Welcome to Talbot County
A photographic tour of Talbot County, Maryland - the Hamptons of the Chesapeake Bay! Learn more about the towns of Easton, Oxford, St. Michaels, and Tilghman Island
Tour of Maryland's Eastern Shore's rich history by Pete Lesher
Pete Lesher, Chief Curator of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels takes us on a historic tour of Talbot County, Maryland
Easton, MD
Easton, Maryland is an incorporated town and the county seat of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,945 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2015 of 16,617. -Wikipedia
Restaurant Week, Talbot County, Maryland
Talbot County Maryland, one of the richest area's of the United States, is known for the variety of restaurants. We visited and interviewed chef's vying for new customers at Talbot County Restaurant Week this spring. Hosted by ThatManAboutTown.com.
Spy Reconnaissance: The Talbot Historical Society with Larry Denton
Talk about timing. It seems like remarkably good luck that the Talbot Historical Society (THS) has decided to open its new downtown Easton museum at the precise moment when the community is having an extended conversation on the role history plays in such matters such as what monuments the region builds to honors local war veterans.
At a time when historical societies throughout the country are struggling to be taken seriously, the THS has just financially double-downed on making sure the county's five centuries of existence remain fresh and relevant with a completely modernized, and very high-tech local history learning center on South Washington Street.
Adding some fun to the opening (now scheduled in mid-August) was the THS's decision to identify the top fifty Talbot County residents who had made the most significant contributions to the area, and put a extra special spotlight on Talbot's very top five individuals through the use of innovative multimedia storytelling.
In his interview with the Spy, distinguished historian and current THS president Larry Denton, highlights the features of the new museum, the role of history in a community, and the organization's successful efforts to stabilize their operational costs while also bringing back educational programming for local schools.
We Are MSDE.
Maryland Schools Superintendent Karen Salmon visits Easton Elementary School in Talbot County, and provides a brief overview of the Maryland State Department of Education.
Tuesday Talk October 2015 -TCPS Demographics
Each month Superintendent Kelly Griffith gives an update on Talbot County Public Schools and shares information about timely and relevant topics.
Talbot County Parks and Recreation, Talbot County Maryland
Kollar Kayak Launch Testimonial, State Park MD
Spying On Talbot County: Should the County Join the Maryland Rural Counties Coalition?
Representatives of the Maryland Rural Counties Coalition came calling on the Talbot County Council this week. Carroll County Commissioner President Doug Howard, the newly elected chair of the eleven county coalition, outlined the mission and benefits of having strong advocacy for the smaller, more rural counties in Annapolis. He was joined by Sara Visintainer, chief of staff, for Caroline County, in making the case.
This video is approximately six minutes in length
Easton, Maryland - Town Manager Robert Karge has harrased ALL of his employees
Wee, Sexual Harassment is fun. Robert Karge shows the Easton Police Department how he really feels about them. Yum Yum!
vi·ral
adjective /ˈvīrəl/
-A video, image or text spread by word of mouth on the internet or by e-mail for humorous, political or marketing purposes
Spycam Minute: Juneteeneth Celebrated in Easton
Even with the famous Eastern Shore summer heat in evidence, the Juneteenth celebration at the Academy Art Museum didn't miss a beat on Saturday afternoon. With food, education programs and music from the likes of Easton Middle School Choir, the Bay One Hundred Christian Men Choir, Scott’s United Methodist Church Choir and Praise Dancers, Building Young African-American Minds (BAAM), the Second Generation Community Chorus and the Skher Brown Dance Troupe
Special recognition was given to the Robert Moton High School Alumni Association for their work in keeping history alive for the former African-American school in Easton.
The event was hosted by the Academy Art Museum and organized by the Frederick Douglass Honor Society.
The Talbot Spy cam, including the use of the new Spy drone, captured some of the highlights.
Something on the Inside, Is Working on the Outside by Jaelon Terrele Moaney
I did not choose the Black tidewater tradition of the Chesapeake, it was instilled within me at birth.
My father’s lineage hails from the shipbuilding tradition of Talbot County, Maryland, which is home to the first free Black community in the United States of America, the only American town founded by United States Colored Troops and the birthplace of Frederick Douglass. The renowned artwork of Ruth Starr Rose presents many portraits of my ancestors that formed the Copperville community where she developed her progressive perspectives.
Surrounded by the Wye, Miles, Tred Avon and Choptank Rivers, my paternal grandmother, born of indigenous ancestry, and my paternal grandfather, a local farmer, inherited a near spiritual appreciation for the natural world and its bounty.
These teachings, that shunned wastefulness in the consumption of God’s creations, and emphasized a duty to live a life in with nature were deeply rooted in each of their four sons, one of which being my father. My mother’s lineage is wedded to the sprawling rural, maritime center of Kent County, MD. For generations, this half of my family has immersed themselves in the distinguished African Methodist Episcopal Church fellowship on the Delmarva peninsula and the livelihoods afforded atop the Sassafras and Chester Rivers. An African American museum, run by and featuring my maternal lineage, rests on Worton Point and details the nuances of Black tidewater life on the Upper Shore.
My family as a whole has found sustenance from Chesapeake Bay tributaries for over ten generations. With such legacy comes a humbling responsibility to preserve the traditions of free Black citizenship on the Maryland Eastern Shore and protect the spirit that would touch so many lives from the Atlantic to the Pacific; my latest contribution is this succinct study of the origins of the MD Eastern Shore’s most prized polities and how they continue to evolve over time.
In this four part series, I explore three planes of the Black tidewater tradition of the Chesapeake: what people produce with their hands, how communities establish what they value and which spiritual connection to physical space and place make them whole. Part one is a case study of the Curtis brothers of Oxford, MD. Part two details the predominant civic and interest groups and how their political agendas interact with one another. Part the places the beginnings of the African Methodist Episcopal Church under a microscope in hopes to uncover its influence in maritime communities throughout the Delmarva peninsula. These three chapters are distinct, yet also reinforce one another to introduce an ever-changing era of American citizenship to the sacred political tools of interdependence and liberty.
Easton Airport Climbs to New Heights: A Chat with Mike Henry
While it sometimes feels like the only plane coming and going out of Easton Airport is the ever present single engine Cessna practising touch and go maneuvers, the truth of the matter is that the Talbot County's air terminal is one of the busiest of its kind in the entire state. Last year, the airport handled 30,000 take-offs and 30,000 landings.
It is the homebase of twenty-four private jets as well as the base for Maryland Airlines charter service, a training center for United States Naval Academy cadets, and a critical hub for medical emergency and police aircraft for the Eastern Shore.
Slowly but surely, the airport is climbing its way back to pre-recession activity levels.
As the long-serving airport manager, Mike Henry, tells it, the airport is one of the great and least known economic engines for not only Talbot County but for the entire Mid-Shore region.
In his Spy interview, the former Vietnam helicopter veteran, TWA pilot, and FAA administrator talks about the airport's significant track record in attracting and maintaining business and recreational aircraft, the economic impact of its operations, and his own history with the airport since arriving in 1993.
It is the homebase of twenty-four private jets as well as the base for Maryland Airlines charter service, a training center for United States Naval Academy cadets, and a critical hub for medical emergency and police aircraft for the Eastern Shore.
Slowly but surely, the airport is climbing its way back to pre-recession activity levels.
As the long-serving airport manager, Mike Henry, tells it, the airport is one of the great and least known economic engines for not only Talbot County but for the entire Mid-Shore region.
While it sometimes feels like the only plane coming and going out of Easton Airport is the ever present single engine Cessna practising touch and go maneuvers, the truth of the matter is that the Talbot County's air terminal is one of the busiest of its kind in the entire state. Last year, the airport handled 30,000 take-offs and 30,000 landings.
It is the homebase of twenty-four private jets as well as the base for Maryland Airlines charter service, a training center for United States Naval Academy cadets, and a critical hub for medical emergency and police aircraft for the Eastern Shore.
Slowly but surely, the airport is climbing its way back to pre-recession activity levels.
As the long-serving airport manager, Mike Henry, tells it, the airport is one of the great and least known economic engines for not only Talbot County but for the entire Mid-Shore region.
In his Spy interview, the former Vietnam helicopter veteran, TWA pilot, and FAA administrator talks about the airport's significant track record in attracting and maintaining business and recreational aircraft, the economic impact of its operations, and his own history with the airport since arriving in 1993.
Talbot County Council Race: A Conversation with Pete Lesher
Every election year, the Talbot Spy attempts to use the power of multimedia to introduce candidates for local office in a way that is far less traditional than the typical community forum or debate. Rather than be limited by a set amount of time to state policy views or answer questions, the Spy has used the video interview format to understand more fully a candidate’s points of view as well as their personalities. We continue this practice again this year but with a special partner in tow. The Avalon Foundation’s MCTV, with their wonderful downtown studio and video equipment, has teamed up with the Talbot Spy for a one-on-one with each one of the ten candidates running for office. While we have departed from our usual practice of editing our interviews for the sake of economy, we believe these “gavel to gavel” conversations will prove to be extremely useful as Talbot County voters go to the polls on November 6.
We continue or series with Democrat Pete Lesher. Pete has been a Easton Town Council member since 2009 and has worked as Chief Curator at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for several decades.
The Talbot Boys Convervation: Bernard Demczuk on Unionville and Memorials
While the community conversation on the Talbot Boys has primarily focused on the future of the confederate soldier memorial on the Talbot County Courthouse lawn, the hamlet of Unionville, founded by eighteen African-Americans who had fought for the Union in 1865, has periodically been used by some as a counterpoint to those that suggest Talbot County has not equally honored the North's veterans of the Civil War. The immediate effect was to peek the Spy's curiosity about Unionville and its special history.
In this case, we were lucky to find Bernard Demczuk, who resides part-time at a second home on the Choptank River, who not only holds a PhD from Maryland in African-American history but has done extensive scholarship on Unionville. In fact, the George Washington University teacher and assistant VP for D.C. Relations for the school, had spent so much time on the Shore doing research that he purposely found a place on the Choptank, which many local African-Americans had named the Freedom River since it served as a critical pathway to freedom.
In his interview with the Spy, Demczuk talks about the importance of Unionville, the unique character of the men who founded that community, and his personal thoughts on what should be done about the Talbot Boys.
The Talbot Boys Conversation: A History Lesson with Russell Dashiell
While Russell Dashiell has made his living for more than 30 years as a successful attorney in Salisbury, he does have a competing lifelong passion that predates his law practice - a love for Eastern Shore history before, during, and after the Civil War.
What started as a childhood fascination with the war between the states, fueled by its centennial in 1965, Dashiell has become one of a handful of go-to history buffs who have studied the Shore's erratic, almost schizophrenic march to war.
And Russell's interest goes well beyond his ongoing research. For years, he has participated in civil war reenactments as a C.S.A. officer (in honor of his family ancestors) and has worked closely with the National Park Service on projects throughout Maryland and Virginia. And off the field of battle, Dashiell has served for years as a board trustee of the Maryland Historical Society.
In his Spy interview, Russell talks about the complexity of the Eastern Shore's participation in the Civil War, the families and regional divisions as highlighted by local newspapers at the time, and how the institution of slavery had very little impact on the Delmarva's young men to enlist.
St. Michaels, MD, 2014 [The Town that Fooled the British]
Please view in 1080 HD
On location at St Michaels, MD. This historic colonaial village established in 1677 and after the war of 1812 became known as the town that fooled the British. Named after the Archangel Saint Michael, the charm of St Michaels lies in the careful restoration and preservation of the town by citizens are quite proud of their heritage!
Runaway by The Moto-Gators is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Mid-Shore Profiles: Ron Liebman, Spiro Agnew, and Rachel Maddow's Bag Man
Given the legal discussions now taking place over the Bay Bridge in Washington, it is easy for those of a certain age to have flashbacks to the early 1970s as the drama of Watergate began to unfold, and the future of another sitting president was in doubt. But for many in Maryland, it was the fall of Richard Nixon's vice president, and the former governor, Spiro Agnew, come to mind as law experts once again ponder if a sitting president(or vice president) prosecutorial immunity from felony charges while in office.
In the case of Agnew, local Baltimore prosecutors, under the leadership of Republican state attorney George Beall, had overwhelming evidence that the sitting vice president had a decade or more of taking bribes, including the acceptance of tens of thousands in cash while in his White House office. The question was not only whether they could indict him, but could they do so in time before Nixon was thrown out of office opening the door for an Agnew presidency.
It just so happens that one of the local Baltimore prosecutors in the center of this remarkable storm is Talbot County's, Ron Liebman. The fact surfaced recently when Ron and his two other colleagues were the stars of the highly acclaimed BagMan podcast by MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that turns the Agnew case into a first-class legal thriller.
After retiring as a partner from Patton Boggs, he and his wife, artist Simma Liebman, moved to Easton to begin what has been an extraordinarily successful second career as a legal mystery writer himself, with his fifth book, Big Law: A Novel recently published by Penguin.
The Spy caught up with Ron at the Bullitt House this week to talk about this surreal moment in American history.
Parents in Easton, Havre de Grace concerned over clown-related threats
Clown-related threats against students have parents in Havre de Grace and Easton concerned.
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Mid-Shore Lives: Richard Tilghman
Richard Tilghman, who with his wife Beverly lives at and manages Wye House, is an accomplished community leader. He is the 12th generation of family members to do so.
He currently chairs the board of governors of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) as it embarks on a capital fundraising campaign. He has served on several other local non-profit boards in Talbot County and Baltimore, often in leadership roles.
Richard and Beverly, along with Richard’s late mother, Mary, are intent on serving and improving our community. They do so without seeking or claiming credit. They feel an obligation to participate in the county’s civic activities and do so, enthusiastically, adeptly and generously.
Wye House is one of the most historic homes and properties in Talbot County. The upkeep and preservation demand loving care and attention. Descendants of Edwin Lloyd, who settled the property in the 1650s, continue to preserve the Tunis Mills home built in 1787.
Like his mother, Richard can recite the history of Wye House, down to minute building details. It’s fascinating to hear about a home so important to local and state history.