Oyster Wars

 History with a tasty oyster chowder recipe

Having written the blog post about Southern Maryland’s favorite seafood, the blue crab, I thought it appropriate to add another about our beloved bivalve, the oyster! I often wonder who the first brave soul was who shucked an oyster and thought, “That sure looks tasty.” Whoever they were, foodies everywhere owe them a debt of gratitude!

 Many folks are aware of the oyster's supposed aphrodisiac properties. Most know of its culinary delights, whether in an oyster stew, fried, scalded, or through fancy Oyster Rockefeller; the tasty morsels never fail to surprise the uninitiated.

Few know the entire political history of our humble seafood delicacy or the tragedies that required presidential intercession—the Oyster Wars.  Southern Maryland, and across the Potomac River near Colonial Beach, Virginia, was the epicenter of the Maryland/Virginia “Oyster Wars.” Fighting for limited resources, the combatants included oyster pirates, state authorities, and legal watermen. Most sources give the dates of these hostilities as beginning in 1865 and ending in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed the "Potomac Fisheries Bill.” This act established a bi-state commission to oversee the Potomac River. Even before this time, however, violent and competitive friction existed along the Potomac and Chesapeake waterways.

The demand for oyster harvesting exploded after the Civil War, with the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries accounting for nearly fifty percent of the world's supply. This led to droves of New England fishermen encroaching on the southern waters after their oyster beds were depleted. Clandestine raids on the bay in the dark of night became the new norm. From a harvest high of 15 million bushels in the mid-1880s, the number dropped by a third in five short years.

   The wars manifested in three waves of tragedy bloodying Virginia and Southern Maryland’s waters. The conflict came to a head on April 17th, 1959, when a Maryland police boat fired upon a Virginia poacher’s oyster boat when it attempted to evade them. One of the oyster boat occupants (Berkeley Muse) yelled, “I’m hit,” and slumped over the boat’s culling board. The firing continued, and the boat’s captain, Harvey King, was hit in the leg. Rushing to shore, Muse died before the ambulance arrived. There was tremendous public outcry after the incident. This led to the disarming of the police force and eventually to John F. Kennedy’s Potomac Fisheries Commission. These actions effectively ended the bloody Oyster Wars.

OYSTER CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS

2 medium potatoes (diced)

2 pints Oysters (in their liquid)

2 ½ tablespoons Butter (unsalted)

1 medium onion (diced)

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 cups Milk

½ teaspoon Thyme

Old Bay Seasoning to taste (don’t skimp!)

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a sieve over a small bowl and pour the oysters through. Discard solids (grit or shell pieces) and save liquor.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and potatoes, stirring for 2-3 minutes until they are slightly softened.

3. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the strained oyster liquor, milk, cream, Old Bay seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Heat slowly until it simmers.  Do not boil, or the milk will curdle.

4. Add the oysters to the broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the edges curl. You want the oysters to be tender. Overcooking will make them rubbery.

6. Enjoy!

David W. Thompson

https://www.david-w-thompson.com

David is a multiple award-winning author, Army veteran, and graduate of UMUC. He’s a multi-genre writer and a member of the Horror Writers’ Association, and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. When not writing, Dave enjoys family, kayaking, fishing, hiking, hunting, winemaking, and woodcarving.