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From Workboats to Steamboats
If you grew up in Rock Hall 75 years ago, your boat was a tool…not a toy. As essential as a strong back, a sturdy skiff or bateau put food on the table and cash in the pocket. And if you had some cash for a trip to Baltimore, chances are you departed by steamboat from a wharf at 'Gratitude,' the neighborhood at the terminus of Route 20 believed named after the steamboat that called there. Most of the good old wooden workboats are gone. Some can be found beached in the marsh or woods. Yet, there are more boats than ever in Rock Hall today, but most of them are called "yachts." The Rock Hall Museum collection includes 33 locally handcrafted models of the wooden boats commonly built here and used here by watermen, along with a photo collection of Chesapeake Bay steamboat.
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