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The latest news, products, and announcements from Secrets of the Eastern Shore.

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The Newsroom

Book Signing at Bethany Beach Books: Wed., Aug. 5, 2020

Secrets of the Eastern Shore co-founder Jim Duffy will be signing books and chatting with customers on the evening of Wed., Aug. 5 at Bethany Beach Books in downtown Bethany Beach, Del. The event runs from 6:30-8:30pm. Weather permitting, I'll be at a table on the sidewalk outside the store. Yes, I'll be wearing a mask. Yes, there will be hand sanitizer available. Duffy is…
August 1, 2020
TV Appearance Television
The Newsroom

On WBOC-TV, the fun story of the Great Poplar Island Black Cat Fur Farm of the 1840s

Secrets co-founder Jim Duffy recently went on WBOC-TV’s Good Day Delmarva to tell the tale of The Great Poplar Island Black Cat Fur Farm--a strange and ill-fated business venture in the 1840s. You can watch the segment here: Poplar Island Black Cat Story on Good Day Delmarva This is one of the scores of stories from days gone by that you can find in my…
March 19, 2020
Featured: Thomas Downing of Chincoteague, Virginia
The Newsroom

On WBOC-TV, Secrets of Eastern Shore talks about the Chincoteague-born ‘Oyster King’ of NYC

Secrets co-founder Jim Duffy recently went on WBOC-TV’s Good Day Delmarva to tell the tale of Thomas Downing, a black man whose life journey in the time of slavery took him from his birthplace in Chincoteague, Va. to New York City, where he became an entrepreneur who opened a groundbreaking new kind of restaurant and became known as the "Oyster King" of New York. You…
February 21, 2020
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The Newsroom

“Underground Railroad Journeys” Presentation in Selbyville, Del. on Thurs., Feb. 20

Author and storyteller Jim Duffy of Secrets of the Eastern Shore will tell true-life tales about “Underground Railroad Journeys on Delmarva” in a presentation and discussion at the Selbyville (Del.) Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 20. The presentation is based on Duffy’s book, Tubman Travels: 32 Underground Railroad Journeys on Delmarva. The event begins at 5pm. There is no admission fee. Duffy will be signing…
January 22, 2020
TV Appearance Television
The Newsroom

On WBOC-TV, Secrets of the Eastern Shore talks about the Prohibition Era

Secrets co-founder Jim Duffy recently went on WBOC-TV’s Good Day Delmarva to tell stories about the era of Prohibition on the Delmarva Peninsula. The 100th anniversary of Prohibition taking effect landed on Jan. 17, 1920. Have you heard the one about the guy in Wachapreague who set up a secret compartment under his kitchen floorboards so that booze would pour out of one of his…
January 16, 2020
TV Appearance Television
The Newsroom

On WBOC-TV’s Delmarva Life, Secrets of the Eastern Shore talks about life in the 1920s …

Jim Duffy, co-founder of Secrets of the Eastern Shore, went on WBOC-TV’s Delmarva Life recently to talk with hosts Lisa Bryant and Corey Phoebus about life on Delmarva a century ago--in the 1920s! The conversation ranged from ponies to chickens to music and more ... You can watch the Delmarva Life segment here. PS: There is more on these topics--and lots of other aspects of…
January 9, 2020
Harriet Tubman Escape Anniversary
The Newsroom

“Underground Railroad Journeys” Talk in St. Michaels, Md. on Monday, Feb. 3

Author and storyteller Jim Duffy of Secrets of the Eastern Shore will tell true-life tales about “Underground Railroad Journeys on Delmarva” in a presentation and discussion at the St. Michaels (Md.) Public Library on Monday, Feb. 3. The presentation is based on Duffy’s book, Tubman Travels: 32 Underground Railroad Journeys on Delmarva. Part of the Lunch & Learn series, the event begins at noon in the…
December 29, 2019
Sunset atBlackwater 2013 Featured Image
MiscellanyThe Newsroom

Talks & Presentations: Introducing Your Group to the Landscape & People of Delmarva

Jim Duffy is a writer and storyteller who lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The author of several popular “Secrets of the Eastern Shore” books about travel, history, and culture on the Delmarva Peninsula, he is an engaging speaker who has delivered scores of talks to civic groups and business gatherings, delighting audiences with funny, fascinating, and moving tales from days gone by on the Eastern…
December 27, 2019
Most Popular Secrets of the Eastern Shore Stories of 2019
Home Page FeatureThe NewsroomWay Back Machine

The People’s Choice: The Top 10 Secrets Stories of 2019

Envelope, please! Judging by my website statistics, here are the stories that the 100,000 or so folks who visited the Secrets of the Eastern Shore website liked best during 2019 ... • Chincoteague Character of the Day: Thomas Downing, the Oyster King of NYC • How a Big Hurricane on Aug. 22, 1933 Created the Ocean City We Know Today • Love Point on Kent…
December 17, 2019
TV Appearance Television
The Newsroom

On WBOC-TV, Secrets of the Eastern Shore tells the amazing story of the artist Julia Purnell of Snow Hill, Md.

Most every chapter in the Secrets book, Eastern Shore Road Trips 2: 26 More One-Day Adventures on Delmarva, ends with a fun and interesting story from days gone by. In the road trip to Snow Hill, Md., that section tells the story of a housewife there whose journey to becoming an artist began at the age of 85, after she landed in a wheelchair. Jim…
December 12, 2019