Chesapeake Bay Watermen

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Paul Ewell
  • The purpose of this project is to work to preserve the heritage of the commercial fishing industries in the Chesapeake Bay region by collecting and archiving oral histories of the men and women who are and were a part of this valuable history.  

Interviewee Collection Sort descending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Larry Linton Chesapeake Bay Watermen

Larry Linton is a seasoned mariner whose life and career have been inextricably linked with the maritime industry. His extensive experience encompasses various facets of marine work, including crabbing, scalloping, and operating vessels in both oceanic and bayside environments. Linton's career is marked by a profound understanding of the perils and pleasures of working on the water, shaped by years of hands-on involvement in the industry.

Paul Ewell Saxis, VA Virginia Wesleyan University
Roy Ballard Chesapeake Bay Watermen

Roy Ballard is a long-term inhabitant of the Eastern Shore with deep familial ties to the local seafood industry. His lineage is closely associated with the Ballard Fish and Oyster Company, a business that has been a significant part of his family's heritage. Ballard's personal history is interwoven with the maritime culture of the region, and he has spent a portion of his career working as a carpenter.

Paul Ewell Willis Wharf, VA Virginia Wesleyan University
Wanda Guy Chesapeake Bay Watermen

Wanda Guy, born Wanda Smith Lilliston, a native of Deep Creek, Virginia, is the daughter of a waterman (George F. Smith) and was formerly married to Gus Lilliston, also a waterman. Her life story is deeply intertwined with the watermen culture of Eastern Shore, Virginia, a lineage that traces back to her father's dedication to the seafood industry. She grew up in the Deep Creek area on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (near OnancockHer upbringing was marked by the rhythms of her father's work on the water, which left an indelible impression on her life and values.

Paul Ewell Melfa, VA Virginia Wesleyan University
Victor Ray Pruitt Chesapeake Bay Watermen

Victor Pruitt is a seasoned professional in the seafood industry with a rich family history in the trade. Mr. Pruitt and his family were from Onancock, Virginia, and owned and operated buyboats on the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River throughout the 1960's and 70's. They bought and sold seafood using these boats, primarily in Washington, D.C. Among the buyboats they owned and operated were the Lester, Thelma Earl, and the Ruth and Annie.

Paul Ewell Onancock, VA Virginia Wesleyan University