The Tred Avon Yacht Club organized an afternoon race this weekend just off the Oxford shoreline. Three Shield Sailboats gave spectators a competitive race in light air.

Haven’t heard of a Shields….well, an online check reveals: In 1963 Cornelius Shields, one of the foremost proponents of one-design sailing in the U.S. conceived of a modern followup to the International One Design. The new boat would have the balance and beauty of the IOD while incorporating modern trends such as fiberglass construction. Shields commissioned Olin Stephens for the design. Over 250 have been built and many are actively raced in fleets around the U.S. Shields are sloop-rigged and usually sailed by a crew of three to five. No hiking straps are allowed, keeping athletic demands on the crew to a minimum.

Spy agent 7 just happened by to capture some of the action.

Summer is here! Can you identify anyone in this Talbot Historical Society Laird Wise Collection group of happy swimmers? The location is unknown but it may be Oxford, Maryland’s Tred Avon Yacht Club dock perhaps in the 1950’s or early 1960s?

Contact: Cathy Hill cvhill@atlanticbb.net to share your old photos. Comment, Like our page and join THS!

The Spy loves the Academy Art Museum’s annual Juneteenth celebration every year. It’s a time when the Talbot County community comes together to not only observe the historic end of slavery in the United States but reflect on shared values and the extraordinary history of our region.

This year, the Spy was impressed that the organizing committee sought out Carole Boston Weatherford is a keynote speaker. Weatherford, a New York Times best-selling author and poet, also is a direct descendant of the Moaney and Copper families of Unionville and Copperville in Talbot County.

In her noontime presentation, Weatherford reflects through poetry her ancestors lives at Wye House, the historic estate where Frederick Douglass was raised, and channels those relatives as she honors their lives.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about the Academy Art Museum please go here.

A few years ago, Patti Willis, the then president of the Rotary Club of Easton, described an experience that she predicted all her other Rotarian members would have, if they hadn’t already, which she labeled a “Rotarian Moment.”

This is when a Rotary member first recognizes the unique gift that comes with giving, or more precisely, when the act of their volunteerism, the primary goal of Rotary’s mission, produces a sense of contribution to one’s community never felt before. The Spy thought it would be beneficial to have members share these moments for the general public to understand more clearly the critical role the Rotary plays in the life of Easton and Talbot County.

We continue our series with Jack Anthony, a retired financial advisor, and his family’s long history with the Club.

This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about the Easton Rotary, please go here.

This Talbot Historical Society Collection photo is of an early 1900’s Washington Street Easton, Maryland parade celebrating either the end of World War I or the return of our troops from that war! So many interesting things to look at! Notice the strings of electric lights, statues, telephone poles and wires, uniformed men and of course the automobiles!

Contact: Cathy Hill cvhill@atlanticbb.net to share your old photos. Comment, Like our page and join THS!

That’s a lot of baseball players c. 1952 in Easton, Maryland! The photo is from the Laird Wise Collection at the Talbot Historical Society and was taken at the Easton Ball Park between Federal and Bay Streets! The Countryside in the background is now the Easton Bypass area! Love the local ads on the fences!

Contact: Cathy Hill cvhill@atlanticbb.net to share your old photos. Comment, Like our page and join THS!

From left: Chesapeake artist Marc Castelli, John C. NorthII, and CBMM Chief Curator Pete Lesher.

On Thursday, May 31, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum hosted a private reception to celebrate the launching of CBMM’s newly published book, Tradition, Speed and Grace: Chesapeake Bay Sailing Log Canoes, written by John C. North II, with images by Chesapeake artist Marc Castelli, among others. At the reception, CBMM Chief Curator Pete Lesher introduced North, who spoke about the challenges in the journey leading to his published work, while acknowledging his wife, Ethel, for her endless support and encouragement. The book is available at CBMM’s Museum Store, with 100% of the book’s proceeds benefiting the children and adults served by the non-profit museum. For more information, go to cbmm.org.

Easton’s Country School 8th grade graduation is today. The Country School was founded in 1934 and Mrs. Dorothy E. Startt was hired to teach the students using the Calvert system. Mrs. Startt became the headmistress and remained in that position until she retired in 1977. Facts: The Country School website. Pictured is Graduation Day June 2, 1958, Mrs. Startt and President of the Board Peter Thompson were giving a diploma to student Jocelyn Alford. Past President of the Board, Bus Wilford is seated to the left and the seated gentleman with the plaid tie is unidentified?

Photo from the Talbot Historical Society’s H. Robins Hollyday Collection. Contact: Cathy Hill cvhill@atlanticbb.net to share your old photos. Comment, Like our page and join THS!