Nassawango Creek
Encyclopedia
Nassawango Creek is the largest tributary of the Pocomoke River
, located on the Delmarva Peninsula
. Older variations on the same name include Nassanongo, Naseongo, Nassiongo, and Nassiungo meaning "[ground] between [the streams]"; early English
records have it as Askimenokonson Creek, after a Native settlement near its headwaters (askimenokonson roughly translated from the local Algonquian
word meaning "stony place where they pick early [straw]berries").
The Nassawango (næsəˈwɒŋɡoʊ or næsəˈwæŋɡoʊ) rises in Wicomico County, Maryland
and flows 20.8 miles (33.5 km) through Worcester County
to join the Pocomoke below Snow Hill
. Large portions of its drainage lie within the Pocomoke River State Forest
and The Nature Conservancy
's Nassawango Creek Preserve. Nassawango Creek and its tributaries were once dam
med in several places for mills
; one dam site, in fact, became an early industrial blast furnace
operation, where bog iron
ore was smelted to make pig iron
at Furnacetown
during the first half of the 19th century. Today, the furnace grounds are considered a local historical landmark.
Pocomoke River
The Pocomoke River stretches approximately from southern Delaware through southeastern Maryland in the United States. At its mouth, the river is essentially an arm of Chesapeake Bay, whereas the upper river flows through a series of relatively inaccessible wetlands called the Great Cypress Swamp,...
, located on the Delmarva Peninsula
Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
. Older variations on the same name include Nassanongo, Naseongo, Nassiongo, and Nassiungo meaning "[ground] between [the streams]"; early English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
records have it as Askimenokonson Creek, after a Native settlement near its headwaters (askimenokonson roughly translated from the local Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
word meaning "stony place where they pick early [straw]berries").
The Nassawango (næsəˈwɒŋɡoʊ or næsəˈwæŋɡoʊ) rises in Wicomico County, Maryland
Wicomico County, Maryland
As of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile...
and flows 20.8 miles (33.5 km) through Worcester County
Worcester County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*82.0% White*13.6% Black*0.3% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.3% Other races*3.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
to join the Pocomoke below Snow Hill
Snow Hill, Maryland
Snow Hill is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,409 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Worcester County.-History:...
. Large portions of its drainage lie within the Pocomoke River State Forest
Pocomoke River State Forest
Pocomoke State Forest is a state forest of Maryland that lies on both banks of the Pocomoke River in Worcester County. The portion north of the Pocomoke lies between Dividing and Nassawango Creeks...
and The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
's Nassawango Creek Preserve. Nassawango Creek and its tributaries were once dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med in several places for mills
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
; one dam site, in fact, became an early industrial blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
operation, where bog iron
Bog iron
Bog iron refers to impure iron deposits that develop in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in the solutions. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite...
ore was smelted to make pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
at Furnacetown
Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum
The Old Furnace Town Heritage Museum is an outdoor museum near Snow Hill Maryland that uses a living history format with live demonstrations to re-create a vanished 19th century community. The museum contains various historic buildings, including most importantly the Nassawango Iron Furnace, an...
during the first half of the 19th century. Today, the furnace grounds are considered a local historical landmark.