Finding clues from the past that give us a glimpse into the places and lives of Marylanders who came before us
A century ago, Maryland was going through a severe cold snap. Sound familiar? Because of the weather conditions in Oxford (Talbot County), it only took one afternoon for the Tred Avon River to freeze, a feat that typically takes several nights, according to a 1918 Baltimore Sun article. The frozen river provided many opportunities for... Continue Reading →
In January 1916, Easton Jail inmate Amos Camper was taken to the Emergency Hospital for an operation. A few days later, Camper decided it was time to make a break for it. But how? The sheriff had taken Camper’s clothes back to the jail. Camper wasn’t going to let a lack of clothes stop him... Continue Reading →
In the spring and summer of 1883, happenings from around the state included two accidents and a “devilish” act of animal cruelty: ‘Not a Suicidal Leap’ The June 2, 1883 Denton Journal reported that Miss Bertha Gebhardt did not commit suicide “by leaping from her bed room window” in Baltimore; instead, she fell out the... Continue Reading →
From quirky ads to strange hobbies to thoughts on the importance of beauty, vignettes from Easton:
In January 1900, a years-long reign of terror by a menacing creature finally came to an end, thanks to a man named, fittingly, Slaughter. Farmers and dogs alike who lived near the mouth of the Tuckahoe Creek on the Eastern Shore were terrorized by “a large and fierce wild hog, with gleaming and dangerous-looking tusks three... Continue Reading →
Like the other businessmen and merchants of their time, dentists advertised their services in newspapers to gain new business. Dentist T.J. Smithers informed his patients and the general public that he was back in his South Washington Street office in Easton in the pages of September 30, 1890 issue of The Star-Democrat. Smithers offered a... Continue Reading →
Bygone Maryland 