Pooles Island is a small island located on the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

, part of

Harford County, Maryland Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Wa ...

. 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 Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at APG. There are 11 major commands among the tenant units, ...

. Access to the island is prohibited due to unexploded ordnance. 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". 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.

References

{{reflist Landforms of Harford County, Maryland Uninhabited islands of Maryland River islands of Maryland Maryland islands of the Chesapeake Bay