January 7, 2014
Dorchester County, Maryland, was founded in 1669 on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The county’s government seal, depicted on the service patch of the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, includes a crab at the top, a waterman on the left, and a farmer on the right. These represent the county’s two main sources of income: fishing and farming. Clockwise from the top left, the center shield depicts a sailboat, a cog, a display of the water and sky, and a cross. These items reflect the county’s association with water sports; industry; the waterways that surround it; and, dating back to its founding, the Roman Catholic Church.

Dorchester County, Maryland, was founded in 1669 on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The county’s government seal, depicted on the service patch of the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, includes a crab at the top, a waterman on the left, and a farmer on the right. These represent the county’s two main sources of income: fishing and farming. Clockwise from the top left, the center shield depicts a sailboat, a cog, a display of the water and sky, and a cross. These items reflect the county’s association with water sports; industry; the waterways that surround it; and, dating back to its founding, the Roman Catholic Church.