Jack Willing

Jack Willing has built boats his whole life and is co-owner of Scots Cove Marina in Chance Maryland. While he never worked on the water, he has a lifetime of experience in wooden boats and fiberglass boats, both from working in the marina since he was a kid, and for a time at the Chris-Craft factory in Salibury. He runs the marina and is working on the possibility of a skipjack museum in Chance.

Michelle Burr & Ted Daniels

Michelle Burr was one of my very first interviews on Deal Island. She was able to chat with me briefly before her shift at Lucky's Last Stop General Store. Here she shares just a few thoughts on the magic of living on the water and what brought her back after being gone for 15 years. As someone who lived on Deal Island and left, she talks about living on the water again, raising kids on the water, and being grateful to be back. 




Michelle later on introduced me to her boyfriend Ted Daniels who is a waterman, bottle and artifact collector, and local historian who has worked in many different places but always ends up back on the bay. Here he talks about what brings him back, secrets to finding buried treasure, and how the sea/island-scape has changed in the last 25 years.




How they met, and how the community has changed. 

Sonny Benton

Waterman and retired state chaplain Sonny Benton has led a full and dynamic life. Here he shares just a few stories about being the youngest skipjack captain to win the skipjack race, his path as a preacher, and insights on the community and history of Deal Island.

Frank and Deanna Horner

Frank and Deanna Horner ran Horner Seafood as a husband and wife team through most of their 55 year marriage. Here are just a few gems about running a business as a team, shedding peelers overboard, and the secret to staying together. They are filled with love and laughter.

Danny Benton

Danny Benton is Daddy Art's oldest grandson and a long-timed, experienced waterman from Deals Island MD. Here he shares his story of the day the crabs gave him his big break (despite being underestimated), his big decision, and the final count.

Charles and Ginnie Horner

I got to interview husband and wife team Charles and Ginnie Horner the other day, even though they are busily dealing with peelers, or better known as soft shell crabs. If you consume these delectable little things, know that an enormous amount of work and care goes into making sure they are caught, taken care of, and then prepped for eating at just the right time. They get to shed a few shells in captivity under the watchful eye of a waterman (who never gets to sleep during this really, as tanks and soft shells need to be shifted around if there is a change in weather of any kind) But after the crab has grown big enough, it is then cleaned and packed to be shipped all over the mid-Atlantic. They have to be just the right size, and just at the right stage, to be edible.

"Daddy Art" Daniels

I did my first interview with the oldest living skipjack captain Arthur "Daddy Art" Daniels. He's a pretty amazing person. 91 years strong.

What is this website about? And do you have questions for me?

This site is just something I've been putting together from the interviews and photos I took while I was on Deal Island from May 10-June 10th. I was there doing pre-dissertation research about watermen communities on the Chesapeake Bay, and since I didn't see too much on Deal Island, I figured I would land myself there for a month with a little financial assistance from my university, and see how it went. I also was supported by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St Michael's MD as one of their visiting Chesapeake Scholars.

I'm actually from Olney MD, a Washington D.C. suburb, and grew up eating Maryland crabs and going to the Eastern shore in the summers for the beaches. But only when I became interested in folklore, did I get on a path that ended with me living in Wenona MD. I've been working in the MD/Washington D.C. restaurant industry for about 15 years, and became interested in where food was coming from and who the people are that produce the food we eat. Make a long story short, I ate a crabcake sandwich in Olney one afternoon, and out of curiosity asked where the crabmeat came from, and when the owner told me it actually came from Indonesia, I figured that there was a pretty good story to tell. And I was right.

Here is just a little snippet of insight into one community of the bay. The stories are filled of proud heritage, spiritual connection, daring and insanely difficult backbreaking work, and heartbreaking economic downturns. The people I talked to are soulful, full of heart, full of fight, and have a deep and profound love for the bay. I hope to collect more, if possible.

This is a very rough version of what can be done. The transitions could be smoother, and I could use a lot more visual images so there are new things to look at with every interview. I hope to remedy that soon. 

Here might be some questions:

Q: I gave you an interview-where is it?
A: I either haven't uploaded it yet, or I never got a release form from you. If you need a release form, please contact me at plguerre@indiana.edu and I will mail one over to you. If you did fill one out, your interview will be up soon, I promise

Q: Why are there pictures of some people and not of others?
A: I wish I had gotten pictures of everyone! But some people were camera shy, or I forgot my camera, or I felt like it would've been too invasive to audio record and start snapping away. I would like to take some more pictures though, when I return. Please let me know if you would like me to take a picture of you!

Q: Why are pictures repeated?
A: I simply did not take enough for every interview, so I repeat some pictures just to continue to have a visual image for the interview

Q: I have some feedback, questions, and thoughts
A: Please tell them to me!! Send any feedback, questions, or thoughts to plguerre@indiana.edu