Founded in 1666 by Benjamin Summers, Crisfield was originally known as Annemessex and the cove bordering Benjamin Summers' land was known as Somers Cove. Annemessex was a typical small Eastern Shore village. Gradually the name of the village was changed to Somers Cove.
This came about because boat captains and crews consistently referred to the area by the small cove which afforded them protection from the weather in the Chesapeake and was a fine docking place.
In 1854, a Coast and Geodetic survey of the Chesapeake Bay discovered a large number of oyster beds in Tangier Sound adjacent to Somers Cove. John W. Crisfield recognized the importance of this natural resource and pushed the Eastern Shore Railroad from Salisbury to Crisfield.
With the advent of the railroad the products of the Chesapeake Bay could move from the Eastern Shore to the lucrative markets of the northeast. In recognition of his contributions to the city, the town fathers changed the name of the city from Somers Cove to Crisfield.
For many years, Crisfield was the leading oyster producing city in the entire United States. The export of this tasty Chesapeake bivalve produced an economic boom in the area and Crisfield rose in prominence throughout the region.
The combination of the railroad and the oyster helped fuel the development of secondary industries in the city. Harvested seafood requires cool temperatures in order to keep it fresh and edible. Consequently, a large ice house was built which supplied ice to keep seafood refrigerated in transit.
A coal fired power plant generated the electricity necessary to keep the city and its industries supplied with this source of power. Agricultural packing houses were established which canned vegetables and then took advantage of the railroad for transport of this produce.
A sewing industry took advantage of the expert seamstresses in the area. This industry produced fine finished products for Wall Street clothiers. Many more small businesses were started to serve the local people employed in the major industries. The City of Crisfield was incorporated in 1872.
By 1904 the City of Crisfield was the second largest city in the State of Maryland (first being Baltimore) and one of the finest seaports in the country. It quickly became known as the "Seafood Capital of the World.". The seafood industry, combined with the ability to export seafood and agricultural produce via the railroad drew residents from as far away as New England and the Midwest.
Located on the Chesapeake Bay off Tangier Sound near the mouth of the Annemessex River, and the bordered to the south by the Pocomoke River, Crisfield has long been referred to as "The Crab Capital of the World."
For nearly three centuries the area now called "Crisfield" has been famous for its seafood - especially its Blue Crab and Oysters, its watermen, its natural beauty and its sense of community built on a common faith and deep roots. It's a waterfront hamlet with a "home town" feel and a Mecca for travelers anxious to experience water recreation, ecological wonders and friendly people and some of the best seafood in the country.
There are few towns in the State of Maryland that have retained their cultural heritage as Crisfield has. That culture is still reflected in the buildings, streetscapes, residential communities, churches, landscape and the faces of the people that live and work in the Crisfield area.