Series of coast guard station photographic post card prints documenting the stations of Ocean City, Md. and Virginia Beach, Va.

Before 1915, the U.S. Coast Guard was known as the U.S. Life Saving Service. It was established in 1871, and 280 stations were built along the east and west coast and the Great Lakes for search and water rescue. The Corson's Inlet Life Saving Station once stood on the beach at 58th street in Ocean City. In 1915 the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and U.S. Life-Saving Service were combined and renamed the U.S. Coast Guard. They started moving oceanfront stations to the bayside in several areas. They did this so that they would be able to use the new bigger motorboats, which were better launched in deeper bay waters. In 1925, the base for Corson's Inlet Coast Guard was moved from Ocean City's 58th street beach to Strathmere's bay. 

In the 1940's, a lookout tower was set up out on the beachfront side of the point. During WWII, the building on the south side of the post office was used as a sick bay for the Coast Guard. They also had dogs that they kept in back of the Coast Guard station during the war. There was always one dog and two men that patroled the beach 24 hours a day. Before and after the war, one man would go to the beach whenever it was foggy or snowing, as they could not always see from the tower. 

Their patrol area was north to Corson's Inlet and south to about 25th street in Sea Isle City. 

Meanwhile over on the Chesapeake side a Princess Anne attorney named John W. Crisfield brought the Eastern Shore Railroad to a place called Somers Cove. Like many of the communities along the tracks the economy boomed with coal and other goods being brought in and farm produce, poultry, and oysters going out; to be sold up and down the East Coast. Somers Cove did so well it became known as "the seafood capital of the world". The folks there were so happy they changed the name of their town to Crisfield to honor the man who brought them so much prosperity.
 
Soon the railroad ran the length of the peninsula all the way to Cape Charles where a barge would carry the cars across the Chesapeake to Norfolk. By 1884 freight was not the only thing the trains carried. Passenger trains ran three times a day from Salisbury to Ocean City. Further north a ferry brought people across the Chesapeake to Clairborne. The Baltimore Chesapeake & Atlantic made the connections there for travelers going east through Delaware, toward Salisbury, and points south. The BC&A was often late and was known not so affectionately as the "Black Cinders & Ashes Railroad".
 
Many of today's largest towns on Delmarva enjoyed the benefits of the railway boom. But even as early as the 1870's the railroads began to flounder and fail, changing owners frequently. After World War I increasing taxes and regulations put more pressure on the companies. The hurricane of August 1933 destroyed the railway bridge to Ocean City nailing the coffin shut on Delmarva's passenger trains.
 
Since that time there have been some short lived tourist excursion train services. But now, only freight trains travel through our region. Most of the old train stations that still exist have been converted to other purposes. Some that have been restored and made into museums can be found in Selbyville, Federalsburg, Stevensville, and Queponco. A number of local historical museums also have devoted exhibits to our railway heritage. In Parksley train enthusiasts can see actual retired train engines. Some unused rail lines are being converted to trails for hiking and biking including one from Lewes to Rehoboth Beach, one in Easton, and one between Berlin and Snow Hill in the planning stage. 

Citation: http://delmarva-almanac.com/index.php/site/news_article/delmarvas_railway_heritage/