John Smith

Harford County land records show that by Jan. 10, 1775, a gristmill had been erected on Deer Creek by John and Samuel Forwood. The brothers, settlers from New Castle County, Del., had purchased 255 acres from Benjamin and Charity Colgate on June 11, 1752. The mill, known over the years as Forwoods' Mill and Greenspring Mill, had five different owners. The structure burned down around 1900 and was rebuilt by John Smith. Charles S. Walter purchased it in 1911 and it became known as Walter's Mill.

The 3,000-mile water and land trail network created to relive the Chesapeake Bay's 17th century exploration by English colonists is about to grow still larger. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis are slated to visit Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis this afternoon to celebrate the addition of four new river river trails to the existing Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail .  The federal officials are to be joined by Gov.Martin O'Malley, local officials, Native American tribal leaders and conservation group representatives.

Even 400 years later, the Nanticoke River still welcomes waterborne visitors with unspoiled marshy and forested vistas very much like those that greeted the bold English sea captain who charted the Chesapeake Bay. Just north of Vienna, the modernity of the Route 50 bridge, gritty power plant and soaring utility lines quickly give way to lush aprons of sea grasses, pinky white hibiscus, purple pickerel weed and wild rice. These natural breadbaskets of the native peoples John Smith encountered along his route buffer thick stands of red maple, green ash and black gum. The trees are not so tall as those of Capt.

A stretch of Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay waterfront between Harford and Cecil counties could be among the first areas to win federal funding for the construction of "water trails. " The National Park Service has identified the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway as a priority segment of what will be the first combined land and water trail in America. The national designation will help the non-profit group that runs the heritage area to secure federal funding for its plan to link existing trails along the Susquehanna River and build more, ultimately into a 40-mile network of waterside walkways through the two counties.

VIENNA -- For Mayor Russell Brinsfield and Chief Sewell Fitzhugh, the event yesterday was more than a celebration of the history of this little village along the Nanticoke River. If things go as the pair plans, the daylong commemoration of Capt. John Smith's 1,500-mile trek around the bay in 1608 could be a first step toward making Vienna a tourist stop along the National Park Service's first water trail. "We're looking for ways to make the town a destination," Brinsfield said. "We don't want our town turning into some huge tourist thing, but we're testing the waters to see what's possible in terms of some sort of historical and environmental center, something that would include a Native American heritage center.

WASHINGTON - U.S. senators from Maryland and Virginia are calling for creation of a Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Watertrail. The trail would follow the route of Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, joining 13 National Historic Trails that have already been established by the National Park Service. The senators are backing legislation that would require the Park Service to conduct a feasibility study for the Smith trail.

WASHINGTON -- The Women's Quarterly, a publication of the Independent Women's Forum, can be counted upon to unearth examples of the kind of absurdity we accept these days without blinking.In the winter issue, Deborah Weiss, formerly an attorney with the Department of Social Services in New York, tells a story:''I was prosecuting a paternity case on behalf of the welfare department to determine who was the father of an illegitimate child. The department was seeking child support. The court officer called in 'John Smith.

Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes appeared Thursday before the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks in support of legislation to establish a "Captain John Smith National Historic Watertrail." The legislation would require the National Park Service to conduct a feasibility study to establish a trail designating the route of Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, according to a news release from Sarbanes' office. Smith was instrumental in the founding of Jamestown, Va. - the first permanent English settlement in North America - and explored the Chesapeake Bay region during the early 17th century.

Looking sun-baked and a bit fatigued, the 12-member crew of the Capt. John Smith shallop pulled into Annapolis City Dock yesterday morning to applause and the sounds of "Yankee Doodle." Gov. Martin O'Malley, seated in the center of the 28-foot-long wooden boat, rowed with the crew for the final mile into Annapolis. The shallop's crew is staying in the city for a two-day break during the 121-day expedition on the Chesapeake Bay. The trip inaugurates the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which Congress approved last December as the first historic waterway trail.

Like John Smith nearly 400 years ago, the seven men and five women aboard a wooden replica of the explorer's boat have a starting point and an end point, and a big question mark in between. The 1,200 miles along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries will be as much a voyage of discovery as a re-enactment of when Smith set out from Jamestown, Va. This morning, eight oars will dip into the water, grasped by callused hands and powered by newly tanned and toughened arms. Three of the crew members sailed on the Pride of Baltimore II , one has bicycled across the country and another hiked the Appalachian Trail end to end. "I think we're as ready as we're going to be," Capt.

Harford County land records show that by Jan. 10, 1775, a gristmill had been erected on Deer Creek by John and Samuel Forwood. The brothers, settlers from New Castle County, Del., had purchased 255 acres from Benjamin and Charity Colgate on June 11, 1752. The mill, known over the years as Forwoods' Mill and Greenspring Mill, had five different owners. The structure burned down around 1900 and was rebuilt by John Smith. Charles S. Walter purchased it in 1911 and it became known as Walter's Mill.

John W. Smith, a World War II veteran and retired transportation manager for a chemical company, died of complications of Alzheimer's disease Dec. 28 at Future Care Old Court in Randallstown. He was 82. Born and raised in South Baltimore, Mr. Smith attended Polytechnic Institute, but World War II intervened before he could graduate. At age 18, he entered the Army as a medical technician in 1943. Mr. Smith served primarily in France and returned home to Baltimore in 1945. He married Dorothy C. Van Horn in 1948, shortly after the two met on a hayride.

The Chesapeake Bay of 400 years ago and the present crossed paths yesterday morning at the mouth of the Patapsco River, when a replica of Capt. John Smith's boat passed by where a bobbing transmitter will tell the story of the explorer and the water around it. The wooden shallop, powered by oar and sail, was on its way to Baltimore, 76 days into its own summer-long Chesapeake voyage of discovery and tribute to Smith's exploits. Bright yellow and powered by the sun, the "smart buoy" has instruments to help scientists monitor the health of the bay, aid navigation and act as an electronic tour guide for a new national park.

After 71 days of rowing and sailing in a 17th-century-style wooden boat, the crew of the Capt. John Smith shallop are scheduled to arrive in Havre de Grace this morning, at Tydings Park near the Promenade. Havre de Grace will celebrate the boat's arrival with a welcome ceremony for the 12-member crew and a proclamation from the mayor. The shallop has been traveling up the Chesapeake, powered by wind and muscle along more than 800 miles into rivers and along shorelines. Sultana Projects Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Chestertown, organized the voyage to inaugurate the Capt.

Looking sun-baked and a bit fatigued, the 12-member crew of the Capt. John Smith shallop pulled into Annapolis City Dock yesterday morning to applause and the sounds of "Yankee Doodle." Gov. Martin O'Malley, seated in the center of the 28-foot-long wooden boat, rowed with the crew for the final mile into Annapolis. The shallop's crew is staying in the city for a two-day break during the 121-day expedition on the Chesapeake Bay. The trip inaugurates the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which Congress approved last December as the first historic waterway trail.

The latest version of the Maryland Bay Game, a staple of summer beach trips for nearly a decade, makes its debut today. The game, which features puzzles, trivia questions, and photos of bay icons, is produced by the state Department of Natural Resources. In the past, the booklet was available to all vehicles crossing the Bay Bridge. But because so many families are now using E-Z Pass and not stopping at the toll booth, agency officials decided this year to make the game available in all state libraries, a DNR spokesman said.

After 71 days of rowing and sailing in a 17th-century-style wooden boat, the crew of the Capt. John Smith shallop are scheduled to arrive in Havre de Grace this morning, at Tydings Park near the Promenade. Havre de Grace will celebrate the boat's arrival with a welcome ceremony for the 12-member crew and a proclamation from the mayor. The shallop has been traveling up the Chesapeake, powered by wind and muscle along more than 800 miles into rivers and along shorelines. Sultana Projects Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Chestertown, organized the voyage to inaugurate the Capt.

After a miserable first summer at the Jamestown colony in Virginia, Capt. John Smith and 12 colonists set off in 1608 on a journey that would take them the length of the Chesapeake Bay. Beginning near Cape Henry and sailing 180 miles north to the Susquehanna Flats between Harford and Cecil counties, the group was searching for a northwest passage to the Pacific, hoping to find gold and develop trade with the Indians. Smith's route might become the site of the nation's first national water trail and part of the National Historic Trails system.

VIENNA -- For Mayor Russell Brinsfield and Chief Sewell Fitzhugh, the event yesterday was more than a celebration of the history of this little village along the Nanticoke River. If things go as the pair plans, the daylong commemoration of Capt. John Smith's 1,500-mile trek around the bay in 1608 could be a first step toward making Vienna a tourist stop along the National Park Service's first water trail. "We're looking for ways to make the town a destination," Brinsfield said. "We don't want our town turning into some huge tourist thing, but we're testing the waters to see what's possible in terms of some sort of historical and environmental center, something that would include a Native American heritage center.

Like John Smith nearly 400 years ago, the seven men and five women aboard a wooden replica of the explorer's boat have a starting point and an end point, and a big question mark in between. The 1,200 miles along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries will be as much a voyage of discovery as a re-enactment of when Smith set out from Jamestown, Va. This morning, eight oars will dip into the water, grasped by callused hands and powered by newly tanned and toughened arms. Three of the crew members sailed on the Pride of Baltimore II , one has bicycled across the country and another hiked the Appalachian Trail end to end. "I think we're as ready as we're going to be," Capt.