The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay . Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that Maryland shares with Delaware and Virginia .
76-628: Andersontown is a populated place on Maryland's Eastern Shore in Caroline County , Maryland , United States. It is situated near the Delaware line, centered on the intersection of Andersontown Road and Maryland Route 404 . One of the first mentions of Andersontown is the Andersontown Post office on the 1875 Map of Caroline County. On the 1897 Map of Caroline County, It is referred to as Andersontown. This article about
152-683: A dispute ensued between the Swedes and the Dutch, who asserted a prior claim to that land. In 1640, New Sweden was founded a few miles south of Christina . In 1644, Queen Christina appointed Lt. Col. Johan Printz as Governor of New Sweden . She directed boundaries to be set and to reach Cape Henlopen north along the west side of Godyn's Bay ( Delaware Bay ), up the South River ( Delaware River ), past Minquas Kill ( Christina River ), to Sankikans (Trenton Falls). Printz settled on Tinicum Island , as
228-436: A family was $ 78,072. Males had a median income of $ 52,637 versus $ 41,693 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 31,220. About 6.6% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2020 census , there were 570,719 people living in the county. According to the 2021 census estimates, its racial and ethnic makeup
304-587: A ferry terminal at Claiborne , west of St. Michaels , to Ocean City, via the Baltimore and Eastern Shore Railroad and the Wicomico and Pocomoke Railroad . Travelers could also take a ferry to Love Point on Kent Island, board a Queen Anne's Railroad train, and travel east to Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware . Automobile transportation across the Chesapeake Bay was by ferryboat until 1952, when
380-426: A location in Caroline County , Maryland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Maryland Eastern Shore As of the 2020 census, its population was 456,815, with about 7% of Marylanders living in the region. The region is politically more conservative than the rest of the state, generally returning more votes for Republicans than Democrats in statewide and national elections. Developed in
456-530: A railroad line straight south from Wilmington to Dover , Delmar , Salisbury , and Cape Charles . Maryland's Eastern Shore was served by branch lines running generally southwest from the main route. See List of railroad lines in the Delmarva Peninsula . The Eastern Shore's many branchlines were built after the Civil War by local companies; by the late nineteenth century, all were controlled by
532-512: A state delegate seat in district 37A. Ocean City 's skyline, containing tall hotels and condominiums, stands out within Delmarva . At the southern end of the town, a recreational boardwalk spans over thirty blocks, containing carnival rides and games, restaurants, bars, arcades, and clothing boutiques. Tourists visit St. Michaels on a neck surrounded by water; the colonial former port of Oxford ; Chestertown ; and isolated Smith Island in
608-632: A state encompassing the Delmarva Peninsula . The 1998 proposal by state Senators Richard F. Colburn and J. Lowell Stoltzfus did not specify a status for Eastern Shore's nine counties following secession, but suggested the new state's name could be "Delmarva". The Delmarva Shorebirds are a minor league baseball team who play Class A baseball in the Carolina League at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury , affiliated with
684-596: A stone, and every five miles by a "crownstone". The line is not quite due north and south, but is as straight as survey methods of the 1760s could make it. It was surveyed as a compromise solution to a century-long wrangle over colonial territory between the Penn and Calvert families of England. If the Chesapeake Bay/Delaware Bay watershed divide had been taken as the borderline, the state of Delaware would be about half its current size. William Claiborne
760-487: A two-tiered, paramedic intercept EMS system. County paramedics are located in eight full-time stations and one part-time station that operates during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with a capability of calling in additional personnel during major emergencies or planned events. Basic life support (BLS) ambulance service is provided primarily by volunteer fire companies with the use of paid employees that are trained in fire suppression and EMS. Fire/Rescue protection
836-401: Is Kenneth W. Boulden Jr. (D) The recorder of deeds is Michael Kozikowski (D). His office is responsible for receiving and recording deeds , mortgages and satisfactions thereof, assignments, commissions of judges , notaries , and military officers. The recorder of deeds' office is heavily computerized; electronic images of all recent documents and many others are available the office is in
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#1732780867238912-669: Is Scott T. Phillips. New Castle County has a strong zoning code, known as the Unified Development Code, or UDC. The UDC was developed by the Gordon Administration in response to public perception of over- and misdevelopment in the county. New building projects must go through a process of application and approval before construction is permitted to begin. By operation of state law, New Castle County has no responsibility whatsoever for maintenance of roadways . Public roadways are maintained exclusively by
988-523: Is a hundred in itself), Mill Creek, White Clay Creek, Pencader, New Castle, Red Lion, St. Georges, Appoquinimink, and Blackbird. Ebright Azimuth , the highest natural point in Delaware at 448 feet (137 m), is located in New Castle County. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was built through New Castle County, and adjoining Cecil County, Maryland, between 1822 and 1829. Almost all of
1064-535: Is almost double the combined population of Kent and Sussex, the winner in New Castle County has also won Delaware overall in each of the last eighteen presidential elections. In 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2016, the Republican candidate carried Kent and Sussex, only to lose New Castle by double digits–enough of a margin to swing the entire state to the Democrats. New Castle was a bellwether from 1936 to 1996, as it backed
1140-485: Is also the state's most populous city. New Castle County is included in the Philadelphia - Camden - Wilmington , PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area . The county is named after William Cavendish, 1st duke of Newcastle ( c. 1593 –1676). New Castle County has the highest population and population density of any Delaware county, and it is the smallest county in the state by area. It has more people than
1216-596: Is based in the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington. The deputies assigned to this division organize and manage capias returns. They also transport prisoners for Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Family Court. The civil division serves legal process, performs levies & impounds and sells property in satisfaction of judgments . The civil division also locates and apprehends individuals wanted for civil capias. The current sheriff
1292-509: Is home to a fishing, crabbing, and seafood processing industry. In the 21st century, the main economic activities on the Eastern Shore are vegetable and grain farming , seafood , large-scale chicken breeding ( Perdue Farms was founded in Salisbury and is still headquartered there today), and tourism . Tobacco was the chief commodity crop during colonial times. The agricultural economy switched to mixed products, including grain, in
1368-589: Is land and 68 square miles (180 km ) (13.8%) is water. The boundaries of New Castle County are described in § 102 of the Delaware Code. The county is drained by Brandywine Creek , Christina River , and other channels. Its eastern edge sits along the Delaware River and Delaware Bay . Two small exclaves of the county and the state lie across the Delaware River, on its east bank on
1444-569: Is located in Wilmington ; it opened in 1982. The Delores J. Baylor Correctional Institution , a women's prison housing pretrial and posttrial prisoners, is located in unincorporated New Castle County. Baylor opened on December 29, 1991. The Delaware male death row was in the JTVCC, while the female death row was in Baylor. Executions were to occur at JTVCC, prior to the 2016 suspension of it by
1520-597: Is provided by twenty-one volunteer fire departments throughout the county. The city of Wilmington has its own career municipal fire department and contracts with a private ambulance service for basic life support coverage. The contracted private ambulance service in Wilmington operates in a tiered response configuration with the New Castle County Paramedics. The Paul J. Sweeney Public Safety Building, located in Minquadale off of US 13 , houses
1596-609: Is supported by local municipality police agencies in Middletown , Newark , Delaware City , Wilmington , Newport , Elsmere , the city of New Castle , the University of Delaware , as well as the Delaware State Police . New Castle County also operates a nationally accredited, county-run paramedic service through its Emergency Medical Services Division . NCC*EMS is the advanced life support (ALS) component of
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#17327808672381672-481: The Baltimore Orioles . County seats: New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent , and Sussex ). As of the 2020 census , the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the state's population of 989,948. The county seat is Wilmington , which
1748-810: The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal . There are three major routes to the Eastern Shore: The two major highways on the Eastern Shore are U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 50 , which meet in Salisbury . Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport , in Salisbury, is the only commercial airport on the Delmarva Peninsula . Airports for private aircraft include: The Eastern Shore has made several attempts to separate from Maryland. Proposals were debated in Maryland's General Assembly in 1833–1835, 1852, and 1998. There were earlier proposals visualizing
1824-761: The Delaware Supreme Court . New Castle elects a substantial majority of the state legislature, with 27 state house districts and 17 state senate districts based in the county. New Castle County is home to two minor league sports teams: the Wilmington Blue Rocks (baseball) and the Delaware Blue Coats (basketball), both of which play in Wilmington. It also has a professional auto racing track in New Castle known as Airport Speedway, with races on Saturday nights throughout
1900-562: The Mason–Dixon line with Delaware to the east and north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and Virginia's Eastern Shore on the south. Maryland's and Virginia's Eastern Shores, along with most of Delaware, form the Delmarva Peninsula . The location of the southern border with Virginia was a cause for significant dispute amongst colonists prior to 1668, when Phillip Calvert of Maryland and Edmund Scarborough of Virginia demarcated
1976-460: The New Jersey side, Finns Point adjacent to Pennsville Township, New Jersey , and the northern tip of Artificial Island , adjacent to Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey . New Castle County, like all of Delaware's counties, is subdivided into hundreds . New Castle County is apportioned into eleven hundreds: Brandywine, Christiana, Wilmington (the city of Wilmington, which, by law,
2052-573: The Pennsylvania Railroad (which also bought control of the steamboat and ferry routes), then Conrail and Norfolk Southern . Today the remaining active railroad tracks on the Eastern Shore are operated by short-line railroads Delmarva Central Railroad and the Maryland and Delaware Railroad . Commercial east–west ties between Delaware towns and Maryland towns were culturally significant in Colonial and Early American periods despite
2128-586: The Atlantic coast and beach resort of Ocean City . Because of its coastal and low-lying geography, the region is vulnerable to extreme weather events, including hurricanes and larger environmental issues like climate change and rising sea levels . The region contains a few major roads; the main connection to the other parts of Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge , which carries U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 301 . U.S. Route 13 connects
2204-720: The Calvert-Scarborough Line. This line ran northeast from Watkins Point in the Chesapeake through the James L. Horsey Farm and beyond to the Atlantic, but was ultimately never observed due to poor marking. The line in use today was established under the Award of 1877; this line travels east from Watkins Point, then up the middle of the Pocomoke River before heading due east along the Calvert-Scarborough Line at
2280-663: The Chesapeake Bay. North of Crisfield is Janes Island State Park , with camping and kayaking trails through marshlands. Cambridge continues to be a popular destination for tourism because of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge , the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort, Spa & Marina, and the Harriet Tubman National Park. At the southern end of the Chesapeake coast of Maryland, the town of Crisfield
2356-470: The Delaware Department of Transportation, while roadways within neighborhoods and developments are, pursuant to County code, maintained by homeowners' or neighborhood associations. The Department of Public Works maintains essential infrastructure elements such as sanitary sewers and drainage ways. It also maintains County-owned parks and buildings such as County libraries. It does not maintain
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2432-633: The Eastern Shore overall. At the presidential level, the Eastern Shore also leans Republican. But Kent and Somerset counties have flipped back and forth in supporting Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. The last Democrat to win Dorchester County was Bill Clinton from Arkansas in 1996 . Cecil County has not gone Democratic since Jimmy Carter from Georgia won the county in 1976 . Queen Anne's, Caroline, Wicomico, and Worcester counties have voted Republican at every election subsequent to Lyndon Johnson's landslide . Up until 2020, this
2508-524: The Eastern Shore, which has few rocky outcrops south of Kent County. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal crosses from Back Creek on the Elk River to Port Penn, Delaware . While it was a shallow canal with locks after its construction in 1829, it was deepened in the early 20th century to sea level, and physically separates the Delmarva Peninsula from the rest of the United States. Maryland south of
2584-754: The Ferris School for Boys, and the Grace and Snowden Cottages are in unincorporated New Castle County. Several Delaware Department of Correction facilities are located in the county. The James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC), formerly the Delaware Correctional Center, is a men's prison in unincorporated New Castle County, housing sentenced prisoners; Vaughn opened in 1971. The Howard R. Young Correctional Institution , renamed from Multi-Purpose Criminal Justice Facility in 2004 and housing both pretrial and posttrial male prisoners,
2660-534: The Governor, from eastern portions of Baltimore County and the northern portion of Kent County. Wicomico County was formed in 1867, as the 9th and last county, created from Somerset and Worcester counties. Ocean City was founded on July 4, 1875, when the Atlantic Hotel opened on Assateague Island . At the time, Assateague Island was continuous from the Delaware state line to well south of Ocean City:
2736-504: The New Castle County Police and Emergency Medical Services Division Headquarters and the emergency communications center supporting 9-1-1 services. The present building opened in 2007 with a construction cost of US$ 50,000,000. The Headquarters occupied a former elementary school building on the same site prior to erection of the current building. New Castle is a strongly Democratic county. Because its population
2812-529: The Ocean City Inlet was not formed until a hurricane in August 1933 cut across the south end of the town. The inlet was cut not by waves sweeping inland, but by 4 or 5 days' worth of freshwater runoff from the coastal creeks running seaward. By 1935, government money had built jetties to make the inlet permanent, dividing Fenwick Island (north) from Assateague Island (south). Early transportation to
2888-536: The Swedes from both sides of the river. They allowed only Dutch colonists to settle in the area and on August 31, 1655, the territory was converted back to Fort Casimir. Consequently, Fort Christina fell on September 15 to the Dutch, was renamed Fort Altena and New Netherland ruled once again. John Paul Jacquet was immediately appointed governor, making New Amstel the capital of the Dutch-controlled colony. The Dutch West India Company conveyed land from
2964-499: The University of Delaware maintain their own police emergency call centers. New Castle County has its own nationally accredited police department. The New Castle County Police Department is the second largest police organization in the state of Delaware. New Castle County maintains a county wide police force with authorization to enforce laws throughout the county, including within incorporated municipalities. The county police force
3040-407: The age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 37.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 62,474 and the median income for
3116-428: The age of 18 living with them, 49.60% were married couples living together, 13.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under
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3192-468: The age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 52,419, and the median income for a family was $ 62,144. Males had a median income of $ 42,541 versus $ 31,829 for females. The per capita income for
3268-435: The border line, which largely cut through woods and swamps. Trade with Philadelphia was conducted by overland routes to Delaware towns such as Odessa (then called Cantwell's Bridge) and Smyrna , then called Duck Creek. Agricultural products and milled grain were taken up the Delaware River by "shallop men" in small vessels called shallops . These cultural connections continue to this day. An east–west rail route ran from
3344-495: The canal is considered the Eastern Shore by residents. The term Western Shore is used by Eastern Shore residents to describe all the counties of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay, but especially those of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area and Southern Maryland . The north–south section of the Mason–Dixon line forms the border between Maryland and Delaware. The border was originally marked every mile by
3420-530: The coastal geography, infrastructure is already being damaged both due to sea level rise, and storm surge from tropical storms and hurricanes. The Eastern Shore's economy depends on the larger fisheries and farming, both of which are sensitive to climate change. Various waterways provide a medium for commerce and boaters: the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay , the Susquehanna River , and
3496-403: The colonial and federal period for agriculture, the Eastern Shore has remained a relatively rural region. Salisbury is the most populous community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The region's economy is dominated by three industry sectors: fishing along the coasts, especially for shellfish such as the blue crab ; farming, especially large-scale chicken farms; and tourism, especially centered on
3572-410: The concept of "row offices" from Pennsylvania, so-called because all of these county offices could be found in a row in smaller courthouses. In Delaware, these offices are clerk of the peace , recorder of deeds , register of wills, and sheriff . The office of clerk of the peace is unique among the 50 states; the office-holder's function is almost exclusively to perform marriages. The current incumbent
3648-474: The county has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) except for the highest area around Ebright Azimuth where the climate is hot-summer humid continental ( Dfa .) The hardiness zone is 7b except in some higher areas close to the Pennsylvania border which are 7a. As of the census of 2000, there were 500,265 people, 188,935 households, and 127,153 families residing in the county. The population density
3724-563: The county in 1992 and, like many urban counties, New Castle stayed Democratic ever since. The Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families (DSCYF) has its headquarters in the Delaware Youth and Family Center (DYFC), located in unincorporated New Castle County, near Wilmington . Several DSCYF juvenile facilities, including the New Castle County Detention Center (NCCDC),
3800-544: The county was $ 25,413. 8.40% of the population and 5.60% of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 10.20% of those under the age of 18 and 7.40% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. As of the 2010 census , there were 538,479 people, 202,651 households, and 134,743 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,263.2 inhabitants per square mile (487.7/km ). There were 217,511 housing units at an average density of 510.2 per square mile (197.0/km ). The racial makeup of
3876-426: The county was 65.5% white, 23.7% black or African American, 4.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 3.5% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.2% were Irish , 15.0% were German , 11.7% were Italian , 11.3% were English , 6.2% were Polish , and 3.0% were American . Of the 202,651 households, 33.8% had children under
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#17327808672383952-630: The first Chesapeake Bay Bridge was opened for traffic. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, developers began selling lots on Assateague Island, south of the inlet. However, a storm on March 6, 1962 destroyed houses, shacks, and roads. The state and federal governments intervened before reconstruction by creating the Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park to preserve this area rather than have it be developed. An Eastern Shore Baseball League operated during three periods between 1922 and 1949. It
4028-459: The governor Lt. Col. Printz, officially assumed Printz's duties and began to expel all Dutch from New Sweden. Fort Casimir surrendered and was renamed Fort Trinity in 1654. The Swedes had complete possession of the west side of the Delaware River. On June 21, 1654, the Lenape met with the Swedes to reaffirm the purchase. Having learned of the fall of Fort Casimir, the Dutch sent Stuyvesant to drive
4104-487: The island was by train. Until the 1820s, travel and commerce between the Eastern Shore and Baltimore were less important than the connections between it and Philadelphia. Water travel by sailboat and steamer linked the Eastern Shore to Baltimore more tightly beginning about 1813, when the first steamboat traveled the Bay. By the 1880s, railroad lines linked the Eastern Shore to Philadelphia and later, Norfolk, Virginia , by way of
4180-545: The more densely populated and urban Western Shore. Since the late 20th century, when conservative whites shifted to the Republican Party, the region has strongly supported Republican candidates for governor. The three Republican nominees for governor from 1994 to 2018 – Ellen Sauerbrey , Bob Ehrlich , and Larry Hogan – swept all nine counties. This streak ended in 2022 when Democrat Wes Moore won Kent and Talbot counties, though Republican Dan Cox still won
4256-478: The national winner in every presidential election. It became the longest-running national bellwether after 1996, when Okanogan County, Washington , voted for Bob Dole . In 2000, Valencia County, New Mexico became the longest presidential bellwether. Former governor Ronald Reagan won the county by just one vote over President Jimmy Carter in 1980. The county was won by the Republican presidential candidate from 1980 through 1988. This changed when Bill Clinton won
4332-455: The northern border of New Castle County as it currently exists. In 1685, the western border was finally established by King James II; this was set as a line from Old Cape Henlopen (presently Fenwick ) west to the middle of the peninsula and north up to the middle of the peninsula to the 40th parallel. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 494 square miles (1,280 km ), of which 426 square miles (1,100 km )
4408-659: The other two counties, Kent and Sussex , combined. It is also the most economically developed of the three. The first permanent European settlement on Delaware soil was Fort Christina , resulting from Peter Minuit 's 1638 expedition on the Swedish vessels Fogel Grip and Kalmar Nyckel . The Swedes laid out the town at the site of modern-day Wilmington. They contracted with the Lenape Native Americans for land of Old Cape Henlopen north to Sankikans (Trenton Falls), and inland as far as they desired. However,
4484-581: The point where it intersects the river. Like New Castle County, Delaware , Cecil County is crossed by the Fall Line , a geologic division where the rockier highlands of the Piedmont region meet the Atlantic coastal plain , a flat, sandy area that forms the coast. The coastal plain includes the Delmarva Peninsula and hence the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The geology of Delmarva is an inseparable part of
4560-492: The process of imaging further back with the eventual goal of all documents in the office's possession being available electronically. Computerized indexing and searching is also available. The register of wills is Ciro Poppiti, III. His office receives and records wills and small-estate affidavits upon an individual's death, and issues letters of administration to estate executors . The sheriff of New Castle County has two divisions, criminal and civil. The criminal division
4636-467: The rest of the surrounding land, was transferred from the Colony of New York to the possession of William Penn , who established the Colony of Delaware. In September 1673, a Dutch council established a court at New Castle with the boundaries defined as north of Steen Kill (present-day Stoney Creek) and south to Bomties Hook (renamed Bombay Hook). In 1681, a 12-mile arc was drawn to specifically delineate
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#17327808672384712-552: The seat of government and capital of the New Sweden colony. Peter Stuyvesant , Governor of New Netherland , sailed up the South River in 1651. He purchased land from the Lenape that covered Minquas Kill to Bompties Hook ( Bombay Hook ); the Lenape had sold part of the property to the Swedes in 1638. Stuyvesant began to build Fort Casimir (contemporary New Castle ). In 1654, Johan Risingh , commissary and councilor to
4788-549: The second half of the 18th century. Energy in the Eastern shore is provided by five oil and natural gas plants. As part of the broader Chesapeake Bay watershed , the Eastern Shore confronts common environmental issues of the watershed, such as nutrient runoff from agriculture, but it is also vulnerable to climate change . Because of its low-lying geography and sandy soil, the region is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and salt water intrusion. Moreover, because of
4864-515: The south side of Christina Kill to Bombay Hook , and as far west as Minquas land. This land was known as the Colony of The city. On December 22, 1663, the Dutch transferred property rights to the territory along the Delaware River to England. In 1664, the duke of York, James , was granted this land by King Charles II . One of the first acts by the Duke was to order removal of all Dutch from New Amsterdam ; he renamed New Amstel as New Castle. In 1672,
4940-495: The southern part of the Eastern Shore to both Delaware and points north and Virginia and points south. The Eastern Shore of Maryland comprises Caroline , Cecil , Dorchester , Kent , Queen Anne's , Somerset , Talbot , Wicomico , and Worcester counties. These lie on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River , which is the western border of Cecil County with Harford County . The region borders
5016-540: The subsequent general election to Democrat Frank Kratovil , Queen Anne's County state's attorney. In 2010, Harris again ran for the district and handily defeated Kratovil after a single term in office. Harris has held the seat without serious difficulty since. In the Maryland General Assembly , the Eastern Shore encompasses a portion of district 35B and all of districts 35A, 36, 37A and 37B, 38A, 38B and 38C. All seats are held by Republicans except for
5092-549: The town of New Castle was incorporated and English law ordered. However, in 1673, the Dutch attacked the territory, reclaiming it for their own. On September 12, 1673, the Dutch established New Amstel in present-day Delaware , fairly coterminous with today's New Castle County. The establishment was not stable, and it was transferred to the British under the Treaty of Westminster on February 9, 1674. On November 6, 1674, New Amstel
5168-439: The water distribution system, which is owned and operated by several private companies. In general, it also does not maintain stormwater management facilities within subdivisions. Access to 911 emergency services is provided by New Castle County through their emergency communications center for all fire/rescue/emergency medical services (EMS) throughout the county and the majority of police services, though Newark, Wilmington, and
5244-569: Was Joe Biden , the 46th and current president of the United States , who represented the 4th district from 1971 to 1973. Current county council members are: As with Delaware's other two counties, New Castle County has no judiciary of its own. All judicial functions, except for Alderman's Courts, are managed and funded by the state of Delaware . In New Castle County, only the cities of Newport and Newark have alderman's courts. These courts have jurisdiction over driving offenses, misdemeanor criminal charges, and minor civil claims. The county retains
5320-655: Was 1,174 inhabitants per square mile (453/km ). There were 199,521 housing units at an average density of 468 per square mile (181/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 73.12% White , 20.22% Black or African American , 0.20% Native American , 2.59% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 2.22% from other races , and 1.62% from two or more races. 5.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.6% were of Irish , 11.4% Italian , 10.9% German , 8.8% English and 5.4% Polish ancestry. 89.5% spoke English and 5.3% Spanish as their first language. There were 188,935 households, out of which 32.50% had children under
5396-411: Was 54.8% non-Hispanic white, 27.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.8% multiracial, and 11% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The county is headed by a county executive , currently Matthew S. Meyer . The chief administrative officer, who is the county's second-in-command, is appointed by the county executive and serves at his or her pleasure. Vanessa S. Phillips
5472-414: Was a Class D minor league with teams in all three states of Delmarva. Although the Eastern Shore comprises a large part of Maryland's land area, it had a population of 456,815 as of the 2020 Census, representing about 7.4% of Maryland's total population. The most populous city in the region is Salisbury , and the most populous county is Cecil . The Eastern Shore is considerably more conservative than
5548-512: Was appointed CAO in March 2018. The county's legislative body is a thirteen-member county council , consisting of twelve members elected by district and one president elected at large. The council is tasked with drafting laws and managing county government services, public health ordinances, land use , transportation, and zoning . New Castle County Council doubled in size to thirteen from seven members in 2004. Its most famous council member
5624-542: Was granted land that was then part of the Colony of Virginia in 1629. He named it "Kent County". In 1631, he sailed north up the Chesapeake Bay from its south and west side to the area known today as Kent Island . There he made a fortified settlement that is considered to be the first English settlement within the Province of Maryland . Talbot County was formed in 1662. Cecil County was formed in 1674, by proclamation of
5700-409: Was made dependent on New York Colony, and was renamed New Castle on November 11, 1674. On September 22, 1676, New Castle County was formally placed under the Duke of York's laws. It gained land from Upland County on November 12, 1678. On June 21, 1680, St. Jones County was carved from New Castle County. It is known today as Kent County, Delaware . On August 24, 1682, New Castle County, along with
5776-409: Was true for Talbot County as well, but it was won by Joe Biden . The Eastern Shore has long been a part of Maryland's 1st Congressional district . Democrat Roy Dyson represented the 1st district from 1981 until 1990, when he was defeated by Republican Wayne Gilchrest . Gilchrest held the seat until 2008, when State Senator Andy Harris defeated him in the Republican primary. Harris narrowly lost
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