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Somerset County

Fox Trot Smith Island Featured Photo
News Flash, 1930s: The Fox Trot Sails into Controversy on Smith Island Way Back Machine

News Flash, 1930s: The Fox Trot Sails into Controversy on Smith Island

In April 1938, concerned citizens of Smith Island, Maryland sent a delegation to the mainland. The cause was urgent, a civic emergency that needed to be put before the Somerset County Council. Below is how a local newspaper told the story ...HEADLINE: Smith Island Holds Dance Craze is a Social Menace STORY: "Declaring a current 'dance craze' to be a social menace to their young…
July 15, 2026
Starving Time Holland Island Featured Photo scene is from Tilghman 1918
The Starving Time on Holland Island. Or Maybe Not? From the BooksWay Back Machine

The Starving Time on Holland Island. Or Maybe Not?

This is a free chapter excerpt from You Wouldn't Believe, my book of stories about days gone by on our peninsula. The subtitle is 44 Strange and Wondrous Delmarva Tales. You can find info on the book and buy it here. There are stories about booze, murder, madness, romance, adventure, and well, flying mayonnaise jars. This one is a wintry affair set on old Holland…
December 28, 2024
Deal Island Maryland Featured Photo SIZED
Shore Fun Excerpt: Deal Island and the Road to Rumbley DestinationsFrom the Books

Shore Fun Excerpt: Deal Island and the Road to Rumbley

My book Shore Fun: The Delmarva Wanderer's Guide features snapshot descriptions of more than 125 destinations on the Delmarva Peninsula. Plus, more than 150 annual events, broken out conveniently by season of the year. Below is one sample destination, a history-laden and scenery-filled adventure along backroads on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. Info on the book here. On the road to Deal Island (Route…
May 24, 2024
Martin Luther King in Princess Anne Featured Photo SIZED
When Martin Luther King Came to Princess Anne, Md., 1959 Way Back Machine

When Martin Luther King Came to Princess Anne, Md., 1959

Seated in the photo up top here is Rev. Martin Luther King, whose holiday we celebrate every January. He was just 30 years old on that Sunday in May of 1959 when he traveled to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to give the commencement address at Maryland State College. Today, of course, that institution is better known as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The…
January 1, 2024
Green Hill Church Wicomico County Featured Photo
GOING PLACES: Green Hill Church, a Colonial Gem Built in 1733 DestinationsRoad Trips

GOING PLACES: Green Hill Church, a Colonial Gem Built in 1733

The Delmarva Peninsula has its share of big tourism draws that we all love to visit. But for me the best joys of the place involve wandering along country backroads lined with lush farm fields and pine stands in search of this, that, or another hidden treasure. Let's start this excursion in the year 1733: • George Washington, hero of the Revolution, celebrated his first birthday.…
June 16, 2023
The Greatest Honeymoon in History CharactersHome Page Feature

The Greatest Honeymoon in History

NOTE: This is one of the fun stories from my book, You Wouldn’t Believe! 44 Strange and Wondrous Delmarva Tales. You can find more information about the book–including how and where to buy it–at this link. When 19-year-old Vernon Cooper landed at the mouth of the Wicomico River, the Wisconsin native didn’t catch on immediately that he’d found his forever home. He didn’t have a crystal ball. He…
January 28, 2022
Coulbourne and Jewett Featured Image
The St. Michaels Seafood Packing Plant that Helped Blue Crabs Rise To a Whole New Level in the Early 1900s CharactersWay Back Machine

The St. Michaels Seafood Packing Plant that Helped Blue Crabs Rise To a Whole New Level in the Early 1900s

The next time you’re at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., take a few moments to remember that you’re walking in the entrepreneurial footsteps of William H.T. Coulbourne and Frederick Jewett. It’ll be easy—the Coulbourne & Jewett seafood-packing plant stood at the heart of the museum’s campus on Navy Point. Founded on a shoestring in 1902, Coulbourne & Jewett is notable for…
February 19, 2021
Saxis on Saturday Night Featured Photo
Saxis on a Saturday Night! Scenes from Days Gone By MiscellanyQuote of the DayWay Back Machine

Saxis on a Saturday Night! Scenes from Days Gone By

Those of you who've been there know that Saxis is a remote, real-deal watermen community on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I visited there while working on my book, Eastern Shore Road Trips #1: 27 One-Day Adventures on Delmarva. It's a quiet place nowadays, with one fun restaurant, one tiki bar, and a local history museum being the main attractions for visitors outside of the…
August 2, 2020
GOING PLACES: The Ruins of Coventry Destinations

GOING PLACES: The Ruins of Coventry

This is a brief excerpt from my book, Shore Fun! The Wanderer's Guide to Delmarva. It's one of more than 125 destinations described in the book. While this particular destination has one stop, many others have multiple stops, like in towns or along certain stretches of backroad. The other half of the book is a guide to 150-plus annual events, organized by seasons. The Ruins…
June 2, 2020
Somerset Steak Knives Featured Image Small
Somerset Journey: The Steak Knife Was Invented in Crisfield, and That Story Begins on Marumsco Creek CharactersWay Back Machine

Somerset Journey: The Steak Knife Was Invented in Crisfield, and That Story Begins on Marumsco Creek

The story behind the creation of the steak knife in your kitchen drawer involves a bit of manufacturing ingenuity, but there is more to it. Think romantic sleigh rides, a devastating fire, steadfast religious faith, and then—a Christmas gift from a friend that changes everything. This Somerset County, Md. tale begins with a farm boy who hated farm work. He much preferred puttering around in…
March 31, 2020