Module 3: Goods and Commodities
The Largest Seine Fishery in the United States
During the 19th century, Stafford boasted a number of large commercial fisheries, primarily concentrated along the Potomac River shoreline and near the mouth of Aquia Creek. By 1900, the fishery at Clifton was described as “the largest seine fishery in the United States” at the very least it was likely the largest such operation in the Chesapeake region.
Seine fishing was a system by which a very long net was extended out into the river to form a semi-circle, and then was drawn back to shore by means of ropes. The Clifton net was over 1- mile in length, about thirty feet wide in the channel section, and about twelve feet wide at the shore ends. The top of the net had large corks attached every few feet while lead weights were fastened along the bottom edge. The net was usually set twice every 24 hours according to the cycle of the tides. Setting and drawing the net required two boats, 50-odd men called "fish hands," and six or seven horses. The boats used at Clifton were typical Potomac River "drag-seine galleys," 72 feet in length and 12 feet across (Tilp 32).
The catch consisted primarily of herring and shad, which were separated in the cleaning boats. Shad, considered a delicacy, brought a higher price than herrings, the latter being destined for salting. As the barrels were filled, they were taken ashore where the fish were dumped into vats of salt brine. Here they remained for nine days, and then were packed in barrels and readied for sale or shipment.
Setting the Nets at Clifton Fishery, c. 1900, courtesy of Mary Cary Kendall/Jerrilynn MacGregorSounds of Stafford
Hauling the Nets at Clifton Fishery, c. 1900, courtesy of Mary Cary Kendall/Jerrilynn MacGregorIn the News
Alexandria Gazette, March 15, 1897Fishing in Stafford County was a seasonal operation conducted primarily from April through September. Daily travel between home and work was impossible and the workers were housed in a large bunkhouse near the river where they were provided with regular meals and shelter. The men were paid $18 to $20 per month and a "company store" was on site where they could purchase such items as tobacco, oiled hats, pants, coats, gum boots, eggs, salt, and socks.
Prior to the war, many of Stafford’s fishery workers seem to have been slaves. While a number of blacks left Stafford during the war, many remained in the only home they'd ever known. After the peace, former slaves and the sons of former slaves returned to Clifton as free men desperate for work to provide incomes with which to support their families.
In 1872, the new railroad extension to Washington passed through the very heart of the Clifton fishery. The railroad greatly improved the ease and efficiency of receiving supplies and supplying fish to market. Fish were packed in ice and shipped fresh to New York, Washington, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago. While great quantities of fish were shipped via railroad, many people drove wagons and teams down to Clifton to pick up the saltfish they would need for the upcoming year. Some came from as far as the Virginia mountains. The old lane leading to Clifton is one of the earliest roads in Stafford County and extends for about a quarter-mile from Widewater Road to the fishery. During fishing season, the wagons formed a solid line along the side of this road waiting their turn to pick up fish. It was common for the men to leave the wagons there all night as such great numbers came to Clifton for fish.
Primary source for Stafford 1896: “Land of Herrings and Persimmons, People and Places of Upper Stafford County, Virginia,” Jerrilynn Eby MacGregor, Heritage Books, 2015
Discussion Topics
How much of the food you eat today is produced locally?
How has food production changed since 1896?