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July 12, 2025

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

7 Ed Notes

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Scholarship Available

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The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum is pleased to announce the availability of their academic scholarship application for 2024.  The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a deserving Talbot County high school senior who graduated from the Tilghman Elementary School, or is living in the Tilghman Elementary School District, and has been accepted as a fulltime student at an accredited technical school or a 2-year or 4-year college.

Applications for the scholarship are available from Talbot County High School Guidance Counselors at St. Michaels Middle High and Easton High. Students who wish to be considered must send an application and supporting documentation to the attention of the TWM Scholarship Committee, PO Box 344, Tilghman, MD 21671.

Applications must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2024.

The recipient will be announced in May 2024. Please contact The TWM Scholarship Committee Chair by phone at 410-215-1575 or email at [email protected] with any questions regarding the application process.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Speaker Series: Joe Walsh

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Tilghman, MD, February 9, 2024

On Saturday, March 23, the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Speaker Series will host Joe Walsh at the Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Department, 5979 Tilghman Island Road. Joe will speak about his father, Dr. Harry M. Walsh, and his book The Outlaw Gunner, which has recently been republished.

Dr. Harry M. Walsh was a beloved physician in Easton for nearly 30 years. He grew up poor in Kent County, hunting, fishing, and trapping to feed his family. He was a friend to waterman, farmers, and many of the old Market Gunners he had come to know as a young man.  As the years went by, he noticed a huge decline in the health of the Chesapeake Bay and in the number of large flocks of waterfowl. To help preserve and protect the wildlife of the Eastern Shore, Dr. Walsh joined with a group of other enthusiasts to create the first Waterfowl Festival in 1971 in Easton. Dr. Walsh also donated most of his huge collection of waterfowling artifacts to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Doors will open at 12:30 PM to view some of these historical artifacts.

Speaker presentation by Joe Walsh will begin at 1:00 PM.

Copies of The Outlaw Gunner will be for sale for $25.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Speaker Series: Maegan White

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On Saturday, January 13th, 2024, at 1:00 PM, the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Speaker Series will host Maegan White from ShoreRivers. Maegan will speak about restoring the waterways on the Eastern Shore. 

ShoreRivers is a local non-profit committed to protecting and restoring the waterways of the Eastern Shore through science-based advocacy, restoration, outreach, and education. As part of this work, ShoreRivers is actively engaged in the restoration and protection of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) through monitoring, harvesting, processing, and planting several underwater grass species across our watershed. Thanks to newly developed technology, ShoreRivers is able to process millions of seeds each summer to plant back in local rivers. These SAV beds provide essential habitat for waterfowl, crabs, and fish, while also improving water quality and climate resilience in the Chesapeake Bay.

Maegan White was born and raised in South Carolina and grew up exploring in the mountains and lakes of the upstate. She moved to the Eastern Shore to attend college at Washington College in Chestertown. She graduated in May of 2023 with a degree in Political Science and Environmental Science. She now serves as ShoreRivers Community Engagement Coordinator. In her position, she coordinates ShoreRivers volunteer programs, connects with community members and community based organizations,  and she works closely with the RiverKeepers on aquatic restoration. Maegan started at ShoreRivers as an intern in May 2022 and joined the staff full time in May 2023. 

The event will be held at the Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Department, 5979 Tilghman Island Road. 

Admission to the event is free, but donations are accepted.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Holiday Display Schedule

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The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum, located at 6031 Tilghman Island Road, will open its doors for three weekends in December for its annual Christmas display from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM:

  • December 2nd and 3rd
  • December 9th and 10th
  • December 16th and 17th 

Indoors, the museum features many decorated Christmas trees, a model railroad and village display, and a new Dickens Christmas display. Outdoors, there’s a new exhibit on the Talbot Watermen’s Crab Pot Tree.

Our 2023 Christman ornament featuring the “old Tilghman bridge” will be available for sale, along with hats, shirts, mugs, and the 2024 calendar. 

Bring your family, especially the kids, do some Christmas shopping, and enjoy the festive displays. Admission to the museum is free; donations are accepted.

For more information contact the museum at [email protected].

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Announces 2024 Calendar

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The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum 2024 calendar is here! It features pictures taken by local residents of life on Tilghman Island throughout the year, ranging from island dogs to rainbows to decorated boatsThe TWM 2023 Christmas ornament is also available. This year’s ornament features the “old” drawbridge over Knapps Narrows, which is #20001 in Maryland’s bridge numbering system. The “heel trunnion bridge with a counterweight” was built in 1934 and used until 1998. It now spans the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. 

The 2024 calendar may be purchased for $15.00, and the ornament is available for $25.00. Both prices include tax. They are available at the Museum, located in the Lee House at 6031 Tilghman Island Road, Two if by Sea restaurant, 2 Vintage Chics Boutique, and Fairbank Tackle. Online purchases can be made by visiting the museum website: www.tilghmanmuseum.org, or by email: [email protected]. Phone orders will be taken at 410-886-1025.

The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum is in their fifteenth year of celebrating, documenting, preserving and sharing the history, traditions, heritage and culture of Tilghman Island. The museum is open on weekends from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Off-hour tours are available by calling 410-886-1025. For additional information, contact us by email: [email protected] or visit our website: www.tilghmanmuseum.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Reveals 2023 Christmas Ornament

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The 2023 Christmas Ornament commissioned by the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum is now available for purchase.  The 9th ornament in their unique collection relating to Tilghman history features the “old” drawbridge over Knapps Narrows. 

The drawbridge was constructed in 1934 and was Maryland’s only overhead counterweight bascule span. It was used from 1935 – 1998, and it was opened approximately 12,000 times each year. When it needed to be replaced, it was moved to the campus of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, where it now spans the entrance.

The 2023 ornament may be purchased for $25.00, which includes tax. They are available at the Museum, located in the Lee House at 6031 Tilghman Island Road, Two if by Sea restaurant, 2 Vintage Chics Boutique, and Fairbank Tackle. Online purchases can be made by visiting the museum website: www.tilghmanmuseum.org, or by email: [email protected]. Phone orders will be taken at 410-886-1025.

The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum is in their fifteenth year of celebrating, documenting, preserving and sharing the history, traditions, heritage and culture of Tilghman Island. The museum is open on weekends from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM from late April until November. Off-hour tours are available by calling 410-886-1025. For additional information, contact us by email: [email protected] or visit our website: www.tilghmanmuseum.org. 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Opens New Exhibit

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The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum will open for the season on Saturday, May 13. The museum will be open on weekends from 10 am – 3 pm, and also by appointment by calling 410-886-2930.

The museum is honored to have as its new main exhibit the George S. Webb collection of art featuring Tilghman watermen. The collection includes portraits by Nancy Tankersley, an award-winning artist, of six watermen including Johnny Kinnamon, Willie Roe, Stanley Larrimore, Wade Murphy, and Maynard Lowery, along with a portrait of and paintings by Bill Cummings, a waterman and a self-taught artist.

Portraits of Johnny Kinnamon and Stanley Larrimore by Nancy Tankersley

We are grateful to the Webb family for their donation of this collection to the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum in honor of George S. Webb.

Admission to the museum is free; donations are accepted.

For more information contact the museum at [email protected].

The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum celebrates, documents, preserves, and shares the history, traditions, heritage, and culture of Tilghman Island.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Celebrates the Return of Splendor

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The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum celebrates the return of Splendor after a three-year hiatus. This fundraising event supports the Museum’s vision of preserving and sharing the history, traditions, heritage, and culture of Tilghman Island.

The event will take place on Saturday, April 22, 2023, from 5 to 8 PM at the Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Hall at 5979 Tilghman Island Road. This popular event has a reputation for Eastern Shore hospitality with a raw bar of oysters freshly shucked by local watermen, fine wines, craft beer, and hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants.

Live and silent auctions will be held, featuring:

  • Paintings, photographs, unique woodwork, jewelry, and other artwork
  • Chartered fishing trips and sunset cruises on the Chesapeake
  • Overnight packages and gift certificates to hotels and restaurants.

Tickets are $40 per person and are available at Two If By Sea café and Fairbank Tackle, or by contacting the Museum at [email protected].

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Speaker Series: When Claiborne Bridged the Chesapeake

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On Saturday, March 18, at 4:00 PM, the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Speaker Series will host Marty Bollinger at the Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Department, 5979 Tilghman Island Road. Marty will speak about when Claiborne bridged the Chesapeake – the history and legacy of the Claiborne ferries. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

This lecture will describe the history of the multiple Claiborne ferries: how they came to be, how local politicians used their statewide leadership positions to solidify Claiborne’s role, and how the ferry lines were shaped by and eventually made obsolete by technical revolutions in ground transport. It will also show that evidence of Claiborne’s days as a major ferry and rail hub can still be found all around us.

Marty Bollinger is a retired management consultant and amateur historian who now resides in Claiborne. He has interest in naval and maritime history and has published three books and several articles on the subject. He currently serves as the Vice President and a Director of the Naval Historical Foundation, works as an Adjunct Executive Lecturer at the University of Virginia, and participates as an active volunteer with the ShoreRivers organization.

Committed to celebrating, documenting, preserving, and sharing the history, traditions, heritage, and culture of Tilghman’s Island, the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum hosts an exceptional collection of local artists such as Bill Cummings, Colleen Sadler, Marc Castelli, and Nancy Tankersley. The museum contains a treasure trove of artifacts, oral histories, and boat models.

Located in the Lee House at 6031 Tilghman Island Road, the museum is currently closed for the winter. For additional information, contact us by email: [email protected] or visit our website: www.tilghmanmuseum.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Scholarship Available

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The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum is pleased to announce the availability of their academic scholarship application for 2023.

The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a deserving Talbot County high school senior who:

  • Graduated from Tilghman Elementary School
  • Lives in the Talbot County School District
  • Has been accepted at an accredited technical school or a 2-year or 4-year college.

Applications for the scholarship are available from Talbot County High School Guidance Offices.

Students who wish to be considered must complete the application and send supporting documentation to the attention of the TWM Scholarship Committee, PO Box 344, Tilghman, MD, 21671 postmarked no later than April 1, 2023. The recipient will be announced in mid-May.

Please contact the TWM Scholarship Committee Chair at [email protected] with any questions regarding the application process.

The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum is dedicated to the vision of celebrating, documenting, preserving, and sharing the history, traditions, heritage, and culture of Tilghman Island.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.