Orvilles world

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In 1918 a big storm destroyed much property and took all the wharves off the waterfront, along with some of the buildings and the wooden boardwalk. In 1933 a big storm damaged much of the property, as well as hurricane Hazel in 1954. the original boardwalk was 16 feet wide and was the talk of Washington in its day.

Resorts were few and far between when Colonial Beach came into being. The river steamers made it an ideal place to reach with minimum effort. The steamers also played an important part in the economic growth of the town.

The freight wharf hosted the Norfolk and Baltimore Line, the Southland, Calvert, Wakefield and the Anne Arundel

Here is the steamer Potomac unloading passengers from Washington, D.C. early in the 20th century.

The Potomac is the one that most remembered but the St. Johns was the greatest of all the passenger steamers.

Here is the St. Johns steamer

The Happy Clam today is where the old Wilkerson Resturant once stood. Where the new Wilkerson Resturant stands today was an old artesian well where people used to stop to water their horses and take a drink themselves.

There was nothing else there in 1927 but the ferry, well, and Wilkin's old store. Wilkin's store was located where Wilkerson's oyster house is today. A large fish house was located where Norman's Oil Company is now. Between the fish house and where Wilkerson's is today stood a very long freight wharf, from which hogs, cows, chickens and eggs were shipped to market by steamboat. Two beautiful Victorian homes were located on the beach between Wilkerson's and the Happy Clam.

This is the ferry that ran from Potomac Beach and Morgantown, MD. The ferry ran until the route #301 bridge was completed. The fare was $1.25 for a car and 25 cents for additional passengers other than the driver. The wait for the ferry was often one and 1/2 hours and the trip took 35 minutes. The ferries carried 35 automobiles and made fourteen round trips daily. The pictured ferry is believed to be the "Cecil Mae Adams".

The pier for the ferry was located where the Happy Clam Resturant is today. Captain John Quincy Adams ran the ferry. The names of the ferries were the Lord Baltimorea 109 foot craft and the Cecil Mae Adamsa 107 foot craft. The ferries had slot machines on board which could not be played while the ferry was tied to the Virginia side.

During prohabition, these two ferries carried many jars of illegal whiskey from the Northern Neck to Maryland and Washington, D.C. points.

Business declined when the bridge for route 301 was completed in 1941. The service stopped in 1942.

This is the Baltimore to Norfolk bus that ran via the above ferry and then on to Norfolk via Colonial Beach and Montross. The bus line was known as the Peninsula Bus Line. They operated five buses daily in each direction through the area. This was to become in later years the Greyhound Bus Company. Commercial bus service to Montross and the Northern Neck ceased to operate during the 1970s'.

In the 1920s along with all the other businesses, some operating year-round, there were nine bars, when liquor-by-the-drink was legal in town, and seven grocery stores. Eating places were plentiful also. Helen Lemons operated resturants in several places, including the Colonial Beach Hotel, as did Mrs. Stone. Millers Crab Shore was constructed around a barn in 1941. The Diner, opened in the late 1940s, was owned by Bryon Pepper and John Ware. Pepper was postmaster for years and operated Pepper's Insurance Agency. Ware was owner of the Texaco Distributorship located on 9th street. The original Wilderson's in town and Wilkerson's just over the town limits, was operating in full swing and both were very popular eating places.

This is Parkers Crab Shore taken early in the 20th century.