While cruising to Smith Island from Crisfield, Md., I asked a passenger what he loved the most about the island.  “The isolation,” he replied. He was also fascinated by the water boats and the vernacular of the people. Indeed, by the end of my trip, I discovered that it was these three things that draw visitors to Smith Island.

Smith Island, Md., is located about 12 miles from Crisfield on the lower Eastern Shore. But, it isn’t your typical tourist destination. Rather, Smith Island is a living and working island that encompasses three centuries of watermen who make their livelihood from fishing, crabbing and oystering. There are around 300 residents, most of whom are descendants of British colonists – the Evans, Tyler, Marsh, Bradshaw and Thomas families – who settled there in the 1700s.

Smith Island is not just one island but actually a cluster of islands of over 4,000 acres of marshland nestled in the Chesapeake Bay, straddling the Maryland-Virginia state line. The only inhabitable part of this marsh (900 acres) lies in Maryland, giving Smith Island the distinction of being the state’s only populated offshore island. Watermen and their families live in one of three villages/islands – Ewell, Tylerton or Rhode’s Point. Although there are vehicles on Ewell, on Tylerton residents use primarily golf carts and bicycles to get around on. Rhodes Point, a small community connected to Ewell by a wooden bridge, is the island’s center for boat repair. The town was originally called Rogue’s Point for the pirates who frequented that part of the island years ago.

From Memorial Day through Oct. 15, tourists can cruise to Ewell or Tylerton twice each day from Crisfield’s Somers Cove Marina, weather permitting, on a variety of boats – the Twister, The Captain Jason I and II, The Captain Tyler II and the Island Belle II.  You can also cruise there on your own boat. There is overnight docking available for boats with a draft of under 3 feet. The island has its own gas pumps. For information on dock rental, call Smith Island Marina, 410-425-4220.

On Ewell – the larger of the two islands – day-tripping visitors can tour the island on golf carts or bicycles, eat at the Bayside Inn Restaurant and visit gift shops and the museum. The island is famous for its crab cakes and Smith Island Cake, an absolutely delicious 8-10 layer cake with chocolate icing. There is one small motel and one bed and breakfast on Ewell and one bed and breakfast on Tylerton (see sidebar).

However, visitors to Smith Island will find no beaches, movie theaters, bars, fast food chains, boutiques, amusement parks, convenience stores, Laundromats or taxi cabs. While a Smith Island getaway isn’t for everyone – mosquitoes and greenhead flies certainly can deter less hearty folk in the summertime – visitors with an appreciation for nature, isolation, watermen, fishing, crabbing, and fascination for the culture will certainly find themselves drawn to the island.

A Smith Island getaway would appeal to those wishing to escape the frantic pace and stress of daily urban life and wanting a more isolated destination to enjoy the wildlife and natural beauty of the Chesapeake.

As for the culture of Smith Island, visitors may note a distinctive speech pattern among the local inhabitants, a strong holdover of the Elizabethan dialect due to the isolation of the island. The natives speak with unusual accents and “backwards talk” that both please and puzzle the ear.

Religion has always been a very important part of island life. Joshua Thomas established the Methodist Church here and other Chesapeake Bay islands during the late 1800s, and it continues to be the only organized religion on the island today. The church continues to be a guiding force in all aspects of community life, serving as local government as well as a moral anchor.

Smith Island people depend on boats to make their living and maintain an intense relationship with the bay, which they say can be their “protector, provider and jailer” when bad weather prevents boats from making their daily runs. After the men bring home crabs from a day on the bay, the ladies gather at the Crab Co-Op on Tylerton to pick the crabs, all the while socializing and singing. These women share a special bond and create their own fun and entertainment. 

The children go to school on the island until the sixth grade, when they go to school in Crisfield via boat. Locals say it’s the only place where they can call off school due to wind.

What keeps people there? “It’s one of the best places to live, where people help people,” says islander Mina Laird, mother of Larry Laird, captain of the Jason II.  “It is peaceful and has no crime. It’s a different way of life here.”

“We love our island,” proclaim other natives. “If the sea doesn’t cover us over and people don’t stop eating crabs, they’ll be a Smith Island forever.”