TALBOT COUNTY, MARYLAND

HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY

1661/62, Feb. 18. Talbot County known to have been established by this date, when a writ was issued to county sheriff.

1662. Court held in homes of County justices.

1682. Quakers began building Third Haven Meeting House (completed 1684), Talbot County.

1682. Grist mill erected at Wye Mills.

1683, Nov. 20. Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, believed to be the oldest privately owned ferry service in America, started on Tred Avon River.

1685. Courthouse in York completed.

1706. Queen Anne's County formed from northern Talbot County and southern Kent County.

1710. Talbot Courthouse (later East Town or Easton) established.

1712, June. First Courthouse completed at Easton.

1732, Nov. 2. John Dickinson (1732-1808), Delaware Signer of U.S. Constitution, born at "Croisadore" near Trappe.

1744, Dec. 25. Tench Tilghman (1744-1786), Aide-de-Camp to Gen. George Washington, born at Fausley near Easton.

1755. Charity Working School established in Talbot County by Rev. Thomas Bacon (c.1700-1768) to educate children without regard to race, sex, or status.

1774, May 24. "Talbot Resolves" at Easton in support of Boston.

1774-1776. Matthew Tilghman (1718-1790), of Talbot County chaired Maryland Provincial Conventions.

1776, Sept. 16. Eastern Shore Flying Camp Battalion fought under Colonel William Richardson at Battle of Harlem Heights.

1778, July 13. Samuel Stevens, Jr. (1778-1860), Governor of Maryland, 1822-26, born at Trappe.

1779, July 22. Edward Lloyd (1779-1834), Governor of Maryland, 1809-11, born at “Wye House”, near Easton.

c.1780. Daniel Martin (1780-1831), Governor of Maryland, 1829-30, 1831, born near Easton.

1783, June 17. Freemasons from five Eastern Shore Lodges, meeting at Talbot Court House, discussed formation of Grand Lodge of Maryland.

1783, July 31. Freemasons, again meeting at Talbot Court House, confirmed resolution to form Grand Lodge of Maryland and elected John Coats as first Grand Master.

1787, April 17. Grand Lodge of Maryland held first meeting in Easton.

1790. Easton incorporated.

1790, May 11. Easton Maryland Herald, and Eastern Shore Intelligencer, first newspaper on Eastern Shore, published by James Cowan.

[photo, Talbot County Courthouse, 11 North Washington St., Easton, Maryland] 1794, June. Second Courthouse completed at Easton.

1804. St. Michaels incorporated.

1810, Sept. 12. Philip Francis Thomas (1810-1890), Governor of Maryland, 1848-51, born in Easton.

1813, Aug. 10. Gen. Perry Benson and local militia defended St. Michaels from British attack.

Talbot County Courthouse, 11 North Washington St., Easton, Maryland, February 2005. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

[photo, Frederick Douglass statue, Holmes Hall, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland] 1813, Aug. 26. British attacked St. Michaels again.

1818, Feb. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) born at Tuckahoe Creek, Talbot County.

1827. Trappe incorporated.

1838. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) escaped from slavery in Baltimore.

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) statue (1956), by James E. Lewis, Holmes Hall, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, August 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Douglass was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in Talbot County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, February 1818. Although enslaved, he escaped north and became an abolitionist and champion of universal suffrage.

1845. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) published Narrative of his life in slavery.

1852. Oxford incorporated.

1853. Queen Anne incorporated.

1860, Dec. 12-1861, Jan. 14. Philip Francis Thomas (1810-1890) of Talbot County served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

1886, March 13. Frank (Home Run) Baker (1886-1963), American League Baseball Hall of Famer, born in Trappe.

1907. Memorial Hospital (now University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton) founded at Easton.

1926, Nov. 13. Harry R. Hughes, Governor of Maryland, 1979-87, born in Easton.

1943. Easton Airport originally constructed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

1958. Courthouse at Easton remodeled.

1962, Jan. 6. Freedom Ride from Baltimore to Easton organized by Baltimore Civic Interest Group.

2004, March 2. Electronic voting system used during primary elections at polling places and for absentee ballots in all counties and Baltimore City.

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