As a port town it was said to have one of the safest ports in the region. The town has had a unique past with a changing economy over the years. From shipbuilding, to canning of fruit and vegetables and metal fabrication, Cambridge has changed with the times.

The town has been the home to four of Maryland’s governors. Civil War governor Thomas Hicks was a Cambridge native. It was due to Hicks’s efforts that Maryland remained a Union State during the war.

Annie Oakley, the female sharpshooter of “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” fame, lived in Cambridge from 1912 until 1917. The house that she built was supposed to be the retirement home for her and her husband Frank Butler. Butler liked the hunting potential of the area. This house is the only surviving primary residence of Oakley.

In parts of the 1920′s, 30′s, 40′s and into the 50′s Cambridge fielded teams in the Eastern Shore Baseball League. The first incarnation lasted from 1922 to mid-1928 (disbanded in July), the second from 1937-41, and the third from 1946-49. Many major league baseball players played some of the games in their career in this league including Frank “Home Run” Baker, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Bill “Swish” Nicholson, Mickey Vernon, and Don Zimmer.

Times are changing in the city. During the 1960′s the city was in the center of Civil Rights protests. In 1967 race-related violence erupted in the city which needed the national Guard called in to ease tensions. In 2008 the city elected their first African-American Mayor, Victoria Jackson-Stanley.

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This was originally published in 2008 at 6 Things To Consider – 6ThingstoConsider.com.

In 1663 the shire was split into two counties with the northern county assuming the original Accomac name. The county was abolished in 1670 only to be reestablished in 1671. It wasn’t until 1940 that the “k” was officially added to the spelling of the county’s name.

The very first Sheriff in what is now called the United States was William Stone, who was appointed to serve Accomack County in 1634.

Accomac is the county seat of Accomack County. In 1693 the Accomack County courthouse was moved from Onancock to a site at Matomkin. The town was established in 1786 with the name Drummond. In 1893 the town was renamed Accomac. Even today some locals will still refer to the town as Drummond.

Many of the incorporated towns of the Virginia Eastern Shore had their origins because of the railroad. Bloxom, Belle Haven, Hallwood, Keller, Melfa, Painter and Parksley are a few of those towns. Parksley is the home of th Eastern Shore Railroad Museum and in many ways the town still has the character of an 1880′s railroad town.

With as much shore line as Virginia’s Eastern Shore has, there is also a history of life on the water for Accomack County. Chincoteague is a family resort island town that is famous for the Chincoteague ponies. Each year the Volunteer Fire Company auction Wild Ponies from Assateague Island as part of their annual fundraising as well as holding an annual carnival.

The engagement began on August 30th and by September 3rd the British and Hessian troops under Generals Cornwallis, Howe, and Knyphausen had driven the colonial back to Cooch Bridge. The colonials handpicked a regiment of 100 marksmen under General William Maxwell and laid an ambush. Although they were repelling the advancement of the British and Hessian, they ran out of ammunition and were forced to retreat.

A few weeks later the Colonials would lose at the Battle of Brandywine and Philadelphia would be captured, but not before the congress moved out of the city.

Although there is not direct historical evidence there is a claim that it was during this battle that the new flag, the stars and stripes, was first used.

There is a marker at 39° 38′ 23.46″ N, 75° 44′ 12.15″ W. at the intersection of Old Baltimore Pike and Old Cooches Bridge Road.

And another at 39° 38′ 27.71″ N, 75° 43′ 56.45″ W at the intersection of Dayetts Mill Road and Old Baltimore Pike.

From its beginnings Bethany Beach has strived to be a family resort community. Because of this it has become one of Delaware’s finest coastal communities. From the early days when the journey to the town was by rail, water and wagon, and continuing with present day’s highway traffic, the visitors well as seasonal residents and retirees have had an urban background.

Dewey Beach was incorporated in 1981 and may be one of the last municipalities incorporated by the State of Delaware but Dewey Beach’s culture spans more than a century. A U.S Life-Savings Station (141) was built in 1879 with a small community built around it. In 1915 the Life Savings Service was renamed the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Rehoboth by the Sea Development Company developed what is now north Dewey Beach beginning in 1855. Then beginning in 1915, Morgan T. Gum developed the southern part of the area basing it on the same grid system as the northern development. At this time the town was named in the honor of Admiral George Dewey.

Reboboth Beach has always been a place where people go to enjoy the cool beach breezes. The Native Americans often traveled there and both the English and Dutch settlers put down roots in the area. In 1873 after visiting a New Jersey church camp, Wilmington’s St Paul’s M.E. Church reverend Robert W. Todd pursued an idea of starting a similar camp on the Delaware cost. The Rehoboth Camp Association formed and purchased 414 acres from area farmers.

With the coming of the railroad and later a paved road, the area became a place where many people traveled to vacation. Many of them were associated with the politics in Washington. Because of this, it was known as the ‘Nation’s Summer Home’.

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Originally Published at 6 Things To Consider – 6ThingsToConsider.com

The county takes her name from Lady Caroline Eden. Lady Eden was the wife of Maryland’s last colonial governor, Robert Eden as well as the daughter of Charles Calvert, Fifth Lord Baltimore, and the sister of Frederick Calvert, Sixth Lord Baltimore.

There are ten municipalities in Caroline with its county seat, Denton, being the first to incorporate in 1802. It was followed by Federalsburg in 1823, Greensboro in 1826, Hillsboro in 1853, Templesville in 1865, Preston in 1892, Ridgely in 1896, Goldsboro in 1906, Marydel in 1929, and Henderson in1949. Portions of Templeville is also located in Queen Anne’s County.

Denton is the county seat of Caroline County. The name Denton is a shorten version of Edenton, which was the original name of the town. It was called Edenton named after Robert Eden. The Museum of Rural Life, which tells about life on a farm, is located in the town.

Caroline County is one of the few counties in the United States that for 300 years existed with no other industry other than through market agriculture. Market agriculture is when farmers grow crops for sale to external markets.

With villages by the name of Harmony, Friendship and American Corner, it’s obvious that the county abounds with charm. It is also one of natural beauty with over five thousand acres of parkland and wildlife preserves. There are miles of trails for hiking, cycling and even canoeing. For those who game is a little gentler there are also golf courses to enjoy the outdoor life within the county.

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Originally Published at 6 Things to Consider – 6ThingsToConsider.com

The fair began with a meeting of men in 1919 who were interested in starting an event for “promoting and encouraging agriculture”. It was incorporated as the Kent/Sussex Fair in January 1920. After 30 acres were purchased a month later it was all go for the first fair that opened on July 27, 1920.

The fair has grown over its 90+ year history to include New Castle County becoming the Delaware State Fair in 1962.

One highlight of the fair is their concerts with a a number of famous acts performing each year. Acts in 2010 include Brad Paisley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rodney Atkins, Jason Aldean and the Beach Boys.

It may seem as if the Delaware State Fair, which expects to see 300,000 attendees, is a place for entertainment. The fairgrounds includes a large carnival area as well as the Harrington Raceway and Casino for adult entertainment. But its roots were in agriculture and those roots are still there with the Delaware 4-H showcasing their accomplishments.

The City of Harrington was named for Samuel M. Harrington, President of the Delaware Railroad in 1859, although the town was a settlement as early as 1730. The Clark family had established an inn, tavern and a store in the area and was known as Clark’s Corner. Even though it was a hub of activity, it wasn’t until the arrival of the railroad that the town grew and became a key transportation hub of the area.

delawarestatefair.com

In 1789 a store was established there around a bridge that was used for traffic crossing the land. As would occurred many times during the 18th and 19th centuries a small village developed around the store.

As the town grew it became a commerce point. First known as Northwest Fork Bridge, or simply as the The Bridge in 1813 it would take its current name.

There was a strong Federalist presence on the Peninsula and in 1812 from far and wide Federalist came to the town for a meeting. The town’s leadership was so impressed with the enthusiasm of what was a dying party they renamed the town Federalsburg.

The town grew as a port town first using the creek/river to move commerce from the area to other points and by the mid-19th century as a railroad town. In 1868 the Pennsylvania Railroad opened a station becoming a point of commerce to northern markets in cities such as Philadelphia and New York. Federalsburg is the current home of the corporate offices of the Maryland and Delaware Railroad.

The town was incorporated in 1823 and is one of the earliest incorporated towns in Caroline County. Only the county seat, Denton incorporated in 1802, is older. With a population of around 2700 people within the city limits making it another of the friendly comfortable towns of Delmarva.

In 1681 Daniel Jenifer developed a grid plan for the Eastern Shore’s official port-of-entry. The creek was a link to transportation, trade and communications in the early days of the town.

A courthouse was built and placed in service until 1693 when it was moved to Accomac, its present location.

During the two centuries where the waterways were the prime pathways of transportation the town square served as the mainstream of life for the town. It was one of the major stops for passenger and freight steamboats in the late 19th century.

The railroad was two miles from the town and with it was the beginning of a slow decline as a port. Steamships continued passenger and freight service into the 1930s.

The town is still small and it’s an easy walk to most parts of the town. Onancock is the second largest community on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and three centuries after its founding the remodeled old wharf is still in use with daily ferry trips between there and Tangier Island in the summer.

The Virginia House of Burgesses on May 15, 1776 resolved that “the delegates appointed to represent this colony in General Congress” be instructed to propose to that respectable body to declare the united Colonies free and independent states.”

Lee presented on June 6, 1776 to the Continental Congress a resolution that read;

Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.

That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.

Debate began on the resolution, but it was decided to wait for three week so that the delegates could send the resolution to their home colonies and receive direction on voting. It also appeared to those present that the resolution would pass and that there needed to be a suitable declaration for the resolution.

On June 11, 1776 a committee, consisting of John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut, was formed. They were known as the Committee of Five.

The committee delegated that Jefferson would write the draft. Jefferson and the committee worked on it from June 12 until June 27. Franklin and Adams made several minor corrections and the entire committee made additional changes and additions, a total of forty-seven alterations including the insertion of three complete paragraphs from Jefferson’s original draft. Jefferson then produced another copy incorporating these changes and the committee presented this copy to the Continental Congress on Friday June 28, 1776.

On Monday July 1st, congress started debate on the Lee Resolution. A final vote was taken the next day, July 2nd. It was passed even though South Carolina still wasn’t in favor of independence, but Edward Rutledge, who opposed independence and had many motions to delay the vote, convinced the delegation that for the sake of unanimity, they should vote in favor. The New York delegation abstained, since they did not have instructions from their home government.

Delaware had three delegates representing the colony. The colony had just recently declared their independence not only from England but also from Pennsylvania with whom they shared a Royal Governor. Thomas McKean, who was on the side of independence, sent a dispatch to Caesar Rodney, the third delegate, who was seeing to the command of his Militia unit near his home in Dover.

Rodney received the dispatch on July 1st, the day before the vote would be taken. He quickly mounted his horse and began the 80 miles trip to Philadelphia. He rode throughout the night. While he rode he encountered a severe thunderstorm. He continued to ride through the rain that turned the road to mud. It was shortly after the delegates returned to the Congress after their lunch break that he arrived, just before the final vote was taken. When Delaware was called he rose and voted in favor of Independence.

In a letter that John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3 he said;

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.

Finally at a little after 11 o’clock on Thursday morning July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved. This was after many hours of debate during the two days leading to the vote. There were thirty-nine revisions to the committee’s draft, including the deletion of language that denounced King George III for promoting the slave trade. John Hancock, as President of Congress, and Charles Thompson, Secretary of Congress signed the document. Again the New York delegation abstained from the vote, but did approve the Declaration five days later.

It wasn’t until July 19th that congress ordered that the Declaration to be officially inscribed and signed by its members. Congressional delegates began to sign the officially inscribed copy on August 2. It was even signed by some members who had not voted for its adoption and some who was not even present at Congress when the vote was cast.

In Maryland, only Md Route 2, (on the western shore) which runs from Solomons Island to Baltimore City at 79.24 miles is longer.

It is the major road of Caroline County running through three of it’s most populated town including the County Seat of Denton.

There are a few points along its path that it combines with other routes, One of those is near Denton where MD 404, MD 16 and MD 313 are the same road.

At the town of Galena it meets at the major intersection and red light of the town. Two other MD routes meet at this location, those are MD 213 and MD 290.

In fact when you past through the light in Galena MD 313 ends, even though you are going straight through the light, continuing MD 213 to Elkton.