed Cotter's Desire to Oscar Keys for a valuable
consideration.
In 1916 or two hundred twenty-three years after Edward Selby sold
his domain to the ex-pirate, William Cotter, Cotter's Desire was
first divided when Mr. Keys sold about eight acres on Mayo Road
to Albert bull, Leander Jackson and John Evans.
About four years later, Mr. Keys sold the remainder of Cotter's
desire to Mr. Maurice Ogle who received the title on December 1,
1920. Mr. Ogle is from an old Maryland family, a descendent of
Samuel Ogle, colonial governor of Maryland.
In 1950 Mr. Paul Crandall of Washington bought about one hundred two acres of Cotter's Desire and is developing it as a shore colony named Ponder Cove.1 There are no remains of the Cotter home.
Footnotes: 1 Ponder Cove - pamphlet by Paul D. Crandall, present owner of Ponder Cove, who gave us permission to reprint this material.
(End of page 6)
Of those who rented land from Captain Selby, we have record of
John Gresham II, who was attorney to Captain Selby and who rented
80 acres. His father, John Gresham I had come to this country
from England in 1640 and had settled on the island of Kent.
Gresham I was the nephew of Sir Thomas Gresham who had founded a
college in England. Due to religious troubles, the first John
Gresham's land was taken away from him and he fled to Virginia.
Later his lands were restored and he returned to Kent Island.\par
\tab John Gresham II built a house in 1686 on his "50 and 30
acres" which was then called Selby's Marsh. This house is
still in use and, as far as we can find, is the oldest house in
Mayo. Gresham II died in this house in 1713 and left it to his
son, John Gresham III. In 1723 John Gresham III made a will
leaving to his wife the home which he calls "my father's
late dwelling."
In 1765 Joseph Mayo bought six hundred and twenty-two acres of
what was still called Selby's Marsh. This included the Gresham
property. He paid ten thousand dollars in "Philadelphia
money," which was the term given to silver money at that
time. However, it was not until 1810 that the boundaries were
finally set because of the rent roll property which was involved.
The name was changed to Gresham.1
Footnotes: 1 From an interview with Mrs. Von Aschenberg, present owner of Gresham Farm, Edgewater, Maryland.
(End of page 7)
During the nineteenth century, Gresham was the home of
Commodore Isaac Mayo, who served in the United Stated Navy for
more than fifty years. It was during his cruises on the seven
seas that he collected the trophies which he used to decorate the
grounds of Gresham - broken segments of two marble columns, one
inscribed with the words, "From the Temple of Apollo, the
Grecian Island of Delos", the other inscribed with the
words, "From the Temple of Diana"; an old iron urn
placed on a square of marble and marked "From the Island of
Delos"; iron guns and an iron cannon.
Commodore Mayo was a descendent of Joshua Mayo of South River. In
1809, as a midshipman, he joined the sloop-of-war, Wasp, and for
three years served under the command of Captain James Lawrence.
During the War of 1812 he was placed on board an English vessel
taken as a prize by the U.S. Navy. During the voyage home he
defended her from soldiers who boarded the vessel in the harbor
of San Salvadore, where Commodore Mayo had put in to get
supplies. Later in the same war he volunteered for service under
command of Stephen Decatur in defense of Washington, our capital
city.
He served with Commodore Stewart in the Pacific and was sent home
by way of Panama with dispatches in April 1823. He relates that
he was "chased into Campechy by a pirate and narrowly
escaped capture."1
Footnotes: 1 American Motorist Magazine - Gresham on South River\par July 1931 - Pages 11-13.
(End of page 8)
In 1830 he sailed on the U.S.S. Brandywine, frigate flagship
of Commodore Morris, with "good Lafayette on board." On
the Brandywine, he cruised in the Mediterranean.
Commodore Mayo was married in 1835 to Miss Sarah Bland, daughter
of Chancellor Bland, consul to Brazil.
In 1840 he was in command of the steamer Poinsett and a squadron
of gunboats during the Seminole War. He captured "Mad
Tiger" and ten Indian warriors. Three years later, he was in
command of the U.S.S. Macedonian, frigate flagship of Commodore
M.C. Perry, U.S. Navy.
While he was serving on the Macedonian, Commodore Mayo was sent
to protect a schooner which was returning freed slaves to a
settlement on the coast of Africa established by the American
Colonization Society. One native tribe, the Berribees, had
captured and put to death by torture the crew of another
schooner, Mary Carver, returning freed slaves. While with a
landing party, Commodore Mayo had an encounter with King Crako,
the leader of the Berribees, and was severely burned on the face
by a discharge of Berribian muskets.
In 1845 the question of a naval school similar to West Point
Military Academy was before the Secretary of the Navy. To
determine the best site for the school for naval cadets, the
Secretary appointed a commission of officers, among them
Commodore Mayo. Two sites were especially favored, 1
Footnotes: 1 American Motorist Magazine - Gresham on South River, July 1931 - Pages 11-13.
(End of page 9)
one at the Naval Asylum at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the
other at Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland. It was because of
Commodore Mayo's influence that Fort Severn was finally selected
for the establishment of the Naval Academy.
During the Mexican War, Commodore Mayo was in command of the
naval battery near Vera Cruz when that city surrendered. Later he
was appointed Governor of Alvarado. It was during this time that
he sent home to Gresham the old guns and cannon balls, engraved
with the name of "San Juan de Ulloa" the palace at Vera
Cruz, where the American forces had their headquarters after the
fall of that city. The guns and one cannon ball can still be
found at the entrance of Gresham. That is why the farm has been
called "Cannon Ball Gates" by its neighbors.
In 1850 Commodore Mayo was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the
United States naval forces in the Mediterranean and on the west
coast of Africa. His flagship was the Constitution. At the
beginning of the Civil War, Commodore Mayo was at Gresham on
leave. He wrote to President Lincoln offering his resignation as
an officer of the United States Navy, saying: "In adopting
the policy of coercion, you have denied to millions of freeman
the rights of the Constitution and in its stead you have placed
the will of a sectional party and 1
Footnotes: 1 American Motorist Magazine - Gresham on South River, July 1931 - Pages 11-13.
(End of page 10)
now demand submission in the name of an armed force! As one of
the oldest soldiers in America, I protest in the name of humanity
against this war against brethern'. I cannot fight against the
Constitution while pretending to fight for it."
Commodore Mayo's resignation was not accepted by the President
and he was dismissed with six other officers of his rank for
their sympathy with the cause of the Confederate States. Soon
after this Commodore Mayo died, leaving Gresham to his daughter,
Mrs. Thomas H. Gaither. He also left her the sword that had been
given to him by the State of Maryland and the Medal of Valor
given to him by the Congress of the United States.1
At Mrs. Gaither's death, the estate was left to her daughter,
Mrs. Georgie Mayo Bailliere, of Baltimore, Maryland, and she
rented Gresham to a family who cultivated its many acres. It was
from Mrs. Bailliere that Mrs. Von Aschenberg, its present owner,
bought the farm.
Driving in to Gresham from Mayo Road, one turns at the
"Cannon Ball Gates" and goes up a lane bordered by
cedar trees and fruit trees. The lane continues past the house
and goes down to Selby Bay, a small body of water off South River
near the point where the river meets the Chesapeake Bay. The long
frame house has dormer windows and two old brick chimneys.
Footnotes: 1 American Motorist Magazine - Gresham on South River, July 1931 - Pages 11-13.
(End of page 11)
Around it are a few old trees, veterans from Gresham's early
days. Cottonwoods and sycamores shade the broad lawn, and a large
walnut tree stands near the old well in the rear of the house.
The interior of the house was changed as the years passed. The
central part is the oldest and to it additions were made on both
sides. On entering the house, one is attracted by the old
grandfather clock made by Jacob Gardner in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania in 1776. It is understood that Mrs. Von Aschenberg
its owner, that there are only two of its kind in existence
today, the location of the other clock being unknown. 1
The neighborhood folk tell an old legend handed down about
Gresham. It seems that pirates were connected with the farm and
are supposed to have buried treasure there. During the full moon
a rider on a white horse is supposed to enter "Cannon Ball
Gates" evidently in search of the treasure. Some folks say
that while hunting through the woods of Gresham they have found
holes shaped like a chest, as though treasure had been removed. 2
Footnotes: 1 From an interview with Mrs. Genevieve Von Aschenberg, Gresham Farm, Edgewater, Maryland. 2 A report by Harry Alvey, Fifth Grade Pupil, Selby, Edgewater, Maryland.
(End of page 12)
III. PEOPLE FROM EARLY SETTLERS TO PRESENT POPULATION
Mayo was inhabited by the Susquehanna Indians before the white
settlers came. Many arrowheads, spearheads and bone knives have
been plowed up and even now some Indian relic is occasionally
uncovered. The development of shore property in this area has
uncovered many buried oyster heaps that were possibly accumulated
by the Indians.
The early white settlers came from England and were very few. As
far as we can tell there are only two houses in this area that
date back to pre-Revolutionary days. One is the Gresham Farm and
the other is the Brick House Farm, near the entrance of what is
now Shoreham Beach. The house at Brick House Farm was built by a
bachelor. He had the bricks brought over from England. He died
before he was able to live in the house. A number of families
have owned the house. It has been remodeled and additions have
been made to the original structure.
From this small beginning, several other estates grew. There was
Birch Manor, located about one-half mile from Gresham near Selby
Bay, which was built by Judge Tuck. There were Old 96 Farm, near
what is now Shoreham Beach; Stiener's Farm; Cloverlea; and Ivy
Neck, which was not in Mayo Proper but just across Rhode River.
The earliest records of Ivy Neck go back to 1688 when a grant of
six hundred ninety acres of land was made to John
(End of page 13)
Watkins. Also belonging to the estate was a little island
called Bachelor's Retreat which was granted to John Ridout by
Governor Sharpe in 1762. This little island covering about an
acre of ground, was sold to Mr. Cheston in 1790 by the owner. 1
Ivy Neck was well documented. It held the original contract,
dated 1787, made by James Cheston, wealthy planter, with Leonard
Harbaugh, a carpenter of Annapolis, and Andrew Green, bricklayer,
for the construction of Ivy Neck. The house contained furniture
and silver brought from England. There was a wharf at the foot of
the bluff on which Ivy Neck was built, at which all the
steamboats that ran from Baltimore to West River stopped.
Unfortunately, was destroyed by fire a few years ago and all the
documents, furniture, silver and a fine collection of old
portraits went with it. 2
In its early years, Mayo was strictly a farming community,
but with its growth the seafood industry became equally
important. With the growing population, the farms became smaller
in order to provide land on which to build houses. The occupation
of most of the people was in the seafood industry. This provided
year round work. Oysters were caught during the winter and sold.
Crabs and fish were caught during the summer.
Footnotes: 1 Tercentenary Edition of the Maryland Gazette - 1949 2 Baltimore News Post - "Day by Day" - Carroll Dulaney
(End of page 14)
In the early 1920's began the development of shore property in Mayo. This has continued up to the present time and has changed Mayo into a resort community. The shore property has brought many people from the Washington area and some from Baltimore. These residents live at Mayo and commute to their places of employment in Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis. A very small per cent of the present population is employed in the Mayo area.
IV. PEOPLE AT WORK
Today Mayo has a variety of work for the few people who earn
their living in this area. There are three farms in the community
on which the owners earn their living raising tobacco and some
corn.
In February the farmer begins his tobacco bed. He hoes and rakes
a small portion of ground in a sunny and protected part of his
farm. He mixes fertilizer in the ground and plants the tobacco
seeds. He puts logs or boards around the bed and covers it with
thin white cotton cloth. While the young tobacco is growing, the
farmer plows and discs his field and gets it ready for planting.
In May the tobacco plants are taken out of the bed and planted in
the open field. A tobacco planter does the planting. Two men sit
on either side of the planter, which is pulled by either tractor
or horses. The machine digs a hole for each plant and fills it
with water. The men put a tobacco plant in the hole and
(End of page 15)
the machine covers it up. While the tobacco is growing, the
farmer cultivates it either by cultivator or by hand.
During the summer, after the tobacco blooms, it is topped by
cutting the bloom from the top of the tobacco. The largest blooms
are saved for seed for the next year. Late in the summer the
tobacco is cut. The plant is with a big knife and put on tobacco
sticks. It is taken to a tobacco barn and hung to dry. After it
is dried, the leaves are stripped and assorted as to the size and
color and put into bundles. The bundles are packed into baskets
or barrels and taken to the tobacco market in Upper Marlboro,
Prince George County, Maryland.
Although tobacco is the money crop, the farmers raise corn,
mainly for the animals and poultry, and raise vegetables for
their own use.
There are two oyster houses in Mayo. One is owned by Mr. John
Collison and has been in operation for more than fifty years. It
was owned by Mr. Collison's father before him. The other oyster
house was built by Mr. Lawrence Blair in 1912 for tomato canning.
He operated it for about two years and sold it to William Numson
of Baltimore. He enlarged the business to the canning of string
beans, pears, blackberries, peaches, apples and, later steamed
oysters. In 1935 it was bought by Mr. William Dawson, a local
resident, for an oyster house.
Oysters in this area are caught with tongs, The handles or
shafts, of the tongs are from twelve to twenty-six feet
(End of page 16)
long, depending on the depth of water where the oysters are
being caught. At the bottom of these shafts are the tongs that
are shaped somewhat like two garden rakes that fit together and
hold about a peck of oysters, depending upon the size of the
oysters. The oystermen go to the oyster beds in their boats which
are about forty feet long. Near the stern of the boat is a small
cabin that houses the engine and steering wheel. Oystermen lower
their tongs into the water and sound the bottom for oysters. The
tongs are worked back and forth until they are filled. As much
mud is washed from the oysters as can be before they are dumped
on a culling board, which is about two feet wide with sides built
so the oysters will not fall into the boat. This board is placed
across the width of the boat. On this board the oysters are
culled or separated, the small oysters and shells being thrown
back overboard and the oysters of legal size being dropped into
the boat.\par The oysters are now taken to the oyster house where
they are measured into half-bushel baskets and wheeled into the
first room. From here they are taken to the shucking room where
people remove the oyster from the shell by opening it with an
oyster knife. This process is known as shucking. The oyster is
put into one of two cans, depending on its size; the selects, or
large ones, are put in the one can and the standards, or small
ones, are put in the other cans.
After being shucked, they are taken to the skimming room where
they are dumped on a washing table and sprayed with cold
(End of page 17)
water. The oysters are then put in an electric blower where
they are washed again. Soon after this operation, the oysters are
scooped up and put on a draining table; later to be placed into
cans, sealed, packed in ice and made ready for market.
Oysters are caught from September to the middle of April. During
the rest of the year, fish and crabs are caught. A few men in the
neighborhood fish during the whole year, weather permitting, by
using fishnets, called seines. These seines have corks at the top
and sinkers at the bottom and are pulled through the water to
catch the fish. This kind of fishing is done in shallow water.
Another kind of fishing that begins in early spring and lasts
until late fall is hook and line fishing. Some men with small
cabin cruisers take out fishing parties who come from the
surrounding cities. They go out in the Chesapeake Bay and catch
fish for a day's recreation. The fishing party takes home fish
and pays the boat owner a certain rate for the day. Since Mayo
has become a resort community, this business is growing.
Hard shell crabs are caught during the summer with trotlines and
hand lines. A trotline is rope whatever length desired, with an
anchor at each end. A few feet from the anchor an empty bottle is
tied to mark the beginning and end of the line. Baits of salt
eel, horsemeat or chicken feet are tied at spaces of two feet
over the entire rope between
(End of page 18)
the floats. After the trotline is left in the water a few
minutes, it is slowly pulled to the surface and the crabs,
clinging to the baits, are dipped up with a net. A hand line uses
the same principal as a trotline, except there is only one line
with bait instead of many.
Soft-shell crabs are caught in very shallow water by dipping them
up with a net.
Another kind of employment in Mayo is provided by the three
beaches, Beverley, Triton and Mayo. These beaches charge
admission for parking and swimming. Many people are employed to
prepare and sell food, collect admissions, take care of the
bathhouses and game rooms, park cars, sell souvenirs, etc. There
are nurses and lifeguards employed for the safety of the
visitors. These beaches open the week before Memorial Day and
close the week after Labor Day. On any hot Sunday during the
summer about thirty-five hundred cars come down Mayo Road headed
for the beaches.
Beverley Bach was organized in 1924 by Mr. Edgar Kolb. In
addition to the public beach, it is a summer colony for private
residents who are given free privileges to the beach itself. In
1942 Mr. Kolb bought adjoining Ford's beach and built what is now
Triton Beach. Together they form the largest summer resort on the
Chesapeake Bay.
Mayo Beach started in 1939 when Mr. Charles Trabing of Baltimore
bought the waterfront property at the point where the South River
meets the Chesapeake Bay. During the few years
(End of page 19)
that it has been in operation, it has grown to be a favorite
resort of many Washington residents.
Mayo has six general stores, five of which are open the year
round. They sell a great variety of merchandise. The stores do
most of their business in the summer season when people from the
cities come to their summer homes and to the beaches.
Four restaurants are in Mayo, two of which are open the year
round. Thee, too, do most of their business in the summer,
serving meals to visitors at the beaches.
Mayo has a third class post office which serves about a third of
the community. The rest of the area is served by Rural Free
Delivery from the Edgewater Post Office.
The first postmaster in Mayo was Mr. John Tucker. The post office
was in his home on Little Island in the year 1883. Later he moved
to Mayo Road, built a store and house combination, and the post
office was located there.
The next postmaster was Thomas J. Jackson who owned a store on
Cadle Creek. He was postmaster in 1900.
H.F. Himburg was the next postmaster appointed on June 1, 1914.
He had the post office in his store on Mayo Road. Later he sold
the store to Mr. Parks and built a small post office on an
adjoining lot. During all this time the post office was fourth
class. On January 3, 1940 Golda Himburg was appointed in her
father's place and is the present postmistress.
(End of page 20)
On July 1, 1943 Mayo Post Office became third class. 1
Four Marine Railways are in Mayo; one at Dawson's Oyster House;
one on Rhode River and two on Cadle Creek. Any repairs to boats
which cannot be made while the boats are in the water are done at
the railway. These include such things as painting, caulking,
removing barnacles and any carpentry work needed.
There is one garage in Mayo. At Bert's Garage any repairs on
cars, bicycles, outboard motors and any kind of welding can be
made.
V. TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION
Before the white settlers came to Mayo, the Indians traveled by
canoe and on foot. With the coming of the white man, another
method of transportation was added, that of horseback travel.
Because of the lack of roads and the rivers that had to be
crossed, travel by coach developed slowly. The people in this
area depended mostly on boats to travel any distances. During the
winters when the Bay and the rivers were frozen, the people
walked to Annapolis when necessary to go there on business. With
the building of a bridge across the South River in the early
1800's, travel by horse and carriage became more extensive. Roads
became wider, but travel
Footnotes: 1 From an interview with Miss Golda Himburg, postmistress, Mayo, Maryland
(End of page 21)
was extremely rough. In the winter only necessary trips were made because the freezing and thawing of the ground made travel almost impossible. The trip to Annapolis took approximately two hours.
After steamboats became numerous on the Bay, travel to and
from Baltimore and Annapolis was easier for Mayo residents. A
steamer, the most well known being the Emma Giles, came from
Baltimore and stopped at two wharves in Mayo; Carr's Wharf in
Rhode River and Birch's Wharf in Selby's Bay. Freight and
passengers were both carried. Trips were made three times a week.
The steamer made stops at Annapolis and West River also.
Gradually, with the coming of automobiles and trucks, the number
of trips decreased, until finally in the 1920's service was
discontinued.\par \tab Automobiles came to Mayo in the early
1900's. The first automobile was bought by Leander Jackson in
March 1915. It was a black Model T Ford with a brass front. It
costs three hundred and sixty dollars. Two months later another
car of the same make was purchased by Mr. David Collison. In
cases of emergency or of business, the neighbors felt free to
call on Mr. Jackson or Mr. Collison for the use of their cars.
During the next year Mr. Thomas Dawson bought a Ford. His was a
newer model with a black front. By 1927 one out of every ten
families in Mayo owned a car.
The roads were greatly improved when the state took over the main
road in Mayo and hard-surfaced it. This was in 1930.
(End of page 22)
With the improvements in the roads and the growth of the
community, ninety eight percent of the residents today own
automobiles.
During the summer when the beaches are open, buses travel between
Washington and Beverley Beach. They pick up passengers along the
route. They travel on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.\par \tab
As yet there are no airplanes in Mayo.
VI. HOUSING
All the houses of Mayo are the individual type. Most of them are
built of wood. Some of the newer homes are of brick or cinder
block. Houses in the past were built on the two-story plan, but
now the trend in building seems to favor the one-story plan. Most
of the houses have good size porches. A few have basements, but
the present practice seems to be that of building a utility room
adjoining the house. The houses are heated with either oil space
heaters or furnaces. Some houses have fireplaces, but these are
not depended upon as the main source of heat in cold weather.
All the homes are equipped with electricity and many of them have
telephones.
Most of the houses have modern plumbing facilities. The water is
piped into the houses from driven wells. The kitchens are
equipped with either gas or electric stoves for cooking.
(End of page 23)
Most of the homes are owned, but there are a few shore homes
that are rented to different families during the summer.
In Mayo there is one housing project going on at the present. Mr.
T.E. Collison has brought a strip of land on Carr's Road, and is
building a number of one-story frame houses for sale. There is a
housing project completed on the road to Shoreham Beach. These
brick houses are built by Mr. Hedin and are for rent. At the
present, all the houses are occupied.
One of the most pleasant features of all the houses in the Mayo
area are the roomy lawns which enable the residents to enjoy the
outdoors.
VII. COMMUNITY SERVICES
In the middle of the nineteenth century there were two doctors
who served Mayo, but who did not live in the immediate vicinity.
They were Dr. Weems and the elder Dr. Collison who lived at what
is now known as Glebe Heights. These doctors had their offices at
their residences and came down to Mayo by "horse and
buggy." The elder Dr. Collison had a son who studied
medicine. When his father passed away, he inherited his practice
and he also took over Dr. Weem's patients. For a number of years
he was the doctor in this area and continued living at his
father's residence. After the death of Dr. John Collison there
was no doctor near Mayo, but Dr. Hay's
(End of page 24)
from Davidsonville became the principal doctor. During Dr.
Hay's practice automobiles became more plentiful and some of the
people began to go to Annapolis for professional service.
Dr. Vincent Gould opened the first doctor's office in Mayo in
1950. He serves this area and is associated with Anne Arundel
General Hospital. Dr. Gould has his office at his home.
Some doctors from Annapolis also come to Mayo.
We have no local dentist. The people in Mayo go to Annapolis,
Washington or Baltimore for dental service.
The closest hospital is the Anne Arundel General Hospital in
Annapolis. Although we have no local ambulance service, we are
fortunate to be able to use the Woodland Beach Ambulance which is
stationed about five miles distant. The ambulance from the U.S.
Naval Academy Hospital is on call for the Navy personnel who live
in Mayo.
Although the health center is not located here, our community
enjoys the services of the Davidsonville-Mayo Health Center
located in Davidsonville. This center has the services of the
Anne Arundel County Public Health Organization.
The Health Center was first started in 1939 and was sponsored by
the Davidsonville P.T.A. Miss Katherine Watkins, principal of the
Davidsonville School, was the first president. A building on the
main road in Davidsonville was rented. Much remodeling was done
in order to make it suitable for a clinic.
During the years that followed, many Mayo residents became
interested in the services of the center and gave their
(End of page 25)
support. On November 6, 1947, on a notion by Mrs. Nick
Bottner, and in recognition of the help Mayo had given, the name
was changed to the Davidsonville-Mayo Health Center.
The services of the Center have expanded until the area now
covered extends from South River Bridge to Birdsville, and from
Chesapeake Bay to the Prince George's County line. Miss Arlene
Duval is the nurse in charge of the clinics and Mrs. Benjamin
Popham, a Mayo resident is president.
With the growth of the Center, there is great need for a larger
and more centrally located building. Mr. James Stuart has offered
to donate a piece of ground on Mayo Road in Woodland Beach and
funds are being raised to erect a permanent center. On the
building committee are Mrs. St. George Barber and Mrs. Ben
Hundley of Davidsonville, Rev. Mrs. Orra Brant and Mrs. George
Villenuve of Woodland Beach and Mrs. Z. Garner Jones, Mrs. Robert
Nimon and Mrs. Popham of Mayo. 1
Anne Arundel County has charge of the garbage disposal in Mayo,
except in the case of people living on private roads. The
collectors come for garbage every Monday and Thursday. The bill
for this collection is added to each person's property tax.
Although Mayo has no fire department of its own, it has the
services of the Galesville Volunteer Fire Department,
Footnotes: 1 From an interview with Mr. Benjamin Popham, Mayo, Maryland.
(End of page 26)
which is about eight miles distant. If the fire is serious
enough the Woodland Beach and Riva Fire Departments can also be
called.
The nearest police station is in Edgewater, which is about six
miles away. These police patrol this area and also furnish road
protection for the school. The police are employed by Anne
Arundel County.
VIII. DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGION
Until after the Civil War the people of Mayo attended church at
Hope Chapel, which was a Methodist Church about three miles from
Mayo on the road leading to Annapolis. This church had a slave
balcony so that plantation owners could take their slaves there.
After the Civil War a small wooden building was erected on the
old county road that led to Big Island, now known as Turkey
Point. This building served as both a church on Sundays and a
school during the week. It was also used as a meeting house and a
place to hold social affairs.
In 1878 the congregation had grown so that a new Methodist Church
was built on the main Mayo Road. This was a small one-room
building which seated about sixty people. The Reverend D.B.
Winstead was pastor. He also served the following churches:
Davidsonville, Birdsville, Taylorsville and Edgewater. The church
was called the Mayo Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church.
(End of page 27)
In 1892 the building was enlarged to its present size. In 1921
remodeling on the interior was done. Stained glass windows were
donated by members of the congregation, and a Delco system, which
generated electricity for the lighting of the church , was
installed. In 1941 an electric organ was purchased. In 1948,
during a heavy wind, one of the drafts in the two oil heaters
caused the interior of the church to be ruined with smoke.
Services were interrupted and moved to Mayo Hall while the
interior was completely refinished. New broadloom carpet was laid
inside the pulpit and around the altar rail. Tile was laid on the
rest of the sanctuary.
In 1950, due to the growth of the Sunday school, there was a
great need for enlarging the church. It was decided to raise it
and built a basement underneath, to be used as Sunday school
rooms and a place to hold social affairs. This was done and one
large room, two small rooms, two lavatories and a kitchen were
made. A new central oil heating plant was installed. The Reverend
Paul Cummins was pastor at this time. He also served the
Davidsonville and Edgewater churches, Hope Chapel and Birdsville
having long since discontinued. Today in addition to all church
affairs, the Boy Scouts, the 4-H Club and the Homemakers Club use
the church basement for meetings.
In 9152 the congregation of the church had grown, along with the
growth of the whole community, and the need was felt for a pastor
to serve Mayo alone, instead of one connected with
(End of page 28)
a circuit. Ground for a parsonage was donated by Theodore
Entwisle and Mr. Earl Brashears. A furnace for the parsonage was
donated by Mr. Brennaman of Baltimore, who is a summer resident
at Turkey Point. The parsonage was built on the Turkey Point Road
a short distance in back of the church.
In June 1952 Mayo Memorial Methodist Church withdrew the South
River circuit and became a station church. The Reverend Robert C.
Nimon was sent as first pastor. In November 1952 Reverend Nimon
and his family occupied the new parsonage.
At present there are two hundred and six active church members,
an active Women's Society of Christian Service, a large Sunday
school and a Methodist Youth Fellowship. A burial ground is
adjacent to the churchyard and recently more ground has been
added to enlarge it to twice the original size.
The only other church in Mayo was the Church of St. Andrew. It
was built during the rectorship of the Reverend C. J. Curtis of
All Hallows Episcopal Parish (1892-1899). It was built with finds
contributed by both former and present residents of Mayo and was
aided by the Episcopal Church Building Commission.
The first structure was merely an outside shell with the inside
left unfinished. It cost five hundred dollars. The opening
service was held about 1895, conducted by the Reverend Curtis,
Archdeacon Gambrill and Reverend Dr. W.L. DeVries.
(End of page 29)
The congregation, though small, finished the interior of the
church and added many improvements. A Sunday school was regularly
held. The successive rectors of All Hallows Parish continued to
serve the church, generally giving the fifth Sunday (when it
occurred) for a morning service. For a number of years a layman,
Mr. Norris, worked faithfully as a lay missionary, conducting
public worship, visiting among the people and teaching and
training the children.
In 1935, due to a faulty electrical wiring, St. Andrews Church
burned to the ground. The burial ground adjoining the church is
still being used for deceased members and is given perpetual care
by the living.
Plans are now being made among the Mayo members of All Hallows
Episcopal Church to build another chapel on the old site.\
IX. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Shortly after the close of the Civil War, a small wooden building
was erected on the old county road leading to Big Island at a
place called "Schoolhouse Field." The structure served,
as previously stated, both as a place of worship and as a school.
After the Methodist Church was built in 1878, the other building
was used exclusively as a school. It was the only one in Mayo at
that time and children had to walk two or more miles to get
there. Mr. Frank Owens was the first teacher of whom we have
record. He was succeeded by Mr. Henry Jones in 1879.
(End of page 30)
By 1891 the enrollment had increased to a daily attendance of
fifty children, and a new one-room school was built in the lower
part of Mayo to accommodate the children in that section. Miss
Mary Ford was appointed first teacher in the new school.
About 1907 a new three-room building was constructed midway
between the two one-room schools and they were consolidated. Mr.
Jackson bought the building at "Schoolhouse Field" and
moved it to become part of his store. Mr. D.W. Collison bought
the structure in lower Mayo and converted it into a dwelling.
Both are in existence today. Miss Sedonia Collison was the first
principal and Miss Lillian Carr was assistant. There were just
two teachers. In January or February of 1911 a third teacher,
Miss Isabel Harvey, was added to the faculty.
In 1922 the building was enlarged by combining two of the small
rooms and adding a new room. It had outside water facilities and
was heated by large coal stoves.
The nearest high school was in Annapolis and those wishing to
attend were compelled to board away from home. In 1925 the first
high school bus, driven by Mr. Howerton Alvey, began service from
Mayo to Annapolis.
The beginning of s steady growth at Mayo school came when No.11
School at Woodland Beach was closed and those children were
transported by bus to Mayo. This was in 1928 and Mr. Edward Owens
drove the bus. This consolidation was the beginning
(End of page 31)
of bus service to the school.
In 1939 a new brick building was constructed across Mayo Road
from the old building, which was sold to Mr. Bradley Alvey. The
new school is modern, with three large classrooms that have
adjoining cloakrooms, and a small auditorium with a stage. This
auditorium was made so that it could be easily converted into a
classroom if the need arose. There is an office for the
principal, two large lavatories and a basement in which is a
central heating plant. There are drinking fountains in the hall
and an electric bell. In each classroom is a built-in bookcase,
much blackboard space and a bulletin board. Miss Mildred Kolb was
the first principal with Miss Helen Dawson and Mrs. Emily Taylor
as assistants. Mr. Howard Porter was the first janitor at the new
school.
In September 1942, due to increased enrollment, the auditorium
was converted into a fourth classroom.
When the county initiated the Junior High system the seventh
grade was taken from Mayo and sent to Annapolis, leaving the
school with six elementary grades.
Even with one less grade the school continued to grow by
"leaps and bounds" and by 1948 it was necessary to rent
the wooden school building, which had been sold to Mr. Alvey, to
provide classroom space for the children. One room was used in
1948, another was used in 1949 and the third room was occupied in
1950, the building reaching full capacity at that time.
(End of page 32)
In 1951 Miss Mildred Kolb retired from the school system after
thirty-five years of service at Mayo. The principalship was
changed to that of supervisory principal, and Mrs. Margaret
Johnson was appointed in that capacity. There were seven
assistants. In this year playground equipment consisting of two
giant slides and two senior horizontal ladders and a duplicating
machine were given by the P.T.A. Bus service also increased, the
Woodland beach bus making two trips instead of one.
Because of the steady growth in enrollment, plans were begun for
the building of a new school in the Woodland Beach area as this
seemed to be the center of the greatest growth.
At the opening of a school in September 1952 the stage at Mayo
was converted into a classroom and a fifth-grade class was taken
to a vacant room in the school at Galesville. Two teachers were
added to the staff and a secretary was employed.
In this year an electric clock was installed to operate the
bells.
The P.T.A. save a Bell and Howell Movie Sound Projector and large
screen to the school.
The present staff of Mayo School is as follows: Mrs. Margaret
Johnson, principal, Mrs. Mary Jane Coker, secretary, Mrs. Lelia
Alvey, primary teacher, Mrs. Ruth Brennan, primary teacher, Mrs.
Mable Zumwalt, primary teacher, Mrs. Emma Burgess, primary, Mrs.
Eloise Glenn, primary, Mrs. Lydia Gass, primary, Mrs. Emily
Taylor, intermediate, Mrs. Ida Dixon, intermediate, and Mrs. Jean
Willard, intermediate. Mrs.
(End of page 33)
Dorothy Kirkley is supervisor of the elementary schools in
this area.
The Parent-Teacher Association, which was organized in 1923, has
always rendered invaluable service to the school. Mrs. Katherine
Collison was the first president of whom we have record. The
P.T.A., over a period of thirty years, has done much toward
bringing the home and school into closer relationship. It has
provided social activity for the children, it has given many
materials for enrichment of the program for students and it comes
to the aid of any needy causes in the community. The present
officers are: Mrs. Bowers Coker, president, Mr. John Eisenhart,
vice president, Mrs. John Eisenhart, secretary and Mrs. James
Riley, treasurer.
X. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
The girls' 4-H Club of Mayo was organized on April 30, 1948 with
Mrs. Isabel Brashears as the local leader. It was given the name
of the Mayo Hustle Bustle Club. There were eleven members. Mrs.
Bernice Cummins is the present local leader and there are now
eighteen members. The club meets twice a month in the basement of
the church. 1
On March 6, 1953 a boys' 4-H Club was begun with nine boys
joining under the leadership of Mrs. Frances Witt. It, too, meets
at the church twice a month.
Footnotes:\par 1 From an interview with Mrs. Bernise Cummings,
Mayo, Maryland.
(End of page 34)
In 1949 a Boy Scout Troop was organized under the leadership
of John Barge. There were eight boys who joined. The club has
grown to a membership of twenty-three and meets in the church
basement every Friday night. Mr. Eugene Lofgren is the present
leader. The Troop number is 453 and it is divided into two
patrols, the Eagle and the Wolf.
The Bookmobile from the Public Library in Annapolis comes once
every two weeks. It stops at eight different places in Mayo
including the school.
The Selby Bay Yacht Club was organized in August 1947 and
incorporated in that year at Selby-on-the-Bay, a short distance
from Annapolis. Mr. Walter Podrog of Washington, D.C. was founder
of the club. Mr. F. S. Crismond gave the club its home when he
offered his pier and dockage facilities. There were seven boat
owners who became charter members the first set of officers
elected was Walter Podrog, Commodore; L. H. Johnson, Vice
Commodore; Walter Wilson, Rear Commodore, F. S. Crismond, Fleet
Captain and Arthur B. Cook, Secretary-Treasurer. Alvin Dickinson
and L. J. Johnson were elected trustees. The club holds dinner
dances, oyster roasts and cruises. The official flag of the club
is a blue field with a red border and a white comet star. 1
Footnotes: 1 Tercentenary Edition of Maryland Gazette, 1949.
(End of page 35)
The club has now grown to a membership of twenty. The same men
hold office.
The Beverley Ski Club was founded in 1950 by Raymond Jennings,
Tom Emrich and Harry Smith, Jr. for the purpose of making water
skiing and sailing possible to a select group, without having to
purchase the expensive equipment necessary. The club originates
from a similar club consisting of a small group of international
airline pilots who flew during and after the war. They used the
club as a means of keeping in excellent physical condition and
for recreational enjoyment. This sport was introduced to them
while they were on the French Riviera.
Comprehensive courses of instruction have been set up in line
with the requirement of the American Water Ski Association, in
view of eventually sponsoring a National Water Ski Meet at the
club, by putting am water ski shows with members participating.
This department of the club is known as the Parker Ski School.
The cost of instruction for a complete season is one hundred
eighty dollars.
There are overnight accommodations and meals available to members
at extra cost.
The club is called upon from time to time by various chambers of
commerce to put on water shows celebrating certain occasions. The
membership has proven itself quite capable of putting on a
thrilling two-hour show. During the Galesville
(End of page 36)
Tercentenary the performance was excellent. Raymond Jennings is president of the club. 1
XI. CIVIC GROUPS AND GOVERNMENT
Mayo has no local government. Its leaders are those who actively
participate in the affairs of the church, school and community
organizations.
The American Legion Post was organized in October 1947 with
fifteen members. Mr. M. D. Schaumlaffle was the first commander.
The post was named the Bernard H. and Howard E. Cummings Post 226
in honor of two native boys, who gave their lives in World War
II. In 1950 the name was changed to the Cummings-Behlke Post 226
in order to honor Ellsworth Behlke, another native son who was
killed in World War II.
At present there are fifty members in the post. This is the
largest membership up to this time. It was incorporated in1953
under the leadership of Mr. C. R. Bennett, present post
commander. 2
The American Legion, with the auxiliary, sponsors a party
for the community children at Christmas-time. It has also
collected toys and clothing and sent then overseas for war
orphans.
Footnotes: 1 From a pamphlet published by the Beverly Beach Ski Club. 2 From an interview with Mr. Lester Jackson, Mayo, Maryland.
(End of page 37)
The auxiliary was organized March 2, 1949 with Mrs. Lucille
Jackson as first president. There were eleven members in the
group. At the present time the membership has grown to
twenty-one. Mrs. Gelene Melchoir is now president. 1
Mayo has a local lodge, the Mayo Beneficial Association.
It was organized in 1896 to benefit members who were sick and
unable to work, and to give the widows of members who died a sum
to help they defray burial expenses. The M.B.A. Hall was built in
1898 by the lodge as a place to hold meetings and social affairs.
The lodge is still active, but the membership has decreased with
the death of the older members and the lack of interest on the
part of the younger people. We feel this is because of the many
health benefits and insurance's that are available today,
together with the retirement plans and social security program of
the government. At this writing, the future of the M.B.A. is
uncertain.
XIII. OUR COMMUNITY LOOKS AT THE FUTURE
The future of Mayo seems to toward an expanded
residential shore community. In fact, during the summer months
Mayo becomes almost a suburb of Washington, as the residents
Footnotes: 1 From an interview with Mrs. Lucille Jackson, Mayo, Maryland.
(End of page 38)
from that city move to their own summer homes or rent beach
cottages. On weekends or holidays the public beaches are filled
with day visitors. However, we do not know whether or not the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge will divert vacationers to the Eastern
Shore. When the bridge opened last July there was a decided
decrease at the public beaches in this vicinity. Whether or not
this will be just a temporary trend, because of the newness of
the bridge, remains to be seen.
The seafood industry, which once played a big part in the economy
of Mayo, is on the decline. There is, at present, a scarcity of
fish, oysters and crabs; therefore, people are unable to earn a
living from this work alone.
The church and the school are growing rapidly along with the
increase of new residents. Th church, which has recently doubled
its capacity, already is feeling the need for still more space.
Plans are also going forward to build a new church of another
denomination.
At present, all indications point toward Mayo growing as a
residential center with most of the people earning their living
elsewhere in nearby towns and cities.
There are no indications at present that Mayo will become an
industrialized area.
(End of page 39)
XIII. STRANGE DISCOVERIES - "BELIEVE OT OR
NOT"
When Mrs. Von Aschenberg brought Gresham she found, at
the back door, a stone slab used as a step. Upon investigating
she discovered that it was the tombstone of Colonel Nicholas
Gassaway. She contacted some descendants of "Old
Rough-and-Ready" and they moved the tombstone to St. Anne's
Churchyard in Annapolis, where it can be seen today. 1
Colonel Gassaway was buried somewhere on the vast estate of
Gresham. 2
No one knows how the slab came to be Gresham's doorstep.
The End.
Footnotes: 1 From an interview with Mrs. Von Aschenberg, Gresham Farm, Edgewater, Maryland. 2 American Motorist Magazine - Gresham on South River, July 1931 - Pages 11-13.
(End of page 40)
Suggestions and comments about this page should be sent to the webmaster
Volunteers are also needed to keep this site current.