What's the deal with Deale?
Herring Creek (Deale) was first settled in 1655 by wealthy Separatists, also known as Puritans. The new land owners moved from Virginia to Maryland to escape religious persecution. The land was mainly used for farming until around 1870 when watermen from Long Island and Maryland's eastern shore bought land to settle near Herring Bay's bountiful oyster beds. Within ten years, the area's economy moved from farming to fishing.
By 1920, some of the farms transitioned into summer communities. The residents of Deale began building, repairing boats, and renting rowboats to summer tourists. They also built restaurants and shops to accommodate the visitors. By 1960, some watermen became charter fishing captains offering fishing trips on the Chesapeake to visitors from Baltimore and Washington D.C.
Deale still has many working watermen and many charter boats available for fishing trips.