Tred Avon River
Encyclopedia
The Tred Avon River is a main tributary
of the Choptank River
in Talbot County
on Maryland
's Eastern Shore
. The river is 17 miles (27.4 km) long.
, the county seat
. The river flows 5 miles (8 km) roughly west past the city then widens and flows southwest about 12 miles (19.3 km) to the mouth just south of Oxford
at Benoni Point.
's Geographic Names Information System
lists the following variant names for the Tred Avon River:
of Oxford founded near its mouth between 1666 and 1668, the river served as a major shipping lane in the international tobacco
trade until the end of the Revolutionary War, when wheat
became the Eastern Shore's main cash crop
and Oxford's monopoly on colonial trade ended, which led to an economic downturn. With the decline in trade came a post-Civil War
rise in oyster
harvesting, causing a renewed local economic boom lasting until the depletion of oyster beds in the Tred Avon and lower Choptank in the 1920s from overharvesting.
Maryland governor
Martin O'Malley
sought to revive the river's oyster beds through citizen participation by initiating the "Marylanders Grow Oysters" project in September 2008, which encourages waterfront property owners to grow oysters from their piers using cages; after a 9- to 12-month growing period, the oysters are moved to a protected sanctuary in the Tred Avon.
The Tred Avon area is prized for its real estate, and is known as a sailing and fishing destination. The Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, believed to be the oldest privately-operated ferry
service in the United States, offers shuttle service across the river from April to November.
and Failure to Launch
were both filmed in part on the Tred Avon.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Choptank River
Choptank River
The Choptank River is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. Running for , it rises in Kent County, Delaware, runs through Caroline County, Maryland and forms much of the border between Talbot County, Maryland on the north, and Caroline County and Dorchester County on...
in Talbot County
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
on Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
's Eastern Shore
Eastern Shore of Maryland
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a territorial part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies predominately on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay and consists of nine counties. The origin of term Eastern Shore was derived to distinguish a territorial part of the State of Maryland from the Western...
. The river is 17 miles (27.4 km) long.
Geography
The Tred Avon's headwaters are located approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) southeast of EastonEaston, Maryland
Easton, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. The river flows 5 miles (8 km) roughly west past the city then widens and flows southwest about 12 miles (19.3 km) to the mouth just south of Oxford
Oxford, Maryland
Oxford is a waterfront town and former colonial port in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 771 at the 2000 census.-History:Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland...
at Benoni Point.
Name
"Tred Avon" is a corruption of "Third Haven." The United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
's Geographic Names Information System
Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
lists the following variant names for the Tred Avon River:
- Third Haven Creek
- Third Haven River
- Threadhaven Creek
- Trad Avon River
- Tread Haven Creek
- Treavon Creek
- Tred Aven River
- Tred Haven River
- Tredaven Creek
- Tredaven Creeke
- Tredavon Creeke
- Tredhaven Creek
- Trudhaven River
History
With the colonial portPort
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
of Oxford founded near its mouth between 1666 and 1668, the river served as a major shipping lane in the international tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
trade until the end of the Revolutionary War, when wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
became the Eastern Shore's main cash crop
Cash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
and Oxford's monopoly on colonial trade ended, which led to an economic downturn. With the decline in trade came a post-Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
rise in oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
harvesting, causing a renewed local economic boom lasting until the depletion of oyster beds in the Tred Avon and lower Choptank in the 1920s from overharvesting.
Maryland governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
sought to revive the river's oyster beds through citizen participation by initiating the "Marylanders Grow Oysters" project in September 2008, which encourages waterfront property owners to grow oysters from their piers using cages; after a 9- to 12-month growing period, the oysters are moved to a protected sanctuary in the Tred Avon.
The Tred Avon area is prized for its real estate, and is known as a sailing and fishing destination. The Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, believed to be the oldest privately-operated ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service in the United States, offers shuttle service across the river from April to November.
In the media
The films Wedding CrashersWedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Dobkin. It stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, with Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Diora Baird, Jane Seymour, and an uncredited Will Ferrell....
and Failure to Launch
Failure to Launch
Failure to Launch is a 2006 American romantic comedy film. In the movie a 35-year-old man lives in the home of his parents and shows no interest in leaving the comfortable life his parents, especially his mother, have made for him there.-Plot:...
were both filmed in part on the Tred Avon.