Narratives of the Potomac: Preserving the Stories of the Region's Waterways

Storytelling connects us – it teaches us about our shared past, lays down roots in the physical world around us, and strengthens our ties to our community.  

At the Accokeek Foundation, we’ve been working to preserve the stories of the land and waterways near Piscataway Park, ensuring that all our visitors can share in the rich history of this special place.  

One way we’ve been doing this is our Narratives of the Potomac oral history project. Through Narratives of the Potomac, the Accokeek Foundation has gathered the stories of ten Black and Indigenous community members, adding their memories of living and working along the Potomac River and surrounding waterways to a digital collection of research resources. 

A group of Watermen seine fishing at Bryan Point, now the site of Piscataway Park, in the late 19th century. The United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries established a hatchery at Bryan Point to revive the native shad population in the Potomac.

Although the stories shared stretched from Washington D.C. through Southern Maryland, common themes emerged across the oral history project. Participants described their experiences learning how to fish and sail the waterways as children, the importance of family gatherings and keeping traditions alive for future generations, and changes in water quality and public access to the water throughout their lifetimes.  

Pamela and Raynard Lyles, for example, shared their memories of fishing, crabbing, and boating since childhood, pointing out that there is now less public access to the water than when they were young;  

"... When we were kids, you could just go down to the water and not have any problems. Now they’re blocking off the waterways.” - Pamela  

“Yeah, probably in the late 90s is when they start boarding up all the entrances to a lot of like the Potomac or the Patuxent, you know what I mean, not allowing people to... fish in there, let alone putting a boat or something in there...” - Raynard  

“... They cut off the ramps so that you can’t put your boats in the water anymore. Especially down at Eagle Harbor, because that’s where we used to go crabbing as kids, and now everything’s blocked off.” - Pamela  

Raynard and Pamela Lyles share their oral histories at the Accokeek Foundation with interviewer Les Whitehead.

Gathering stories such as these preserves local histories that are often overlooked. It also informs new educational programming and signage for visitors at Piscataway Park.  

“The project helps to draw parallels from history to modern day,” explained Linda Zufelt, the Foundation’s Programs manager, “It allows us to reiterate to students that what happened hundreds of years ago still matters today. For example, the topic of water access, which continues to impact many people in Southern Maryland.”  

The Narratives of the Potomac project also helped the Accokeek Foundation draw out themes for new signage for Piscataway Park, including the companion exhibit for the Smithsonian Institution “Spark! Places of Innovation” traveling exhibition and new wayside exhibits funded by the NPS Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.

The Narratives of the Potomac project led to the creation of four new wayside exhibits at Piscataway Park, including this "Defense of Two Nations" sign. These exhibits will enhance visitor experiences at the park, educating thousands of visitors each year about the history of the region.

These community stories continue to shape the identity of this place. As highlighted in recent press, the legacy of Chief Turkey Tayac, whose efforts helped secure the protection of Piscataway Park, reminds us that the land itself holds memory. By preserving and uplifting these narratives, we ensure that the voices of those who have lived, loved, and stewarded the land and waterways are carried forward for future generations. 

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Interested in learning more about story keeping and the Narratives of the Potomac oral history project?    

Visit the Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park to view the new signs and companion exhibit panels in person.  

You can also listen to excerpts from the interviews online to hear from the community members digitally.

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We would like to express gratitude to all our partners for helping bring this oral history project to life, including NPS Chesapeake Bay Gateways for funding it, Les Whitehead for their contributions to leading the interviews, and all the individuals who graciously shared their stories with us: 

Dr. Brad Hatch 

George and Hilda Harley 

Pamela and Raynard Lyles 

Captain Bill Washington 

Greg Gwaltney 

Kevin Young 

John Pearson 

Michael Proctor