Pooles Island

Pooles Island

Pooles Island in 2020
Geography
Location	Chesapeake Bay
Coordinates	39°17′07″N 76°15′57″W / 39.28528°N 76.26583°W / 39.28528; -76.26583
Length	1.5 km (0.93 mi)
Administration
United States
State	Maryland
Demographics
Population	0 (2020)

Pooles Island is a small island located on the Chesapeake Bay, part of Harford County, Maryland.^[1] It is southeast of the southern tip of Gunpowder Neck. The Pooles Island Light was built on it. Pooles Island was used for bombing practice from 1918 through the 1960s as part of Aberdeen Proving Ground. Access to the island is prohibited due to unexploded ordnance.^[2]

Pooles Island was first occupied by Native Americans. The shell middens on the island were evidence of their presence. It was first sighted by Europeans in 1608 when Captain John Smith explored the Chesapeake. He named it after Nathanial Powell, a member of his party. Over the years the name evolved from "Powell's Island" to "Poole's Island".^{[citation needed]}

In 1855, two watermen, Capt. Elijah Williams and Capt. James Williams, were lost in a storm. Capt. Elijah Williams' body washed ashore on the island, while his older brother James' body was never found; Elijah was buried by the lighthouse keeper.^{[citation needed]}