Labor, Landscape, and Four Virginia Watermen

Labor, Landscape, and Four Virginia Watermen Jessica Taylor (bio) Patrick Daglaris In Mathews County, Virginia, men crab, oyster, fish in workboats or sail on commercial vessels. They leave home hemmed by 350 miles of shoreline, tidal wetlands, stands pine trees jutting into the water, small, brushy islands at a distance haze. On shore, fewer than nine thousand people live many them retirees second homes care facilities commuters to military shipbuilding installations nearby. Though local watermen once numbered thousands, only little over hundred residents work maritime industry today.1 "It was hard work, but I didn't mind it," former waterman Gilbert Hall remembered. "I young. never liked that kind fishing. My daddy good me, he worked me death then you gotta make boys work."2 Young old understood fishing together, sharing stories about fishing, transferred value between generations who had navigated changes redefined daily nature their work. oral histories, Middle Peninsula's [End Page 257] described drawing these skills values as they responded intertwined environmental economic instabilities, from species collapse labor migrations climate change. For through twentieth century, seasons productivity profit punctuated longer overall decline amount Informed knowledge, fished for living Chesapeake Bay were sensitive how ecological imbalances affected everyday life communities, cultural resilience rooted shared men. we argue, used technology knowledge adapt change pursue particular ideal: individual autonomy physical labor. But last accelerating shifts Chesapeake's quality, harvests, demographics rendered some technologies regimes obsolete. As landmarks eroded shore became financially untenable many, explained challenges latest among already weathered.3 However universal "hard work" might seem, nineteenth- early-twentieth-century development Bay's diverse water industries transformed meaning payoff During nineteenth century onward, growth cities like Baltimore, steamer lines roads leading them, created employment skilled relatively distant rural areas County. Although Peninsula built captained merchant ships manned vessels long before Civil War, cities' need dry goods, produce, seafood wider demand steamship captains workers carry freight beyond Virginia. harvested oysters, crabs, menhaden, other likewise profited. The waters banks York River teemed with steamships industrial fish-packing houses canneries; docks crowded families crews moving crates colorful watermelons, cantaloupes, daffodils.4 258] Mechanization, demographics, fluctuating populations profits changed historical landscape. Increased harvesting efficiency also may have caused catches rise busts began disappoint turn century.5 Economic has depressed population which remained stagnant Virginia's exploded. Here, is calm winding, skinny pines, buoys, osprey nests, low marshes punctuate clear views creek's harbor's opposite shore. tip Peninsula, connecting mariners consumers nationwide, seems isolated young residents; take road up peninsula bridges south across river look A tourist taking bay finds it pristine, an experienced looks empty. "[W]e don't no more. We don't. Like say, have...