Smith Island was named for Captain John Smith, who explored the Chesapeake Bay in 1608. The island actually comprises three islands that form an area about eight miles long and four miles wide. Settled in 1657 by English dissenters from Lord Baltimore's colony, Smith Island is populated by descendants of the original colonists.
Isolation from the mainland has allowed ancient modes of speech and grammatical construction to survive. For more than three centuries the islanders have derived their livelihood from the surrounding bay. The three fishing villages on the island are Ewell, Rhodes Point and Tylerton.
