Maryland's Charles Town, 1742 and Beyond

Book excerpt: While a freshman attending Loyola High School, my mother, who was then a Professor at Towson University grounded me for a "minor" transgression, to be paroled only after I had finished reading the Novel "Chesapeake" by James A. Mitchner (Random House, 1978). I was immediately and magically transported to Maryland's Eastern Shore (yes always was a capital "E" and a capital "S"), circa 1650. The novel richly illustrates the lives and relationships between the family of the Susquehannock Indian, Pentaquod, who fled his war-like northern tribe for more peaceful times down the Susquehanna River and into the Chesapeake Bay and the Roman Catholic Steed family, the Quaker Paxton family, and the waterman Turlock family. This novel instilled in me a love of history that has been reflected in my legal career and in my several collecting interests. Moreover, Mitchner's novel allowed me to understand from where I came and how my family got to where they are today. In the summer of 1979, I was certainly not aware that I was descended from the Piscataway Indian Princess Kittamaquund and those earliest of Maryland families who arrived at St. Clement's on the Arc and Dove in 1634. I firmly believe that my personality and character are much in line with the native people of Maryland's Eastern Shore, as much as the Steeds, Paxtons and Turlock families. And although unfortunately Maryland Society is not quite as refined as it was before the War Between the States, I am still proud to be a Marylander. In this book about Charles Town in Cecil County, I present my attempt to add to the history of the Chesapeake Bay, certainly not to the extent that Mr. Mitchner accomplished, but rather in my own way of helping to preserve its history through the wonderful art of decoy carving. I hope you enjoy viewing this book as much as I loved producing it. My next project, entitled The Maryland Line, a Pictural History of Images and Artifacts, will be available soon.