Charlie Paparella Ponders the History of the Pocomoke City Drawbridge

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – In this week’s edition of Back on the Road with Charlie Paparella, brought to you by Furniture & More Gone Coastal, Charlie spent some time thinking about the history of Pocomoke City’s drawbridge as it undergoes repairs.

“It must be a shock to the good people of Pocomoke City to see their famous drawbridge closed for repairs,” Charlie said. “I remember it collapsed about 30 years ago, and the state was going to replace it with a more modern bridge.”

In light of those plans to modernize, Charlie said the local community appealed to then Governor William Donald Schaffer, who told the State Highway Administration to do as the good people of Pocomoke wanted. Smart politician!

But there’s another interesting story half a mile downriver about the railroad bridge, which allows river traffic to pass through until a train comes along, at which time it reconnects. Charlie explained that this piece of infrastructure was the brainchild of Alexander Cassatt, who later became president of the powerful Pennsylvania Railroad. His sister, Mary Cassatt, was a famous painter who created a notable portrait of her famous brother.

Charlie says these are just a few tales about the fabled border town that shares its name with its mostly friendly neighbor — the mighty Pocomoke River. 

If you have a story idea that you’d like to see Charlie tackle, email them to papa@wmdt.com.