Dive deep into the fascinating stories of Hart, Miller, and Pooles Islands—from their early days as distinct pieces of Chesapeake history to their ultimate transformation into the beloved Hart-Miller Island State Park! This spectacular collection is packed with vintage community memories, classic local clippings, and incredible historical snapshots. It’s a wonderful, nostalgic look at how these offshore landmarks shaped recreation, boating, and life on the water right here in Essex and Middle River.
Baumgartner Collection Book #153: Hart, Miller, Pooles Islands
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Hart Miller Island is located at the mouths of Back River and Middle River, where they empty into the Chesapeake Bay east of the City of Baltimore in Maryland. It was formerly two separate islands, Hart Island and Miller Island, but it is now almost entirely artificial. In 1981, the area began being filled with dredged material by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for the purpose of habitat restoration, and the project is scheduled for completion in 2012.[1] It is now in use as Hart-Miller Island State Park, accessible only by boat. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
Museum photos and clippings come from the Heritage Society Baumgartner Archives and other sources, scanned by Rita Gaunt, museum photos by Sue Carter and additional research by archivist Scott Huffines.
This print archive captures a historical snapshot of life in Essex and Middle River, Maryland. The archive contains nearly 300 categorical binders documenting our community activities with articles, pamphlets, and photographs from 1969 through the 1980s. The Heritage Society has been scanning the collection to our website to share with our extended community.
As we continue to build new collections, we are seeking new materials such as photographs and ephemera that pertain to the community and business history of Essex and Middle River. Please contact essexmuseum@gmail.com if you have historical memories or items to donate or would like to become a member.
Read more about the Heritage Society Baumgartner Archives.
After graduating High School in 1978 I bought an old 1958 wood Chris Craft; Mahogany cabin. Rebuilt, and refinished the entire boat. Hart Miller was a favorite place to go; I docked boat in Frog Mortar Creek. Just a wonderful place to escape to, depending on the time of day and tides, I could slip between the islands and out to the bay. Crystal clear shallow waters, and loads of crabs!