Waterman’s Lantern & Crab Tongs
Item Contributed By: Steve Kilmon, Grandson
Approximate Age or Date of Origin: 1910s
About the Item
These tools belonged to Levi Scott Kilmon, a year-round waterman who worked the waters of the Miles River out of Oak Creek in Royal Oak. Levi made his living harvesting terrapin, muskrat, fish, and oysters—and in the summer, he hosted fishing parties and sold fresh catch right out of his garage.
The lantern lit the early hours on the water, while the short tongs were used for crabbing—a hobby carried on by his son, Louis Scott Kilmon. Together, they reflect the hands-on, multi-season livelihood of Talbot County’s watermen and the family legacy built around life on the Bay.
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