ESL, Niveau avancé
Cape Charles, VA.
Cape Charles is a town located between two scenic bodies of water, the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on the Delmarva Peninsula. Its history is quite unusual, unlike most towns that grow gradually, the ......... of this town was totally planned.
In 1884, railroad tycoons, William H. Scott and Alexander Cassatt ......... their plans to lay out the construction of Cape Charles in perfect square blocks. The contribution of names for the streets resulting in seven avenues, named for famous Virginians and six streets being named for fruits and trees.
The original purpose for the construction of the town was to provide summer homes for the families of the wealthy railroad executives and ........., as well as the expanding merchant class.
Visitors were attracted by the seashore, harbor and enjoyable climate. The town ......... not only due to the many travelers who made a yearly pilgrimage by train, but also due to the readily attainable seafood.
Watermen were also a part of the new prosperity. They harvested seafood from the Chesapeake Bay, pulling in an ......... of oysters, clams, and fish to sell. Northern restaurants eagerly anticipated buying the marine delicacies.
The visitors who wanted to travel across the bay to Norfolk had to catch the steamer or ferry. More than a million tourists traveling through the area was the ......... for the expansion of ferry boat companies.
Seafood companies ........., not only on the convenience of shipping the products by train, but also on their reputation of being able supply the entire Eastern Shore within 24 hours.This was faster than most companies had ever been able to deliver.
At the same time, ferry boats continued to transport people and supplies across the bay to Norfolk. In fact, competition between the ferry companies often had ......... passengers on board, noisily cheering and betting on which buoyant boat would reach shore first.
After World War II, trains stopped carrying passengers. Tourists preferred ......... the peninsula in their own cars, stopping frequently to explore historic sites at their leisure.
Visitors can still "step back in time" when vacationing in Cape Charles. The entire town is protected from becoming "modernized" by being listed on the National Register. No new homes can be constructed and ......... homes must preserve the look of the Victorian period.