|
|
|
|
Oyster Trade 1858
(For more Norfolk geography tidbits, click here.)
“Oyster Trade of Virginia” (Norfolk Southern Argus, quoted in Debow’s Review [v.24, no.3, March 1858]):
“Tidewater Virginia contains in its bays, rivers and creeks not less than 2000 square miles, or 1,280,000 acres of oyster beds. Allowing one-tenth of a bushel to every square yard we have upon the jus publicum of our State 619,520,000 bushels of oysters. Those who are ignorant of the subject have no conception of the trade in these bivalves – the  extensive fleet of vessels and army of persons engaged in their taking, transporting, etc. Not less than 100,000 tons of shipping are annually employed in the trade every year from the rocks and beds, eighteen millions of which are carried outside the boundaries of our State.
It is known that 275 vessels, varying in capacity from four hundred to four thousand bushels, and employing 725 men, are employed in the oyster trade of Baltimore. In Fair Haven 81 vessels varying in capacity from two thousand to seven thousand bushels were owned in 1856, which were exclusively employed in this trade, besides a large number which were chartered by its inhabitants during the busy season. It is estimated that nearly a hundred vessels in this trade are now owned at that port. The very large number of vessels owned in Boston, New York and Philadelphia, for this trade are not known. Six years ago a captain informed us that he knew of 40 vessels. Providence, New London, Bridgeport, and New Bedford, each owns ten sail, at least, of large vessels, and other smaller places on Long Island and elsewhere own many others. We may assert without fear of contradiction that one hundred thousand tons of shipping are now employed in the oyster trade."
|
|
|
| |
