An Easy Ride through History... Eastern Shore Style
By Ann Abeles
“Hey, Fred! Why is that cannon by the side of the bridge?” I called while pedaling across the road to stop at an historical marker and mounted cannon.
Only a few miles into our ride from Taylor’s Island, I’m already stopped and reading an historical marker about a cannon that the locals captured from a British Tender during the War of 1812.
They named the cannon “Becky Phipps” by combining the names of the commander of the Tender, Lieutenant Phibbs, and Becky, a black woman who had been captured by the British to serve as a cook on the tender. After reading about the cannon and the last battle of the War of 1812 fought in the Chesapeake Bay, I commented that today’s ride in Dorchester County was going to be pretty interesting, even if we didn’t get very far into my planned 50+ mile ride.
The Eastern Shore counties of Maryland were some of the first areas settled by English colonists in the 1600s. These colonists moved into a land where the Native Americans had dwelt for centuries to enjoy the mild climate, plentiful wildlife and rich supplies of seafood. The ensuing centuries witnessed many conflicts and changes as Western societies took over the region and in turn, struggled with more changes.
Dorchester County in Maryland encompasses an area that has undergone all of this and is still changing, both geographically and biologically. The county is flat and many of the roads have wide shoulders, or are little traveled, making it an ideal region to explore by bicycle.
For more, click on picture of "Current Issue," top left....................................................
Team In Training
Cyclists members of Team in Training of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society are training locally for upcoming rides in Tucson, Arizona and the SeaGull Century in Salisbury, Md., this October. This group did the "covered bridges" ride in northern Maryland recently. For details on how to get involved contact Ben Clausen of TNT at ben.clausen@lls.org.