According to land records dating as early as 1683, the first European settlement at this location was along the "Nanticoke Indian Path from the Choptank Indian Fort". By the time of the American Revolution, families by the name of Adams, Anderton, Melvill, Rix, Sulivane, and Trippe had been living at this location for decades. In 1776 Captain James Sulivane combined several tracts of land totaling 933 acres and named the area "New Market". Around 1785, Sulivane started the beginnings of the town on the west side of his tract by creating twenty lots along what is now Main Street. East was added to the town's name in 1827 when the post office differentiated the town's name from another on Maryland's western shore.
East New Market is a great destination to experience a wide variety of early Maryland architecture. The town showcases a rich genealogical and architectural history that now stretches over five centuries.
On these pages you will find a remarkable ongoing project with a goal to post online every historic record prior to 1922 for the properties and people of East New Market. In doing so, this website serves as a model to showcase the wide array of historic records available for Dorchester County, other counties on the eastern shore, and the state of Maryland as a whole.
The focus is primarily the area displayed for the town of East New Market included in "An Illustrated Atlas of Talbot and Dorchester Counties, Maryland, 1877" by Lake, Griffing, & Stevenson. However, the spotlight often ventures outside of the 1877 map to other fascinating stories and records found on adjacent and nearby lands such as the East New Market Depot area, the Choptank Indian Lands, Cabin Creek, and Secretary. The time frame begins with the first known record in 1683 and continues up to the time when the 1922 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for East New Market was published. Of course there are many historic records after 1922. As many as possible have been included, such as complete property histories and the 1930 Census.
Take your time browsing the historic records of East New Market. Be sure to search for your property or your family name. If you have any comments, corrections, additions, or further insight, please contact me. You may also find these links helpful. There are also a number of people I would like to acknowledge for helping with this effort.
Enjoy!
Frank Collins