Captain Charlie Adams and Dick Adams operated an oyster shucking and boatbuilding business at the end of Moores Pt. Road until the operation was relocated in Crittenden in 1950.

Capt’n Lip, as he was often called, operated two parts of his boatyard. The upper yard was at the end of present day Steeple Drive and the lower yard was located at the end of White Dogwood Trail. He was one of many boatbuilders on the Chuckatuck Creek.

The Chesapeake was the largest wooden deckboat built on the Chesapeake Bay. It was launched in 1936. Built by L.L. Johnson

Built at L.L. Johnson’s lower yard in 1928 the schooner has been identified as Valencia in some older files.

Mary and John Higgins at the boat yard. circa 1913

The Bush Railway was located above the L.L. Johnson boatbuilding yard on the Chuckatuck Creek..

Yacht built at Johnson main yard.

Lorenzo Dow Moger’s first marine railway was located near the end of Dixon Drive. He later relocated to the end of Eclipse Drive where he hauled out boats to work on their bottoms.

Dow Moger operated a marine railway at the end of what is now Dixon Drive hauling and repairing oyster boats. He later moved his repair and boatbuilding workshop to the end of Eclipse drive.

Schooner Privateer is hauled out on the lower yard railway. c. 1928

Captain Teddy Haughwout was a supervisor on LL Johnson’s lower railway. He also built the Mt. Zion Christian Church.

The Katie was used as an oyster inspector’s boat.

A bateau, Oyster, and Batten’s Bay are tied up at Adams Marine Railway located on site of Johnson’s Boatbuilding on the Chuckatuck Creek.

Ralph Blythe operated a marine repair operation on the site of the Johnson Boatbuilding yard beginning in the 1970s.

Photo taken from Chuckatuck Creek Bridge c.2000 View of the Newport News Shipyard in the distance 5-6 miles.

Bill Keeling’s first Boat Shop was located at the end of White Dogwood Trail on the site of the Johnson ‘s Lower Yard and the current location of Johnson & Sons Seafood.

Bill Keeling built his first deadrise workboat, the Corbin, at his workshop on the Chuckatuck Creek in the early 1980s. (Karla Smith)

Capt. Billy Hick’s oyster boat rigged and ready to “drudge” oysters.

Note the Lois up on the railway. Bill Keeling’s first boat building shed was located on the Hazelwood site at the end of White Dogwood Trail.

Sidney B.Hazelwood III, Jacob Johnson, Jean Hazelwood, Ben Johnson at the shore while work is being done on the deckboat Lois. c.1980

(Lisa Johnson)

Hauled out at L.L. Johnson Marine Railway for scraping and painting. c.1930s

Johonnie Lee Gray was a man of all trades…he was especially good at doing “circle work” which was building rounded sterns on workboats.

Johnny Hicks often worked nights helping sort soft crabs at the Johnson & Sons Seafood operation.

J.S. Mardre lived and worked out of Bleakhorn Creek oystering, crabbing and fishing.

Lois is hauled out and being repainted for the season. c.1980

Bill Keeling moved his boatbuilding shop from the Chuckatuck Creek to Bleakhorn Creek and built and repaired boats. Here he is moving the Mariner Scout out of the shop ready to launch. 2007

Mariner Scout was restored by Bill Keeling and launched in 2007 and is used for Girl Scout Sail training with local scouts.

Miss Cary

This was an oyster packing house located at the end of White Dogwood Trail on the site of L.L. Johnon’’s lower yard. The site is referred to as the “Red Oyster House” by older residents even though it was torn down in the 1970s.

Built by Bill Keeling in the 1980s.

Deepwater Dick (Richard Erdt) and Bill Keeling hook up a trailer in preparation to launch a boat on Bleakhorn Creek. photo by Les Ward

A crabbing and oystering operation was still alive on Bleakhorn Creek in 2000.

Mariner Scout waits for the Mast to be stepped on Bleakhorn Creek. The skipjack was restored by Bill Keeling between 2003-2007.

The Johnson and Hazelwood young oversee the work from the bow of the deckboat Lois.

Hauled out and getting ready for another season. Scrape and paint!

Sarah L. Adams - Johnny Lee Gray was noted for his skill at building rounded sterns

Bow of the Corbin-Bill Keeling first deadrise workboat. First shop located on the Chuckatuck Creek.

Employees of Johnson Marine Railway Lower Yard in front of Schooner Valencia a.k.a. Privateer Left to Right- Eddie Post, Johnny Higgins, Oscar Crittenden, J.O. Phelps, Charlie Forest, Pete Post, Johnny Gray, and Will Moger.

The Miles Oyster Company out of Norfolk Virginia operated Schooners for the oystering and truck farm industry. They were hauled out at the L..L. Johnson Boatyard for maintenance in the late 1880.

L.L. Johnson’s Marine Railway was a vital employer of local residents. c. 1880s.