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is a city in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,723 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area. Crisfield has the distinction of being the southernmost incorporated city in Maryland.
The Pocomoke and Annemessex Indian tribes of the Algonquin Nation were the first inhabitants of the area we now know as Crisfield. In 1666 a 300 acre (1.2 km²) parcel of land was granted to English settler, Benjamin Summers. Soon after Mr. Summers settled there, a fishing village grew up around him, and eventually the town was named "Somers Cove" in his honor. Crisfield, located at the mouth of the Annemessex River and flanked by the Tangier Sound, soon became a major distribution center for seafood along the East Coast.
In 1866 a Princess Anne Attorney, John W. Crisfield was instrumental in bringing the railroad all the way down to the Crisfield seaport. The town was then renamed "Crisfield" honoring the attorney's efforts which proved to bolster the economy of the town. Once the railroad came to Crisfield, seafood was soon being shipped all over the United States and Crisfield became known as the "seafood capital of the world." By 1904, the City of Crisfield was the second largest city in Maryland, after Baltimore. It continues to be famous for its seafood - particularly the Maryland Crab - and it abounds with restaurants, seafood packing houses and seafood distribution companies.
The Crisfield Crabbers were the town's entry in the Eastern Shore Baseball League.
The town has recently seen the construction of condominiums, however the town still has not seen a significant population growth. A Strategic Revitalization Plan is underway and the City Sewer line has been upgraded recently to accommodate the growing needs as more development takes place.