Port Deposit, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Port Deposit is a town in Cecil County
, Maryland
, United States
. It is located on the north bank of the Susquehanna River
near its discharge into the Chesapeake Bay
. The population was 676 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all of it land.
in 1608 and 1609. His was the first recorded European visit to the area, getting upriver from the Chesapeake Bay about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the present location of Port Deposit. He named the rapids on Susquehanna which started just above Port Deposit as Smythe Fayles.
. This upper ferry was later purchased by Colonel John Creswell and came to be known as Creswell's Ferry.
This location and Lapidum across the river were the Northern-most navigable deep water ports on the Susquehanna River
, allowing access for ship traffic from the Chesapeake Bay
. Ships from the Chesapeake met river barges and wagons loaded with lumber, grain, coal, whiskey, tobacco and other goods floated down river to this "port of deposit". In the early days it was difficult to float goods downriver, since there were many rapids and hazards, but it still remained the most convenient way for goods to leave much of the country drained by the Susquehanna above the falls. Further, since a number of roads were constructed to converge at the ferry crossing, goods could be carted or “rolled”
As early as the 1790s, the forests on the Susquehanna were being logged and the timbers floated downriver to points near the ferry landing. In 1812 the town was platted as Creswell’s Landing, and that same year Governor Levin Winder
signed the bill changing the name from Creswell’s Landing to Port Deposit to prevent the continued confusion resulting from multiple unofficial names.
since it was easier to run the rapids on the south side. However the new canal, the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
on the north side of the river funneled the barge traffic into Port Deposit, stimulating rapid growth.
The Port Deposit Bridge Company was incorporated in 1808 for the purpose of constructing a bridge across the Susquehanna. These initial attempts failed, and in 1812 the Legislature authorized another company to proceed. They commissioned a survey, which was completed in 1813. It included the first written reference to Port Deposit, where one end of the bridge was to be located. This first survey proposed a location that complied with the law, but was longer than necessary. After petitioning for relief, the company was allowed to route the bridge closer to the falls, a route that required a 1000 feet (304.8 m) shorter bridge structure. The Port Deposit Bridge
, put into service in 1818, was the earliest bridge crossing of the Susquehanna River
in Maryland. The wooden covered bridge
was constructed just north of Port Deposit between 1817 and 1818 and had to be rebuilt after a span burned in 1823. It was reconstructed and remained in service until 1857.
An area of 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) at the north end of Port Deposit was condemned for the purpose of quarrying granite
for bridge construction. The general area had been the site for granite quarrying even before the bridge was constructed as there was use of this specific granite in buildings constructed prior to the Revolutionary War. This granite can be seen in many of the distinctive buildings in Port Deposit today.
Granite quarries were also opened here in 1829 by the proprietors of a competitor canal, the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
between Havre de Grace, Maryland
and Wrightsville, Pennsylvania
, for canal construction projects routed along the opposite bank of the Susquehanna.
These granite quarries continued in service well into the 20th century. Port Deposit Granite was used in:
to the Delaware state line. The Wilmington and Susquehanna Rail Road Company was also chartered in 1832 in Delaware to continue the line to Wilmington. The two companies merged in 1836 to form the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad Company. The rest of the line to Baltimore, the Baltimore and Port Deposite Rail Road Company, was chartered in Maryland in 1832. On February 12, 1838, the three companies merged to form a new Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company
, authorized to build a continuous line from Philadelphia to Baltimore. The main line passed below Port Deposit, which was finally connected by a branch line in 1866, passing up the Susquehanna River
from Perryville
. In 1893 this branch was sold to the Columbia and Port Deposit Railway
, also PRR-controlled, which connected with it at Port Deposit.
arrived in Port Deposit Maryland a penniless man and at his death was one of the richest men in the United States. It is a comment on the character of Port Deposit that he rose to become Cecil County's first millionaire as well as its greatest philanthropist. The Tome mansion (built in 1850 but no longer standing) was the largest house in Port Deposit. He founded the Tome School, originally located on Main Street in Port Deposit, in 1889. He died on March 16, 1898 in Port Deposit, leaving a substantial endowment for the Jacob Tome Institute. After 1898 the Jacob Tome School for Boys built a series of beaux arts granite buildings on the bluffs above Port Deposit, overlooking the Susquehanna River
. CP-TOME interlocking
on the railroad line through downtown Port Deposit is named in his honor.
. The Conowingo Dam
, built in 1927, permanently changed the character of the town by terminating all river traffic and decimating what was left of the shad and herring fishery which was once found there. Port Deposit benefited from the dam as well; destructive accumulations of ice (referred to as ice gouges) no longer accumulated in the Conowingo Rapids or passed through Port Deposit, as it had to terrible effect in 1907.
construction site using tugboats. Construction was completed in 1985.
The immersed tube
s of the 63rd Street Tunnel were also fabricated at a shipyard in Port Deposit and then towed to New York City
.
The town remained largely unspoilt by new construction until the late 20th century, since there was little room for construction. The bulk of the older buildings line the main street and the, until recently, single side street built in the narrow space between the bluffs and the river. The bluffs have been terraced and stairways lead between streets. Adams Hall, formerly part of the Tome Institute, became the Town Hall; the only remains of the Tome Institute's former Washington Hall is the granite doorway which separates the Main Street from a parking lot today.
of 2000, there were 676 people, 264 households, and 163 families residing in the town. The population density
was 404.8 people per square mile (156.3/km²). There were 402 housing units at an average density of 240.7 per square mile (92.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 78.85% White, 17.75% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.59% from other races
, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 264 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.1% were married couples
living together, 21.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,167, and the median income for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $21,932 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,297. About 19.4% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.4% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located on the north bank of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
near its discharge into the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. The population was 676 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Port Deposit is located at 39°36′39"N 76°6′1"W (39.610915, -76.100172).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all of it land.
Early History
Captain John Smith led two expeditions up the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
in 1608 and 1609. His was the first recorded European visit to the area, getting upriver from the Chesapeake Bay about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the present location of Port Deposit. He named the rapids on Susquehanna which started just above Port Deposit as Smythe Fayles.
The upper ferry
The town (or cluster of dwellings) existed under several names including The Upper Ferry and Creswell's Ferry before 1812. In 1729 Thomas Cresap established a regular ferry service near Smith's Falls (in the upper Port Deposit area) crossing the Susquehanna to Lapidum; this was referred to as Smith’s Ferry or Upper Ferry. In 1731 a road from Susquehanna Upper Ferry toward Philadelphia, as far as the jurisdiction extends, was authorized. In the same year, in the jurisdiction south of the river, a petition was submitted for a road from the mill at Rock Run to Peach Bottom, PennsylvaniaPeach Bottom, Pennsylvania
Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated village in Fulton Township, Lancaster County, in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. It lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, at ....
. This upper ferry was later purchased by Colonel John Creswell and came to be known as Creswell's Ferry.
This location and Lapidum across the river were the Northern-most navigable deep water ports on the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, allowing access for ship traffic from the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. Ships from the Chesapeake met river barges and wagons loaded with lumber, grain, coal, whiskey, tobacco and other goods floated down river to this "port of deposit". In the early days it was difficult to float goods downriver, since there were many rapids and hazards, but it still remained the most convenient way for goods to leave much of the country drained by the Susquehanna above the falls. Further, since a number of roads were constructed to converge at the ferry crossing, goods could be carted or “rolled”
As early as the 1790s, the forests on the Susquehanna were being logged and the timbers floated downriver to points near the ferry landing. In 1812 the town was platted as Creswell’s Landing, and that same year Governor Levin Winder
Levin Winder
Levin Winder in Baltimore, Maryland.During the Revolutionary War, he was appointed major of the 4th Maryland Regiment, finally attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel at war's end...
signed the bill changing the name from Creswell’s Landing to Port Deposit to prevent the continued confusion resulting from multiple unofficial names.
The canal
The Susquehanna Canal (which had several owners and several names over the years, including the Maryland Canal) was completed in 1812 and contributed much toward the town's growth. Until the canal was placed in service bypassing Smith's Falls, most of the traffic stopped at Lapidum, across the Susquehanna RiverSusquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
since it was easier to run the rapids on the south side. However the new canal, the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal between Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the head of Chesapeake Bay, provided an interstate shipping alternative to 19th-century arks, rafts, and boats plying the difficult waters of the lower Susquehanna River...
on the north side of the river funneled the barge traffic into Port Deposit, stimulating rapid growth.
Granite and bridges
Port Deposit Bridge
The Port Deposit Bridge was the earliest bridge crossing of the Susquehanna River below Columbia, Pennsylvania, providing the first reliable link between the northern and southern United States. The bridge was also the fifth and last of Theodore Burr's Susquehanna crossings...
, put into service in 1818, was the earliest bridge crossing of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
in Maryland. The wooden covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
was constructed just north of Port Deposit between 1817 and 1818 and had to be rebuilt after a span burned in 1823. It was reconstructed and remained in service until 1857.
An area of 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) at the north end of Port Deposit was condemned for the purpose of quarrying granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
for bridge construction. The general area had been the site for granite quarrying even before the bridge was constructed as there was use of this specific granite in buildings constructed prior to the Revolutionary War. This granite can be seen in many of the distinctive buildings in Port Deposit today.
Granite quarries were also opened here in 1829 by the proprietors of a competitor canal, the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal between Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the head of Chesapeake Bay, provided an interstate shipping alternative to 19th-century arks, rafts, and boats plying the difficult waters of the lower Susquehanna River...
between Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland, United States. Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which was first named Le Havre de Grâce, meaning in French "Harbor of Grace." As...
and Wrightsville, Pennsylvania
Wrightsville, Pennsylvania
Wrightsville is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,310 at the 2010 census. Wrightsville borough has a police department, historic society, and a volunteer fire company.- History :According to a plaque at Samuel S...
, for canal construction projects routed along the opposite bank of the Susquehanna.
These granite quarries continued in service well into the 20th century. Port Deposit Granite was used in:
- Many houses and five churches in Port Deposit
- Schools like the U.S. Naval Academy, Haverford CollegeHaverford CollegeHaverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
and The Catholic University of AmericaThe Catholic University of AmericaThe Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops... - Fort McHenryFort McHenryFort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
, Fort DelawareFort DelawareFort Delaware is a harbor defense facility, designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten, and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and...
and Fort CarrollFort CarrollFort Carroll is a 3.4 acre artificial island and abandoned fort in the middle of the Patapsco River, just south of Baltimore, Maryland... - Public buildings like the Boston Public LibraryBoston Public LibraryThe Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States, the first large library open to the public in the United States, and the first public library to allow people to...
and the U.S. Treasury BuildingTreasury Building (Washington, D.C.)The Treasury Building in Washington, D.C. is a National Historic Landmark building which is the headquarters of the United States Department of the Treasury.... - Public works like the Concord Point Lighthouse, Lincoln TunnelLincoln TunnelThe Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
and the St Augustine seawall
Arrival of the railroad
In 1832 Maryland chartered the Delaware and Maryland Rail Road Company to build from Port Deposit on the Susquehanna RiverSusquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
to the Delaware state line. The Wilmington and Susquehanna Rail Road Company was also chartered in 1832 in Delaware to continue the line to Wilmington. The two companies merged in 1836 to form the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad Company. The rest of the line to Baltimore, the Baltimore and Port Deposite Rail Road Company, was chartered in Maryland in 1832. On February 12, 1838, the three companies merged to form a new Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
, authorized to build a continuous line from Philadelphia to Baltimore. The main line passed below Port Deposit, which was finally connected by a branch line in 1866, passing up the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
from Perryville
Perryville, Maryland
Perryville is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,672 at the 2000 census. The town is located off Interstate 95, on the north side of the mouth of the Susquehanna River.-History:...
. In 1893 this branch was sold to the Columbia and Port Deposit Railway
Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad
The Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It operated a main line between Columbia, Pennsylvania and Port Deposit, Maryland, generally along the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River. It later acquired...
, also PRR-controlled, which connected with it at Port Deposit.
Jacob Tome
Jacob TomeJacob Tome
Jacob Tome was an American philanthropist, politician, and the founder of the Tome School.-Biography:...
arrived in Port Deposit Maryland a penniless man and at his death was one of the richest men in the United States. It is a comment on the character of Port Deposit that he rose to become Cecil County's first millionaire as well as its greatest philanthropist. The Tome mansion (built in 1850 but no longer standing) was the largest house in Port Deposit. He founded the Tome School, originally located on Main Street in Port Deposit, in 1889. He died on March 16, 1898 in Port Deposit, leaving a substantial endowment for the Jacob Tome Institute. After 1898 the Jacob Tome School for Boys built a series of beaux arts granite buildings on the bluffs above Port Deposit, overlooking the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
. CP-TOME interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
on the railroad line through downtown Port Deposit is named in his honor.
Damming the Susquehanna
The Susquehanna drops 167 feet (50.9 m) as it passes through the region above Port Deposit, as it cuts though the hard rock of the region. This characteristic, which had long been good for Port Deposit, also attracted power companies in the boom period after World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Conowingo Dam
Conowingo Dam
The Conowingo Dam is a large hydroelectric dam in the Lower Susquehanna River. The dam, one of the largest non-federal hydroelectric dams in the US, is classified as a medium height, masonry gravity type dam...
, built in 1927, permanently changed the character of the town by terminating all river traffic and decimating what was left of the shad and herring fishery which was once found there. Port Deposit benefited from the dam as well; destructive accumulations of ice (referred to as ice gouges) no longer accumulated in the Conowingo Rapids or passed through Port Deposit, as it had to terrible effect in 1907.
Other industry
Formerly a major industry in Port Deposit, Wiley's Manufacturing, fabricated the Fort McHenry Tunnel sections. They were floated and towed to the BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
construction site using tugboats. Construction was completed in 1985.
The immersed tube
Immersed tube
An immersed tube is a kind of underwater tunnel composed of segments, constructed elsewhere and floated to the tunnel site to be sunk into place and then linked together. They are commonly used for road and rail crossings of rivers, estuaries and sea channels/harbours...
s of the 63rd Street Tunnel were also fabricated at a shipyard in Port Deposit and then towed to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Membership on the National Historic Registry
The entire town of Port Deposit was placed on the National Historic Registry on May 23, 1978. The town has a number of impressive older buildings, many built of the local granite or brick. The oldest structures in town historic district date from 1725 to 1928; the majority of these buildings were built from 1830 through 1890's.The town remained largely unspoilt by new construction until the late 20th century, since there was little room for construction. The bulk of the older buildings line the main street and the, until recently, single side street built in the narrow space between the bluffs and the river. The bluffs have been terraced and stairways lead between streets. Adams Hall, formerly part of the Tome Institute, became the Town Hall; the only remains of the Tome Institute's former Washington Hall is the granite doorway which separates the Main Street from a parking lot today.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 676 people, 264 households, and 163 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 404.8 people per square mile (156.3/km²). There were 402 housing units at an average density of 240.7 per square mile (92.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 78.85% White, 17.75% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.59% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 264 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 21.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,167, and the median income for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $21,932 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $15,297. About 19.4% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.4% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.
Famous residents
- John ConardJohn ConardJohn Conard was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was nicknamed the "Fighting Quaker"....
(1773–1857) served in the U.S. House of Representatives and settled near Port Deposit for 1834-1851 after retiring from politics. - Jacob TomeJacob TomeJacob Tome was an American philanthropist, politician, and the founder of the Tome School.-Biography:...
- Joseph Irwin France (1873 – 1939) taught at the Tome School in Port Deposit for a period and later was a United States SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
(1917–1923). - John A. J. CreswellJohn A. J. CreswellJohn Angel James Creswell was an American politician from Maryland. He served as Postmaster General of the United States during the Grant administration.- Biography :...
(born 1828 in Port Deposit) was a United States SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
(1865–1867) and United States Postmaster GeneralUnited States Postmaster GeneralThe United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
(1869 and 1874). - James DevereuxJames DevereuxJames Patrick Sinnott Devereux was a United States Marine Corps general, Navy Cross recipient, and Republican congressman. He was the Commanding Officer of the 1st Defense Battalion during the defense of Wake Island in December 1941. He was captured on Wake Island as a prisoner of war, along with...
(1903 – 1988), who attended the Tome School, was a MarineUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
General during the defense of Wake IslandBattle of Wake IslandThe Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on 23 December 1941, with the surrender of the American forces to the Empire of Japan...
in December 1941 and later served in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(1951–1959). - Admiral Frank B. Kelso IIFrank B. Kelso IIFrank Benton Kelso II is a retired admiral of the United States Navy, who served as Chief of Naval Operations in the early 1990s.-Early life:...
(1933 - ), who later became Chief of Naval OperationsChief of Naval OperationsThe Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
, served as Commanding Officer, U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School at the U.S. Naval Training Center Bainbridge from 1969-1971.