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George William “Capt. Billy” Robertson

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George William “Capt. Billy” Robertson

Birth	:	12 Jun 1930 Baltimore City, Maryland, USA
Death	:	10 Mar 2000 Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, USA
Burial	:	Prospect Hill Cemetery, Cassopolis, Cass County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.9150314, -86.0139618
Description	:	A young Billy Robertson started out helping his 2 uncles, John and Paul Drinks crab and fish the waters of the lower Potomac and Port Tobacco rivers in the late 1930s and 40s. They'd ship their catch by train (the end-of-the-line was at the old power plant at Popes Creek) to Washington, D.C. and beyond. By 19, Billy had the idea to open a restaurant and in 1949 he did just that and history was soon born. One that to this day endures: steamed crabs w/Old Bay seasoning and cold beer. 'Natty Boh' even though it's shipped in from Texas... Read More	A young Billy Robertson started out helping his 2 uncles, John and Paul Drinks crab and fish the waters of the lower Potomac and Port Tobacco rivers in the late 1930s and 40s. They'd ship their catch by train (the end-of-the-line was at the old power plant at Popes Creek) to Washington, D.C. and beyond. By 19, Billy had the idea to open a restaurant and in 1949 he did just that and history was soon born. One that to this day endures: steamed crabs w/Old Bay seasoning and cold beer. 'Natty Boh' even though it's shipped in from Texas now - just for Maryland folks. It's a crab thing in Md. He did have one huge draw to get folks in to try his crabs: slot machines. From the late 40s to the late 60s. But in one of the most boneheaded moves ever, the state gov't in Annapolis,Md. removed all the slots from 'Southern Md.' because of a political minority and their values. The 4 counties made more money off slots than Las Vegas did then because many motorists avoided the tolls in Richmond, Va along the boring I-95 by detouring along the old U.S. Rt. 301 in Md. and got to play the slots and eat good food as well. Southern Md. was hit hard by this and the economy there tanked for many years. But not so much at Popes Creek where crabs & beer were still king. And they had the renown Capt. Billy. There were times when crabs were scarce for one reason or another. But Capt. Billy would have them. He was respected by that many of his fellow watermen and he did have connections. A little known fact: in the 1950s and 60s the N.F.L. had a 25 mile blackout rule which meant folks in Washington,D.C and the suburban areas couldn't watch home games even when sold out - which the Redskins often were even though they stunk before 1960. It didn't take Capt. Billy long to figure out that with an outdoor antenna he could get those games. It didn't take long for his place to be packed on Sundays - slot machines, cold beer, steamed crabs, and football. Those were some Sundays! Later the limit was extended to 75 miles but all Billy did was raise the antenna and point it to Richmond for the games. Even after the slots were taken out in the late 60s, Capt Billy would still pack them in at either of 2 restaurants there, the former Capt Drinks which he bought and Robertsons. The names would change back and forth over the years but still they remained in the family. Folks from all over would still come anyway - from Washington, D.C and across the nearby Rt 301 bridge from Va., even visitors to the region had heard about the crabs and would come there. Even many folks who worked for him over the years admired him. The January 7, 2009 edition of the Watauga Democrat newspaper (Boone, NC) ran an obituary on one Eva Davis, who was born in that area. An excerpt from that: 'Ms. Eva Irene Davis, 72, of La Plata, Md., died Jan. 1, 2009 and was buried in Mount Rest Cemetery in La Plata, Md. Irene met Captain Billy and became great and loving friends with he and his restaurant family. Together they continued a legacy of charity and service to the community. She greeted one and all at Captain Billy's with her winning smile and, "Hello there! How are you there?"'. Sadly Capt. Billy got sick but he fought hard to beat his illness - he even drove to Baltimore and back for daily treatments at one point. But he'd still be there to open up for the night. When he died, the biggest church around was Sacred Heart Catholic Church up the road in La Plata which gladly offered to hold the services and he wasn't even Catholic. They had to put the overflow downstairs to watch via closed circuit tv. When the motorcade left the church, there were folks lined up along parts of U.S. Rt 301 as some 200 cars (not a typo) wound its way down to Popes Creek and the crab houses there. An army of waterman stood by their trucks and some on their boats as the hearse passed by and 1/2 mile of vehicles behind it. There were cops from all over leading the way and following the cars. Indeed, if ever there were a 'rock star' in this business, he was it. ******* The above was excerpted from many articles in the Washington Post newspaper and Southern Md Online over many years.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is George William “Capt. Billy” Robertson's memorial?
George William “Capt. Billy” Robertson's memorial is located at: Prospect Hill Cemetery, Cassopolis, Cass County, USA.
When did George William “Capt. Billy” Robertson death?
George William “Capt. Billy” Robertson death on 10 Mar 2000 in Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, USA
Where are the coordinates of the George William “Capt. Billy” Robertson's memorial?
Latitude: 41.9150314
Longitude: -86.0139618

Family Members:

Spouse

Stella Celene Reedy Robertson

(1936 - 1990)

Children

John Frederick “Freddie” Robertson Sr.

(1951 - 2012)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Prospect Hill Cemetery
Cassopolis, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9150314, -86.0139618

2. Brady Cemetery
Cassopolis, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9305560, -86.0486110

3. Moon Cemetery
Penn Township, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9148240, -85.9727550

4. Cass County Poor Farm Cemetery
Cassopolis, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8836110, -86.0347220

5. Schulte Cemetery
Cassopolis, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9428770, -86.0466380

6. La Grange Cemetery
La Grange, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9511110, -86.0394440

7. Young's Prairie Cemetery
Penn Township, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9481010, -85.9702988

8. Reames-Norton Cemetery
Cassopolis, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8685379, -85.9978027

9. Van Riper Cemetery
La Grange, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9590988, -86.0413361

10. Dailey Cemetery
La Grange, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8977890, -86.0881805

11. Prairie Grove Cemetery
Penn, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9306297, -85.9327393

12. Oakdale Cemetery
Vandalia, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9254608, -85.9137726

13. Bogue Street Memorial Garden
Vandalia, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9190518, -85.9129198

14. Dewey Cemetery
Pokagon, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9471054, -86.1202774

15. Salisbury Family Cemetery
Cassopolis, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8913880, -86.1244440

16. Crawford Cemetery
Edwardsburg, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8328018, -86.0481033

17. Bethel Cemetery
Calvin Center, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8469440, -85.9386110

18. Riverside Cemetery
Dowagiac, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.9791985, -86.0969009

19. White Cemetery
Dowagiac, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 42.0054893, -86.0307617

20. Calvin Community Chapel Cemetery
Calvin Center, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8464990, -85.9310140

21. Calvin Center Cemetery
Calvin Center, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8465000, -85.9310100

22. Birch Lake Cemetery
Calvin Center, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8850000, -85.8855550

23. Shaffer Cemetery
Calvin Township, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8213997, -85.9591980

24. Coulter Cemetery
Howard Township, Cass County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8552780, -86.1277780