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Nabb Center Finding Aid Portal

Items associated with name 'Somerset County (Md.)'

Americana Museum Video Documentary

by Hughes, Elizabeth (1992)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Americana Museum Video Documentary contains two interview transcriptions for the Americana Museum Video Documentary Project sponsored by the Somerset County, Maryland Arts Council. Gladys and Lawrence Burgess, of Marion Station, were interviewed by Elizabeth Hughes.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 1993.002
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Atlantic Oceans Estate History

by The Sinepuxent Beach Company (1891 – 1927)

7 folders (0.07 linear feet)

This collection contains numerous leases, deeds, conveyances, audits, and property maps of various Ocean and Coastal businesses and homes in Worcester and Somerset Counties from 1891-1927. Frequently named businesses and owners mentioned are The Sinepuxent Beach Company of Baltimore City, John F. Waggaman, The Ocean City Development Co., Frank P. Phelps, Clarence C. Kilby, William B. S. Powell, and the Interstate Realty Company.

Associated Subjects: Maps • Receipts
Identifier: 2006.159
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Atwood Barwick collection

by Barwick, Atwood (1897 – 2010)

6 boxes,  1 oversize folder (6.25 linear feet)

The Atwood Barwick Collection consists of historical and travel materials accumulated by Atwood Barwick, a transcript of judicial records by Atwood Barwick, and a notebook by Arthur O’Donnell, dating from 1897-2010. It contains brochures, booklets, postcards and ephemera from historic sites in the United States, and booklets, catalogs, extracts, magazines offering insight into historical tourism in the United States from 1924-1984. The collection also contains magazines, newspapers, a transcript of colonial judicial records of Somerset County, Maryland, and a notebook on the First World War by a student at New York University in 1918 offering insight into nautical and United States’ history from 1696-1995.

Associated Subjects: World War, 1914-1918 • Voyages and Travel
Identifier: 1997.012
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Aydelotte Family Association Bulletins

by Aydelotte Family Association (1931 – 1952)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Aydelotte Family Association Bulletins contains genealogical information on the Aydellotte family. Additionally, members collected facts and genealogical research articles from members of the family.

Associated Subjects: Aydelotte Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2009.121
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Bank of Somerset Collection

by Bank of Somerset (1917 – 1923)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Bank of Somerset Collection contains materials relating to the financial institution located in Princess Anne, Maryland. Included is a holiday greeting card, a Savings Book of Somerset County personal accounting book, pages from a ledger, checks, and tax receipts. All of these materials appear to have belonged to Lena M. Bennett.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2006.312
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Benjamin Marsh Diary

by Marsh, Benjamin F. (1841 – 1922)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Photocopied diary of Benjamin F. Marsh, (1841-1922), he was a native of Smith Island, Somerset County, Maryland. The diary documents Marsh's life on Smith Island along with national events from around 1900-1905. Transcribed by his daughters, Addie, Sadie and Sally.

Associated Subjects: Diaries • Diaries (Men)
Identifier: 2011.022
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Beth Jackson Cemetery collection

by Jackson, Beth (1900s)

4 folders (0.04 linear feet)

The Beth Jackson Cemetery Collection contains contains cemetery records from Somerset and Worcester County. The cemeteries mentioned include Cokesbury United Methodist Church, Worcester County, Maryland; Quinton Church Cemetery, Pitts Creek Baptist Church, Salem Methodist Episcopal Cemetery, St. Mary's Episcopal Cemetery, Pitts Creek Presbyterian Cemetery, First Baptist Church, Bethany United Methodist Church Beverly Manor, Fleming Mill Road, Milburn Landing State Park, Cemetery of Sheephouse Road, Goodwill M. E. Cemetery, Mack Ward Farm Cemetery, Somerset County, Md.

Associated Subjects: Cemeteries
Identifier: 1985.009
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Betty Murrell Collection

by Murrell, Betty (1550 – 1986)

4 folders (0.04 linear feet)

The genealogies of several families are explored in this collection including the Willey, Wallace, Hargrave, Kfoury, Medford, Manlove, Bailey and others. Within the collection, there are land deeds, wills of people who had died, coat of arms for families that originated in England, and baptism records. All these families are able to trace ancestors to Accomack County, Somerset County, and Dorchester County.

Identifier: 1986.002
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Boarding of the Dependent Poor essay

by Guest, Geoffrey (June 1988)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Boarding of the Dependent Poor essay contains one 1988 essay from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh Student Geoffrey Guest titled "The Boarding of the Dependent Poor in British Colonial America". The essay focuses mainly on Somerset County, Maryland from 1724-1759.

Associated Subjects: Literature
Identifier: 2009.313
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

C. Kay Larson papers

by Larson, C. Kay (2000 – 2015)

1 box (0.5 linear feet)

The papers of C. Kay Larson document her extensive research into the life and writings of Anna Ella Carroll and other important figures from the Civil War era including Maryland Governor Thomas H. Hicks from 2000-2003. Documenting materials include photocopies of articles and correspondence written by Carroll, as well as images and references to her family’s home, Kingston Hall, located in Somerset County, Maryland.

Identifier: 2015.056
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Caroline Gunby and Eleanor Gunby Watts papers

by Gunby, CarolineWatts, Eleanor Watts (1845 – 1999)

3 boxes (1.5 linear feet)

The Caroline Gunby and Eleanor Gunby Watts papers document the travels and fifty year teaching career of Caroline Gunby and the genealogical research of her niece, Eleanor Gunby Watts. The eclectic collection from Somerset County, Md. dates from 1845 to 1999, with the bulk from 1920 to 1956. It includes a doctor’s bill for the treatment of slaves in 1845, historical records from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Marion, Md., and Caroline Gunby’s cross-country travel diary from 1939.

Associated Subjects: Education • Genealogy • Religious History
Identifier: 2006.287
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: View Attachment

Carolyn A. Lowman collection

by Lowman, Carolyn A. (1994)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Carolyn A. Lowman collection contains two essays written by Carolyn A. Lowman. The first essay is titled "The Baltimore Riots of 1861" and was written December 2, 1994. The second essay is titled "The Establishment of the Church of England" and was written December 9, 1994. The second essay details Reverend John Huett's work in Somerset County, Md.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.234
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Cathell Family Collection

by Cathell Family (1772 – 1996)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Cathell Family Collection contains genealogical information on the Cathell family. Included within is a booklet titled "Records of The Cathell Family". The book contains in-depth genealogy with multiple family trees. There are also newspaper clippings and personal notes that helped establish the booklet.

Associated Subjects: Cathell Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2010.027
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Cemetery Headstone collection

by Unknown (circa 2007)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

The Cemetery Headstone collection contains 62 photographic slides depicting headstones from cemeteries in Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester Counties, Maryland. The graveyards include Street Graveyard, Whatcoat Methodist Church Cemetery, Joshua Johnson Family Graveyard and the Hammond Cemetery. Locations of each cemetery are listed within the collection.

Associated Subjects: Cemeteries
Identifier: 2007.066
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Chamberlin Family Papers

by Unknown (1919 – 1975)

4 folders (0.04 linear feet)

The Chamberlin Family papers contains information on the Chamberlin family. Included are photographs of members of the Chamberlin family, the birth announcement of Terrence Graham who was adopted by Bill and Terry Graham, and postcards to L. Waters Milbourne who lived in Baltimore, Maryland. Additionally, this collection contains a travel scrapbook from "Ralph, Bud, and Jim's" travels across the United States, the scrapbook includes photographs of Ocean City, Maryland. There is also various ephemera from Washington College, and ephemera from Ralph, Bud, and Jim's experiences while abroad. Additionally, there is a press announcement regarding Alexander Gray Jones's election to the Board of Washington College, a 1964-1965 directory to school officials and teachers of Somerset County, an invitation to the dedication of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and a pamphlet discussing the dedication.

Associated Subjects: Chamberlin Family
Identifier: 2006.280
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Charles Whayland Collection

by Unknown (1679 – 1936)

1 oversize box (1.25 linear feet)

The Charles Whayland Collection consists of land patents, indentures, surveys and plats, and other land records primarily related to land known as "Calcutta" from 1679 to 1936, many of which relate to Isaac Anderson. This Somerset County land was east of the Wicomico River near Upper Ferry road. Also included in the collection are two letters from 1862 and 1863 discussing shipping lumber to New York City and Alexandria and a 1929 Master's Certificate of Service of Sick or Injured Seamen.

Identifier: 1992.025
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Christ United Methodist Church collection

by Unknown (1935 – 1985)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Christ United Methodist Church collection contains two photos taken in the 1930s-1940s. The first photo is of the Smith family participating in a church picnic on Maddox Island in Somerset County, Maryland. The second photo is of the "Great House", the last house standing on nearby Fishing Island. According to the donor, the house was still standing in the 1950s. Additionally, this collection contains information on the history of Christ United Methodist Church.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 1995.044
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Church Registers, Somerset County, Md.

by Unknown (1876 – 1877)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Photocopied pages from church ledgers in the Fairmount area, including Fairmount M.E. Church and Union Church from 1876 to 1877. Listed in the ledgers are weekend school attendance, salaries and amounts received from collections.

Associated Subjects: Ledger • Religious History
Identifier: 2008.037b
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Cokesbury, Hollands, Williams and Curtis Church Records

by Phillips & Hunt (1881 – 1884)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains photocopies of church records relating to Cokesbury, Holland's, William's and Curtis Churches in Somerset and Worcester Counties from 1881-1894. These records include members, pastors, classes, marriages and baptisms.

Associated Subjects: Marriage Records • Religious History
Identifier: 1983.019
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Costons Station Postcard

by Unknown (circa 1910)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Costons Station Postcard contains a photograph of Costons Station in Somerset County, MD made into a postcard c.1910-12. The postcard is of a group of people on the front porch of the station.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2006.423
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Daniel Family Collection

by Unknown (1780 – 1977)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Daniel Family collection contains genealogical history of the Daniel family. The main focus is on Travis Daniel, Mary Wallace, and David Wallace, of Somerset County, Maryland in the mid 1800s. Along with a family history, there are wills and deeds for the three people mentioned.

Associated Subjects: Daniel Family • Genealogy • Land Records
Identifier: 1987.012
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Dashiell Family collection

by Clay, Anne Kennerly MorrisDashiell, John Jay (1865, 1990)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Dashiell Family collection contains a typed transcription of correspondence written by John Jay Dashiell of Tyaskin, Maryland in 1865 to his brother, Benjamin at the end of the Civil War. In addition, there is information about John Jay Dashiell farm at the head of Wetipquin Creek. Some of the information has been collected by Anne Morris Clay.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2012.004
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Deed of Land for James Brown

by Unknown (1846)

1 oversize folder (1.25 linear feet)

This indenture was recorded in 1846 and documents a deed of land for James Brown, a free African American of Somerset County, from Washington and Julia Melson of Talbot County. Part of the land came out of "Robertson's Swamp" and was near the San Domingo community.

Associated Subjects: African American History
Identifier: 2006.119
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Disharoon Family History Collection

by Unknown (1673 – 1923)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Disharoon Family History Collection is a genealogical collection detailing the Disharoon family. Within the collection are census information, newspaper articles about Disharoon family members, a legal will, and marriage information.The documents date back to Mary Disharoon, (1673- ) in Somerset County, Maryland.

Associated Subjects: Disharoon Family • Legal Records • Genealogy
Identifier: 1992.019
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

E.I. Brown Photograph Collection

by Brown, E.I. (circa 1890 – 1922)

3 boxes (1.25 linear feet)

G. Marshall "Bunny" Scott collected photographic material and lived on Beckwith Avenue in Princess Anne, Maryland. These 185 negatives and glass plate negatives, collected by Scott, represent a portion of the photographs taken by Euthadius Irving Brown between 1890 and 1922. Many of the photographs depict individuals and scenes around Princess Anne and Somerset County, Maryland, as well as Washington, D.C. and the University of Maryland. Also included is an instructional pamphlet for the dry plate development process.

Identifier: 2001.006
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Eastern Shore Counties collection

by Ellegood, Maria LouiseFenwick, Charles E.Hall, Elizabeth (1625 – 1967)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Eastern Shore Counties collection contains a copy of the "Eastern Shoreman" which highlights the start of the oyster season. Additionally, this collection contains a copy of the "Holly Leaf" from November 3, 1967, a sketch of the early history of Wicomico County written by Maria Louise Ellegood, a souvenir pamphlet from Crisfield that details some of the areas unknown history written by Elizabeth Hall, and a history of St. Mary's County written by Charles E. Fenwick.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.249
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Eldon Hayman Family History collection

by Davidson, ThomasWennersten, John R. (2000s)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

The Hayman Family history collection includes family history/lineage documentation, recollections from some of the family members, manuscripts, and newspaper clippings about the Hayman Family. In the family history collection, there is a typed page from 2003 that tells when the Hayman family came to America, and how the family line progressed throughout the years until present day. There are several census papers on a few family members, as well as a listing of family descendants. Accompanying those documents are two family photographs. One manuscript is entitled "A Cycle of Race Relations on Maryland's Eastern Shore: Somerset County 1850-1910" by John R. Wennersten of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. The other manuscript is "Free Black Landowners on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland 1783-1861" by Dr. Thomas E. Davidson from Salisbury State College. The newspaper clippings highlight the successful barber shop business some of the Hayman family descendants owned, as well as an article of Eldon Hayman's work life through his home office. Another article describes one of the Hayman's "sharp shooting" skills during a robbery. There are also a series of recollections from some of the Hayman family. One talks about life in Princess Anne County during the early to mid 1900's, another talks about the Armwood lynching of 1932, and finally, there are a few personal accounts from one family member about her youth and later career. The newspaper clippings and family history files have been moved to the family vertical files.

Identifier: 2012.105
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Elzey, Bailey, Wright families collection

by Unknown (1800s)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains photocopies of original business financial records, which were sold at auction from the 1800s, pertaining to the Elzey, Bailey and Wright families.

Associated Subjects: Bailey Family • Elzey Family • Wright Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2008.082
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Fairmount Academy collection

by Fairmount Academy (1853 – 1968)

4 folders (0.04 linear feet)

The Fairmount Academy collection contains unofficial records of students enrolled in Fairmount Academy from 1925 to 1968. The records have the names of the students, birth dates, tardies, absences, and academic information, as well as a class photograph. There are also papers of Frank Haynie, a local water-man, in this collection. Student records dating after 1945 are restricted and can only be viewed with special permission from Nabb Center staff.

Associated Subjects: Maritime
Identifier: 1984.029
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

First Public School Teachers in Somerset County

by Unknown (1870)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a table of the first public school teachers in Somerset County, MD dated 1870. The table separated the names by age and the county districts.

Associated Subjects: Education
Identifier: 2009.377
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Folklife Collection - Local Legends: Beverly Mansion of Somerset

by Salisbury University Students (1971 – 1972)

1 folder (0.1 linear feet)

In a series of interviews of local Eastern Shore residents during the years of 1970 to 1972, former Salisbury University students and professors collected folk legends. For this collection, these interviews focus on various stories of strange and mysterious events that occurred at Beverly, a old mansion in Somerset, Maryland. Stories include the hiding Napoleon during his exile, the drowning of a couple, and the keeping of slaves to name a few accounts. This collection also offers a brief history of the Mansion. Most interviews include personal descriptions of the interviewer and informant, and the story.

Identifier: FK69.095
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Folklife Collection - Local Legends: Place Names of Somerset County

by Salisbury University Students (1970 – 1973)

1 folder (0.1 linear feet)

In a series of interviews of local Eastern Shore residents during 1970 to 1973, former Salisbury University students and professors collected local legends. For this collection, all stories recorded share how a particular location in Somerset County, Maryland got its name or nickname. Most interviews include personal descriptions of the interviewer and informant, and the story.

Identifier: FK69.040
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Folklife Collection - Tombstones and Epitaths

by Salisbury University Students (1995)

1 folder (0.1 linear feet)

In 1995, former Salisbury University student Bonnie Stone collected folk material. Her collection explores tombstones and the writings on them in Somerset County, Maryland. Included are Stone's essay and black and white photographs.

Associated Subjects: Folklife - Death
Identifier: FK95.031
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Frederick L. Howard Collection

by Howard, Fredrick L. (1613 – 1911)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Frederick L. Howard Collection contains an essay written by Howard titled, "The Legacy of Revell's Neck." This essay, which won the Old Home Prize Essay contest in 1978, discusses the settling and founding of Revell's Neck in Somerset County, Maryland. It then discusses a brief history of the area and ends with birth and death dates of people who had lived there.

Associated Subjects: Death Records
Identifier: 1995.052
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment
Preview Image of Resource

Freedom Ainsworth papers

by Ainsworth, Freedom (1766 – 1999)

10 boxes,  4 oversize folders (21.75 linear feet)

The Freedom Ainsworth papers document the restoration and preservation efforts of three of the Manokin Historic District’s oldest structures Beckford Manor, Almodington and More And Case It (also known as Holly Hurst), located in Princess Anne, Md. The materials date from 1766-1767, 1803-1999 with the bulk of the material dating from the purchase and restoration of the three structures, 1967-1994. Restoration activities, as well as property histories, are documented via correspondence, detailed measurements and notes, architectural drawings, and photographs. Also documented through a series of ledgers are the accounting transactions of Henry Smith Lankford and H. Fillmore Lankford as well as various merchants from Somerset Count including Teackle Dennis and Teackle.

Identifier: 1999.008
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: View Attachment

Ghosts of Linden Hill Stories

by du Nord, Jeanne (2007)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains material by Jeanne Du Nord on the Ghosts of Linden Hill in the 1970s. The ghosts were the bereaved girl on the second step, little boy in the attic and Mrs. Robert A. Adams.

Associated Subjects: Folklife - History
Identifier: 2007.026
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Glances at Maryland Collection

by Scott, Marshall (1957)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This folder contains a school assignment by Marsha Scott entitled "Glances at Maryland" discussing her trip around the state of Maryland with her foreign exchange host parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cherry, in 1957. Counties discussed are Somerset, Wicomico, Dorchester, Talbot, Caroline, Queen Anne's, Kent, Cecil, Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.003
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Gloria Horner collection

by Horner, Gloria Waters (1600s)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Gloria Horner collection contains a Salisbury State College essay titled "Settlement of Somerset County", written by Gloria Waters Horner. The essay covers European settling within Somerset County in the 17th century. There are also a series of photographs of Waters family members.

Associated Subjects: Waters Family
Identifier: 1991.013
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Goldy and Norman Whittington papers

by Whittington, GoldyWhittington, Norman (1903 – 1942)

2 folders (0.2 linear feet)

The Goldy and Norman Whittington papers consist of Somerset County documents related to Goldy's participation in the Somerset Homemaker's Club from 1934 to 1936 and educational ephemera from Norman's youth in Marion.

Associated Subjects: Education
Identifier: 2018.052
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Graydon Wilson collection

by Unknown (1919 – 1931)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Graydon Wilson collection contains records on Graydon Wilson, 1919-1931. Included is an honorable discharge and an enlistment record from the United States Army, World War I. There is also a marriage record for Wilson.

Associated Subjects: World War, 1914-1918
Identifier: 2009.090
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Gunby Family papers

by Gunby FamilyHann, GeorgeHuffington, Clara Gunby (1854 – 2000)

11 boxes,  2 oversize boxes (10.25 linear feet)

The Gunby Family papers document the Gunby family lineage which began in Somerset County, Maryland in the late 17th century. Also documented are the activities of southern sympathizer Clara Gunby which occurred in Maryland and Virginia. The materials date from 1854 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1971 to 1994 when Mr. George Hann began to conduct research on the lineage of the Gunby family and associated family lines. Earlier records are included; however, they are photocopies of originals. Documenting records include Clara Gunby’s journal, family history lineage, and correspondence from George Hann to Gunby family members in the United States, Canada, England, and the South Pacific.

Identifier: 1995.012
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: View Attachment

Henderson Family History Collection

by Henderson Family (1710 – 1994)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

The Henderson Family History Collection contains genealogical information on the Henderson family. The genealogy details the family records by providing Henderson family members date of birth, marriage, and death. Some documents detail personal history of family members such as their occupations, where they lived, and what they owned. There are also photographs of Lloyd Asbury McCready.

Associated Subjects: Henderson Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2010.019
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Henry Fillmore Lankford Papers

by Lankford, Henry Fillmore (1659 – 1920)

3 folders (0.3 linear feet)

The Henry Fillmore Lankford papers consist of wills and genealogical information kept by Lankford, an attorney in Somerset County, Maryland, between 1909 and 1920. The wills primarily document Somerset and Northampton County families in the 17th and 18th centuries. Also included are two oversize items: a 1911 issue of "The Canned Good Trade" and a circa 1911 advertisement for Chevrolet automobiles.

Associated Subjects: Canning Industry • Genealogy • Lankford Family • Littleton Family • Porter Family
Identifier: 2006.360
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Hilda Topfer papers

by Topfer, Hilda (1959)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a draft of a thesis by Hilda Topfer entitled "Plans for the Restoration and Alteration of an Eighteenth Century Farm House in Somerset County, Maryland." The subject was the historic Burton Cannon House. The outline was submitted to the Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia in pursuance of a Masters Degree in Home Economics in June, 1959. The thesis was used to support the house's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Associated Subjects: Student Research • Historic Buildings
Identifier: 1991.015
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Holland Island Collection

by Parks, Irving M. Sr. (1972 – 1985)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Holland's Island Collection consists of a detailed description on the history of Holland Island. The creator is Irving M. Parks, Sr. who named his story the "Vanishing Island". Parks discusses the history of Holland Island and its residents, and how over time the island started to disappear and was deserted. Included is a personal narrative, newspaper clippings about life on the island, information about boats used, education, and brief personal genealogy of residents.

Associated Subjects: Education • Maritime
Identifier: 1987.016
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

J. L. Watts collection

by Lankford, Benjamin (1797 – 1836)

4 folders (0.04 linear feet)

The J L Watts Collection contains photocopies of personal correspondence, business correspondence, and land deeds relating to Benjamin Lankford. The personal correspondence is between Benjamin Lankford and his family. The business correspondence focuses on Lankford's business interest, with one letter focusing on the sale of a woman and child slave. The land deeds focus on Benjamin Lankford gaining land. These correspondences take place in Somerset County.

Associated Subjects: Lankford Family • Land Records • Slavery
Identifier: 1990.056
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

James Brown Family Photograph Collection

by Butler, Paul (1880 – 1920)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains various photocopies and photograph negatives of the James Brown family. It includes all photocopied black and white photographs, many dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century. It also contains the negative film strips and initial produced photographs covered in protective seals. Also included is a newspaper photograph of artist Arnold Roberts detailing the Dames Quarter area in which the Brown family lived. The photographs were produced by Paul Butler, and the Times Newspaper photo was taken by Bill Duck.

Associated Subjects: Brown Family • Photography • African American History
Identifier: 2010.063
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Jean Long collection

by Long, Jean (1772 – 1978)

6 boxes,  1 oversize folder (7 linear feet)

This collection of material acquired by Jean Long deals with the history of Maryland including the islands of Deal, Smith and St. Michael's and customs. It contains booklets, articles, scrapbooks, Maryland Hall of Records Bulletins and several Wheeler leaflets. In addition, it contains newspapers, magazines and material covering historic homes and places such as Fairmount Academy. The four Maryland Hall of Records Bicentennial Bulletins for April-July 1776 were donated by William Kline to complete the set.

Identifier: 1983.017
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Jonathan Bounds Land Deed

by Bounds, Jonathan (1764)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Jonathan Bounds Land Deed is a deed for land in Somerset County. Jonathan Bounds gave land to Richard Stevens Bounds in 1764. The land is described as "the one called Bally Buggon containing 190 acres more or less, the other called Calldwells Chance containing 27 acres".

Associated Subjects: Land Records
Identifier: 2009.331
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Judge Lloyd Simpkins collection

by Simpkins, Lloyd (1524 – 1774)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Judge Lloyd Simpkins Collection contains a copy of the Captain John Smith map of the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1600s. Also included are two essays written by Judge Lloyd Simpkins. One is titled "Lower Delmarva's First Explorer" which discusses Captain John Smith, and "Somerset County 1500-1700", which discusses the history of Somerset County from 1524 to 1774.

Associated Subjects: Maps
Identifier: 1988.034
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

L.Q. Powell collection

by Unknown (1724 – 1976)

2 boxes (3 linear feet)

The L.Q. Powell collection contains early legal and political records pertaining to Somerset County, Maryland including tax lists, voters list, and court records as well as certificates for elections of Judge, Sheriff, and Surveyor. It details church activities through parish records, cemetery records and individual accounts of churches. One series is dedicated to genealogical histories of several families including the Powell family. Of interest to researchers may be the materials on the Civil War and Free Blacks in the final series.

Associated Subjects: African American History • Cemeteries • Court Records • Genealogy • Powell Family
Identifier: 1984.001
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Lambeth Palace Archive Transcripts collection

by Unknown (1696 – 1750)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains incomplete Anglican records pertaining to Somerset County, Maryland found in the Lambeth Palace Archives located in London, England. The records span from 1696 to 1750 and include information regarding business with Coventry Parish and other parishioners. The records appear to have been collected by Kathy McIntyre.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.372
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Land Patent, The Neighborhood

by Unknown (1756)

1 oversize folder (2.5 linear feet)

1756 Land patent documenting the transaction of land for 913 acres known as The Neighborhood, located in Somerset County, Maryland, on the southeast side of the Nanticoke River and bounded on the North side of Baron Creek. The patent notes the exchange of land from John Huffington to his son upon his death, to his son, W. John Huffington.

Associated Subjects: Land Records
Identifier: 2016.047
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Lankford Family papers

by Lankford, BenjaminLankford, Scott, and Porter families (1683 – 1975)

10 boxes,  1 oversize box (7.75 linear feet)

The Lankford Family Papers document the Somerset County, Maryland family's activities through extensive correspondence, land records, photographs, newspaper clippings, genealogical notes, and other materials. While the collection dates between 1683 and 1975, the majority dates between 1812 and 1897. Much of the correspondence revolves around Benjamin Lankford (1798-1886), who served in the Maryland General Assembly between the 1840s and 1870s, as well as his wife, Susan, and her sister Mary Jane Guillet. The correspondence in the collection is described at the item level.

Associated Subjects: Farm Life • Lankford Family • Personal Correspondence • Politics • Slavery
Identifier: 2000.002
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Laws Family Collection

by Unknown (1625 – 1960)

4 folders,  1 oversize folder (2.54 linear feet)

The Laws Family collection contains genealogical information on the Laws Family. There are genealogical descriptions of Laws family members, with a birth, death, and marriage date. There are also bibliographic information for some of the more prominent family members. There are also photographs of family members, and the places they lived. The majority of the Laws family members on the Eastern Shore lived in Accomack County, Virginia, Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico County, Maryland. There is also a Daughters of the Revolution application within for Mary Balle Hastings Holland, who descended from William Laws (1753-1831).

Associated Subjects: Laws Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2007.073
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Lazarus Cottman and James Dickenson Papers

by Steurus, T. B. (March 31, 1864)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Lazarus Cottman and James Dickenson Papers contain original 1864 manuscripts. T.B. Steurus was a Recruiting Officer for the United States Military Service, and was recruiting Lazarus Cottman, James Dickernson's slave.

Associated Subjects: Slavery
Identifier: 2009.105
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Levin S. and Mary Melson papers

by Melson Family (1688 – 1890)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Series of land deeds, including a plat and patent for land in Somerset and Worcester Counties for the Melson family including the deed of land adjacent to the Melson property in Bishopville from Joseph Cary to Thomas A.J. Holloway and the land deed from Levin and Mary Melson to Ezekiel A. Melson. Also included is a land plat with a detailed drawing from the L.S. Melson and Brothers to James and Isabell Bishop, and the stock certificate of Levin Melson's purchase of Prohibition Camp Meeting Association for thirty shares of capital stock. Outside of the Melson family and included with the records is the Walter Lane land patent from Somerset County, 1688.

Associated Subjects: Melson Family • Land Records • Stocks
Identifier: 2013.104
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Louise Messick Moyer papers

by Moyer, Louise Messick (1900 – 2006)

3 boxes (1.5 linear feet)

The Louise Messick Moyer papers date from 1900-2006, with the bulk of the material dating from 1990-2005. The collection represents her genealogical research on multiple families, with extensive correspondence, family trees, abstracts and notes on the Messick, Long and Simmons families. The research spans Lancaster County in Virginia, Dorchester and Somerset Counties in Maryland and Sussex County, Delaware. Records also include facsimiles of 19th Century financial and marriage information, transcriptions of diaries from 1876 and 1906, a self-published memoir of a merchant sailor, and information on the menhaden fishing industry.

Associated Subjects: Business • Fishing • Genealogy • Long Family • Messick Family • Simmons Family
Identifier: 2007.087
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council records

by Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council (1975 – 1997)

1 box (1 linear feet)

This collection contains various drafts of Heritage Plans that were made by the Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council. It also contains various correspondences between Council members. There are various brochures concerning Heritage tourism. There are minutes, agendas, and member lists from the board of directors of the LESHC. There are photographs of various meetings of the LESHC.

Associated Subjects: Personal Correspondence
Identifier: 2006.133
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Lucille Horsley collection

by Horsley, Lucille (1931 – 1996)

10 boxes,  1 oversize folder (7.5 linear feet)

The Horsley collection is primarily composed of materials collected, copied, and transcribed by Horsley as a product of her research on Pemberton Plantation, located just outside of Salisbury on the Eastern Shore. Notebooks, genealogy charts, research papers, newspaper clippings, duplications of maps from Maryland’s Colonial period to the present, as well as a personal “vertical file” of information relating to area historical sites, events, and peninsula history, are united to compose a collection of personal papers reflecting Horsley’s interests and life’s work. Horsley’s papers will be of interest to those seeking guidance to primary source materials relating to Pemberton plantation (three miles from Salisbury), and its chain of ownership within the Handy family; her extreme diligence in recording her sources and compiling her transcriptions makes this an excellent starting point for unseasoned researchers of Somerset County. The bulk of Horsley’s research was conducted in the 1980's.

Associated Subjects: Genealogy • Handy Family
Identifier: 1997.015
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Malissa Small collection

by Unknown (1600, 1900s)

3 folders (0.03 linear feet)

This genealogical collection covers the family history of Malissa Small. Several families are focused within the collection such as the Gray, Seabreeze, and Tarr families. The material has a large focus on marriages through public marriage documents and news paper clippings. There are also wills of many members of Malissa Small's family.

Associated Subjects: Gray Family • Seabreeze Family • Tarr Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1985.013
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Manokin Presbyterian Church collection

by Unknown (1970 – 1986)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Manokin Presbyterian Church Collection contains copies of pages within the Roll of Communicants and Session Minutes books from the Manokin Presbyterian Church and a pamphlet titled "Palmetto Cemetery and Former Mission Church", a holding owned by the church.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2005.045
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Margaret Robinson collection

by Robinson, Margaret (1772 – 1950)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Margaret Robinson collection focuses on the genealogy of the Dunn family. The family is able to trace their roots to Thomas Dunn (1772-1829). The majority of the family resides in Somerset and Wicomico County, Maryland. The genealogy includes births, deaths, marriages, and children of the Dunn family.

Associated Subjects: Dunn Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1991.008
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Mary Carew Photograph

by Unknown (circa 1870)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This is a photograph of Mrs. Mary Carew Sigman, circa 1870 from Easton, Maryland, originally from Somerset County.

Associated Subjects: Photography
Identifier: 1984.062
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Maryland Colonial Tax Records

by Unknown (circa 1759)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Maryland Colonial Tax Records contains tax records for counties on the Eastern Shore in 1759. A majority of the information focuses on Somerset County.

Associated Subjects: Accounting Records
Identifier: 2006.254
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Maryland Public School Register

by Somerset County Board of Education (1911 – 1916)

1 oversize box (2 linear feet)

Attendance record register from Somerset County, Maryland, 1911-1916 of School Number Four, District Seven. The records include students names, days present and absent, age, grade, date of entrance or withdrawal, and how many miles from school the students live.

Associated Subjects: Education • Ledger
Identifier: 2000.999
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Marylander and Herald collection

by Fontaine & Dashiell (1912 – 1984)

45 oversize folders (90 linear feet)

The Marylander and Herald ran from 1898 to 1984 and was a weekly publishing in Princess Anne, Maryland.

Associated Subjects: Newspapers
Identifier: 2006.342
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Massey Estate Collection

by Massey Family (1627 – 2000)

3 cartons (3 linear feet)

This collection consists of family research about the Massey family and other families on the Lower Eastern Shore. The collection contains copies of original wills, estate inventories, family trees, and related materials. All of the original documents in this collection are photocopies, print-outs, or photostats unless otherwise indicated.

Associated Subjects: Massey Family • Family Life
Identifier: 2005.077
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Melvin Family Collection

by Unknown (1688 – 1980)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

The Melvin Family Collection is comprised of genealogical notes for the Melvin family. The family is able to date their heritage back to the 17th Century. The Melvin Family has an ancestor, William Melvin, who was apart of the American Revolution, which is why descendant Ruth Young was apart of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The family lived in almost every county of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia including: Worcester County, Somerset County, Accomack County, and Cecil County. Within the collection, there are also legal land deeds, wills, and censuses listing persons in a household including slaves.

Associated Subjects: Melvin Family • Genealogy • Land Records • Last Will and Testament
Identifier: 1985.011
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Michael Owen Bourne papers

by Bourne, Michael Owen (1960 – 2020)

4 boxes,  4 drawers (6.5 linear feet)

This collection contains research notes, surveys, hand-drawn architectural drawings and photographs created by architectural historian Michael Owen Bourne for historic home restorations and renovations between 1960 and 2020. His projects were mainly on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, as well as Delaware, and Virginia. However, there are some materials from projects in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The majority of the collection dates from 1968 to 2009 and the materials range from his time working for the Historical Maryland Trust (1967-1973 and 1995-2000), as well as his own company (1973-1995), and the Department of Architectural Research at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (2000-2003). Bourne's architectural papers related to Kent County, Maryland are located at the Historical Society of Kent County (the Nabb Center collection includes papers for all projects located outside of Kent County, Maryland).

Associated Subjects: Architecture • Blueprints • Historic Buildings • Historic Preservation
Identifier: 2024.003
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Miles Family papers

by Miles, HenryMiles, John (1685 – 1898)

1 box (0.5 linear feet)

Land deeds and surveys of the Miles Family papers document the extensive lands owned by and passed to the members of the Miles family of Somerset County, Maryland, 1645-1890. Properties include Ferry Bridge, Pleasure, Hog Pen Swamp and others. Records also include personal papers of John Miles, they comprise a list of property owned, a tax assessment and an unprobated will as well as a photograph album of tin types compiled by Mollie Miles.

Associated Subjects: Miles Family • Land Records
Identifier: 2014.043
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Miles Family Papers

by Miles, Elizabeth ThomasMiles, Harry B. (1862 – 2010)

8 boxes,  3 oversize folders (8.5 linear feet)

The Miles family papers document the Upper Fairmount, Somerset County, Maryland family from 1862 to 2010, though primarily from the 1880s to the 1940s. The correspondence, photographs, business records, church records, and more center around Harry B. Miles and Elizabeth (Thomas) Miles, as well as their children, Harry Budd and Betty J., and other Thomas and Miles family members. From 1916 to 1961, Harry Miles served as one of Somerset County's primary undertakers. The family also played a role in managing the Upper Fairmount Methodist Episcopal Church

Associated Subjects: Death Records • Ledger • Miles Family • Personal correspondence
Identifier: 2017.097
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Miles Family survey collection

by Miles, Samuel F.Miles, William Ballard Jr.Miles, William Ballard Sr.Miles, William F.W. (1842 – 1978)

11 cartons (11 linear feet)

The Miles Family survey collection documents numerous Eastern Shore land boundaries. Until the mid-twentieth century, the state of Maryland did not emphasis accuracy of land surveys or the collection of deeds. The work of the Miles family allowed the State of Maryland to utilize original Eastern Shore deeds to legally designate boundary and partition lines. In numerous cases, the Miles’ family records were the only form of land documentation on the Eastern Shore. Consequently, the State of Maryland legally recognized the Miles Family Survey Collection in the court of law and have been used to settle land disputes such as the D379 Assateague Island Land suit. The collection has been the basis for issuing boundary lines, prep construction areas, mapmaking, and engineering. Many of the plats, surveys, and deeds are predominately from Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico counties, but the collection also extends to the Upper Shore of Maryland, Delaware in Kent and Sussex, and Accomack County, Virginia. The collection is narrowed into election districts. The materials date from 1842-1978 with the bulk of the material dates from 1929-1977.

Associated Subjects: Elections • Land Records
Identifier: 1984.113
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Minish Genealogy Collection

by Minish, Bill (September 2004)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains the original typed manuscript titled "A Journal of travels from Maryland to Fort Redstone, Spring 1807" written by William Minish for the South Bend Genealogical Society's Quarterly Newsletter. The manuscript details the journey of Richard Minish and his family from Somerset County, Maryland to Port William (Carrollton), Kentucky.

Associated Subjects: Minish Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2005.039
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Nancy Meadows Collection

by Hall, ElizabethWhitney, Alethea H. (1922 – 1965)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a sale sheet for Kingston Hall located in Somerset County, Maryland, a souvenir pamphlet from Crisfield, Maryland, a copy of "The Hatchet" from June 1, 1934 from Washington High School, a booklet from the class reunion of the Washington High School class of 1945, a worship booklet from Manokin Presbyterian Church dated October 1952, and an informational pamphlet on the history of Palmetto a cemetery and former mission church belonging to the Manokin Presbyterian Church.

Associated Subjects: Presbyterianism
Identifier: 2007.115
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Nehemiah Tilghman Survey

by Brewers, George G. (February 20, 1766)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Nehemiah Tilghman Survey is a land survey conducted by George G. Brewer, with the original 1766 letter corresponding between Tilghman and Brewer. It is a survey for property purchased by Nehemiah Tilghman, and was conducted in Somerset County; specific geographic locations are noted within the County.

Associated Subjects: Surveying
Identifier: 2006.270
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Nutters Election House Collection

by Wicomico Historical Society (1820 – 1986)

3 boxes,  13 oversize folders (22.75 linear feet)

The Nutters Election House Collections consists of over 2,500 objects and archival items from national state and local political campaigns spanning from 1820-1986. The archival portion of the collection consists of nearly 700 items covering aspects of local, state, and national political campaigns from advertisement to completion. Additionally, the collection contains newspapers, as well as some general business concerning the Nutters Election House Museum.

Associated Subjects: Elections • Newspapers • Politics • Voting
Identifier: WHS2001.007
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Outten-Willey Affair Article

by Redden, R. J. (1900s)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains an article by R.J. Redden entitled "Delaware Tidbit: The Outten-Willey Affair." The article goes into great detail over the murder of Somerset County sheriff William Outten by Delaware resident John Willey. The evidence portrayed in this narrative was obtained through court depositions and the Maryland Archives.

Associated Subjects: Court Records • Personal Correspondence
Identifier: 2010.070
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment
Preview Image of Resource

Papers of J. Millard Tawes

by Crisfield Heritage FoundationTawes, J. Millard (1782 – 1994)

61 boxes,  7 oversize folders (75 linear feet)

The Papers of J. Millard Tawes consist of the political and personal papers of J. Millard Tawes and of historic Maryland records. The collection documents Tawes’ career as a politician from 1930-1979, including his service as the 54th Governor of Maryland from 1959-1967. It contains speeches, correspondence, photographs, publications and ephemera offering insight into fifty years of state and national politics. The collection includes Tawes’ speeches on the Freedom Riders and on the Cambridge Riots of 1963. It also includes correspondence between Tawes and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.

Associated Subjects: Civil Rights Movement • Economics • Education • Environment • Government • Politics • Tawes Family
Identifier: 2017.060
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Parsons Family Collection

by Unknown (1668 – 1932)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Detailed genealogy of the Parsons Family. Starts with generation one, Peter Parsons, who migrated to Somerset County in 1668. The last ancestor listed is George Washington Parsons (1853-1932). The genealogy states who the parents are, who they are married to, if they had children and their birth/death dates, their will and how it affected their children, and a census description of their household.

Associated Subjects: Legal Records • Parsons Family
Identifier: 1987.015
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Perryhawkin Christian Church records

by Unknown (circa 1990)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Perryhawkin Christian Church records contain typed materials documenting of the origins of Perryhawkin Church located in Somerset County, Maryland.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 1995.042
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Phillips, Cooper, Roberts Families collection

by Unknown (1634 – 1992)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Phillips, Cooper, Roberts Family History Collection contains photographs and genealogical information on the Phillips, Cooper, and Roberts families. Included are three pictures of the Cooper family with corresponding birth and death dates. The collection also contains family reunion pamphlets, an invitation and picture of Aunt Blossom's 95th birthday party, a marriage certificate, and postcards. There is also genealogical biographies for the three families.

Associated Subjects: Cooper Family • Phillips Family • Roberts Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2011.026
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Photograph of William Adams house

by Unknown (circa 1920)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Sepia-toned photographic print of the south elevation of the William Adams house, also known as the House on Tull Farm, circa 1920.

Associated Subjects: Architecture
Identifier: 2017.089
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Photographs of County Courthouses

by Unknown (1900 – 1915)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Photographs of County Courthouses contains photographs taken throughout the 20th century of Maryland courthouses. The majority of the photographs are of the Snow Hill, Somerset County, and Wicomico County Courthouses.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.224
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Pocomoke Indian records

by Unknown (1889)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Pocomoke Indian records document the Quindocoway name applied to the Swell section of Somerset County, Maryland and the names of individuals of pure or mixed Indian blood in the surrounding Somerset County area near Crisfield. The photocopied records date from 1889; original is housed at the National Anthropological Archives of the Smithsonian Institution.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2015.162
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Polk Family History Collection

by Polk, John F. (1640 – 1918)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Polk Family History Collection contains genealogical information on the Polk Family. There is a family tree of the Polk family dating from 1640-1918 within Somerset County, Maryland. Within, there is a legal will, land patent, and a memoir by Esther Winder Polk Lowe (Enoch Louis Lowe) (1824-1918). All the documents have been transcribed by John F. Polk.

Associated Subjects: Polk Family • Land Records • Women's History • Genealogy
Identifier: 1998.139
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Polly Batchelder collection

by Batchelder, Polly (1889 – 2001)

2 cartons,  1 oversize box (3.5 linear feet)

Polly Batchelder’s collection is a comprehensive documentation of genealogical research on Old Somerset County, Maryland via land and parish records, as well as a series of obituaries from the Marylander and Herald newspaper and city of Salisbury tax assessment ledgers. Included in the collection are the papers of Alberta Smith; mementos found by Polly and her son Geoffrey at the abandoned Smith house on West Sharpless road in Oriole, Somerset County, Maryland. Materials include photograph and autograph albums and correspondence. The materials date from 1889-2001 with the bulk of the material dates from 1982-2001.

Associated Subjects: Marvel Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1990.044
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Princess Anne Grange No. 280 records

by National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry (1910 – 1957)

2 boxes (0.75 linear feet)

The Princess Anne Grange No. 280 records document the activities of the subordinate Grange fraternal organization located in Princess Anne, Maryland, 1910-1957, with the bulk of the material dating from the mid-1950s. Documenting records include meeting minutes, membership records, and manuals for subordinate granges.

Associated Subjects: Agriculture • Greek Fraternities and Sororities • Clubs
Identifier: 1997.006
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Puncheon Landing Cemetery collection

by Unknown (circa 2002)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Puncheon Landing Cemetery collection contains background information and a description of the cemetery; a press release about the Re-dedication Ceremony, a brochure on "The Fund for the Preservation of the Puncheon Landing Cemetery", and a list of persons who are buried in the cemetery.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2006.066
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Registry of Public School No. 3

by Unknown (1909 – 1916)

1 oversize folder (1 linear feet)

The Charles Cole Collection includes a school registry from public school number 3, located near the community of West, dated from the year 1909-1916. It is a list of students, and teachers as well as their grades and attendance throughout the school year. There are four different teachers listed in the registry, each teaching a different year with a different set of students. Those teachers were Bessie Pollitt, Helen Pusey, Delsie Fooks, and Carl Powell.

Associated Subjects: Education • Genealogy
Identifier: 2012.104
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Report on Elections in Somerset County

by Bull & Tuttle (1864)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a copy of the "Report of the Committee on Elections on Contested Elections in Somerset County" published in 1864.

Associated Subjects: Elections
Identifier: 2009.154
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Richard Culver Papers

by Unknown (1952 – 1976)

1 box (1 linear feet)

The Richard Culver Papers is a collection of newspapers and research from Richard Culver’s time as an editor for the Daily Times in Somerset County. While editor, Culver wrote about numerous things happening in Somerset County at the time, from crime and government controversies to celebrations and other recreational events. There is research for the tercentennial of Somerset County that happened in 1966, as well as for the Somerset County Jail.

Associated Subjects: Journalism • Newspapers
Identifier: 1999.030
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Richard Thek collection

by Unknown (circa 1996)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Richard Thek collection contains an article on the early history of Sussex County, Delaware from the 17th century. Also included is an index of "A Somerset Sampler" written by Polly Batchelder.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 1996.022
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Richard W. Cooper papers

by Cooper, Richard Waller (1605 – 2001)

18 boxes,  2 oversize folders (12.5 linear feet)

The Richard Cooper papers document his professional and personal activities through his collection of materials dating from 1605 to 2001. The documents focus on the religious and political histories of Wicomico and Worcester County as well as the history of the Mason-Dixon Boundary Line depicted through Cooper’s column in the Daily Times. The papers also document the topographic history of Delmarva through Cooper’s career as an engineering surveyor. Documents from his surveying career and interests include topographic maps, survey certificates, land deeds, and plats. A photograph album documents the construction of his family home at 611 Tony Tank Lane in Salisbury, Maryland. Materials within the collection include newspaper clippings, photographs, family histories, and correspondence. Drafts and manuscripts of Cooper’s published works on the history of Salisbury, Profile of a Colonial Community, Salisbury in Times Gone By, and Portrait of Salisbury are contained within the collection.

Identifier: 1987.093
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Riggin Family papers

by Riggin, Allan E.Riggin, George F. (1640 – 1993)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Riggin Family Collection contains genealogical information about the Riggin family. Within is a detailed family tree constructed by Allan and George Riggin. The family tree starts with Riggin family members who originated in Ireland and immigrated to the Eastern Shore. There is also information regarding Riggin land records between Somerset, Sussex, Worcester, and Wicomico County.

Associated Subjects: Riggin Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1994.024
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Robertson Family papers

by Roberts, Emerson BryanSeaver, J. Montgomery (1900 – 1970s)

3 folders (0.03 linear feet)

The Robertson Family Records contain three publications regarding genealogy of the Robertson Family. The first publication is titled "The Roberts Family of Wales, Middlesex, Virginia and Maryland being a study of the Ascendants and Descendants of Francis Roberts, Immigrant to Virginia, 1650" by Emerson Bryan Roberts. This publication is an early genealogical history for the Roberts Family of the Eastern Shore. The second publication is titled "Wainwright and Related Families" by Emerson B. Roberts. This is a genealogical history on the Wainwright family of Somerset County. The final publication is titled "Robertson Family Records" by J. Montgomery Seaver. This is a genealogical history of the Robertson family.

Associated Subjects: Roberts Family • Robertson Family • Wainwright Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2009.106
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Robinson Family Collection

by Robinson, EliRobinson, John (circa 1850)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Robinson Family Collection contains land deeds between Eli Robinson and John Robinson. The land deeds pertain to Somerset County, Maryland around the 1850s. There are transcriptions within the collection.

Associated Subjects: Robinson Family • Land Records
Identifier: 1987.031
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Smith Family Collection

by Miles, Moody K. IIIStewart, John Richard (1863 – 1990)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Smith Family Collection contains a collection of Maryland cemetery records, an index for the book "The Parson of the Islands", and small genealogical information on the Smith family. The cemetery records cover All Saints Church, John Wesley United Methodist Church, Manokin Presbyterian Church, Parsons Cemetery, and Rock Creek Cemetery. The record was conducted by John Richard Stewart. The book index was written by Moody K. Miles, III. The Smith family genealogical information is taken from the Smith Family Bible, which includes a birth and death date for family members.

Associated Subjects: Death Records • Smith family • Cemeteries • Genealogy
Identifier: 1996.011
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Bible records

by Thompson, Ray (circa 1994s)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains the transcriptions of various Somerset County family Bible records from the 17th to the 20th Century. Many of the transcriptions were undertaken by Dr. G. Ray Thompson and Rebecca Miller at Teackle Mansion in Princess Anne, MD over the course of 1994.Examples of families transcribed include Smith, Dashiell, Riggin, Williams, Atkins, Teackle, Johnson, Lowe, Ballard, Wilson, and more.

Associated Subjects: Genealogy • Religious History
Identifier: 1994.012
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Bible Society records

by Somerset County Bible Society (1794 – 2018)

3 boxes (1.5 linear feet)

The Somerset County Bible Society records document the activities and extensive membership of the religious organization whose purpose was to distribute Bibles and promote further interest in the scripture. Located in Somerset County, Maryland, the organization’s records date from its inception in 1828-2018 with the bulk of the material encompassing the annual meetings and membership rosters, 1875-1986. Corresponding organization material also includes a scrapbook from annual meetings, correspondence and deposit receipts from the Maryland Bible Society and a Bible from 1794.

Associated Subjects: Clubs • Religious History • Spirituality
Identifier: 2010.020
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program

by Unknown (1987)

1 oversize folder (1.5 linear feet)

The collection consists of a report on the Somerset County Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program. The report on conservation and development was prepared by the firms of Rogers, Golden & Halperin and Reman/Johnston & Associates, and published in 1987.

Associated Subjects: Environment
Identifier: 2017.082
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Church Ephemera

by Unknown (circa 1930s)

1 folder (0.1 linear feet)

This collection consists of two pieces of ephemera from Somerset County, Maryland: a postcard of Asbury Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon and a brochure for "Deal's Island Joshua Thomas homecoming." The Deal Island brochure contains advertisements and a program of events that were intended to raise money for the church for debt incurred during the Great Depression.

Associated Subjects: Religion
Identifier: 2021.011
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Ephemera collection

by Unknown (1917)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains pamphlets pertaining to the Pomfrett Plantation and the Washington Hotel.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.406
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Essay collection

by Fisher, Audrey C.Pusey, DavidStone, Bonnie C. (1961, 1994)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Somerset County Essay collection contains three essays regarding Somerset County. The essays include: "Maryland's Rehobeth on the Pocomoke" written by Audrey C. Fisher, "Princess Anne Ties a Noose" written by David Pusey, and "How did Somerset County Compare with the State as a whole in the Founding of Colonial Religions?" written by Bonnie C. Stone.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.212
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Land Grant records

by Somerset County, Md. (1875)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains two land grants dated 1875 from the Land Office of Somerset County. One deed is granted for 266 and three-quarter acres of a plot known as "Visions Luck". The other patent is for a location known as "Denwood's Den", which is 300 acres. The grant for "Visions Luck" briefly mentions that Denwood's Den is adjoining to that land plot. Both plots are close to the Wicomico River and have been in existence since the late 17th century.

Associated Subjects: Land Records
Identifier: 2006.418
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Land Patents

by Miles, William (circa 1800)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Photocopies of differing land patents from Worcester and Somerset Counties, as well as those of families in Scotland; land patents belonged to Ephriam Smullen, James Boston, John White, Stephen Horsey, and Thomas Manlove was known as "Smullen's Pleasure," "Good Luck" and "Deer Quarter." Original patents drawn by William F. Miles.

Associated Subjects: Land Records
Identifier: 1989.058
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Land Records

by Unknown (1680 – 1866)

1 oversize folder (1.25 linear feet)

This collection contains several land records documenting Somerset County plats from 1680 to 1866 (primarily 1770s to 1850s) including Spring Hill, Coscoway, Henry's Conclusion, and Crucked Chance. Included are courses, deeds (including one 1806 deed between George Perdue and William Parsons), land plats, an 1852 will and account distribution for Thomas White, a bond between Lambert Adkins and Joseph Ellis, and receipts documenting land transactions.

Associated Subjects: Land Records • Surveying
Identifier: 2006.344
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Physicians collection

by Collins, Clarence E. (circa 1963)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Somerset County Physicians collection contains a copy of the book "Somerset County Physicians" written by Clarence E. Collins in 1791. Also included are articles that were written about the book, and on the death of Collins, a photocopied excerpt from "History of Crisfield" by Woodrow T. Wilson about doctors in the area, and their obituaries from 1963.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2006.337
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Rent Roll

by Somerset County, Md. (1744)

2 boxes (1.5 linear feet)

This collection contains a ledger for the Rent Roll of Somerset County beginning in 1744; the rent roll documents the accounts or schedule of rents due from land tenants and the dollar amount received.

Associated Subjects: Economics • Land Records
Identifier: 1984.112
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Store Ledger

by Stamford, James (1842 – 1845)

1 folder (1 linear feet)

This collection contains a store ledger. The Ledger itself appears to belong to a man, James Stamford as that is the name on the cover page.

Associated Subjects: Agriculture • Ledger
Identifier: 2008.031
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Topographical Map

by Unknown (1906)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Somerset County Topographical Map contains a compact disc with digital images of the 1906 map of Somerset County showing the topography and election districts.

Associated Subjects: Maps
Identifier: 2009.183
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County, Md. ephemera

by Unknown (1950 – 1980)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

Ephemera of Somerset County contains ephemera relating to multiple areas of Somerset County, Maryland. Such memorabilia ranges from Bicentennial pamphlets, tourist brochures for Princess Anne, and brief histories of Smith Island. Additionally, this collection contains essays pertaining to the subjects of disappearing islands, and Tangier Island.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.248
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Starre Wiehe Newspaper Collection

by Weihe, Starr Culver (1900s)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

This collection contains newspaper clippings from John Culver's regular column called "Shadowgraphs of Somerset", and a copy of the Village Herald from Princess Anne from 1837.

Associated Subjects: Newspapers
Identifier: 2006.065
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Telephone Directories collection

by Diamond State Telephone CompanyThe Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company (1923 – 1938)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Telephone Directories collection documents the names and occupations of citizens and companies, as well as their phone numbers, along the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware, in 1923, 1925, and 1938.

Associated Subjects: Directories
Identifier: 2010.117
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Thesis of Michael James Kelly

by Kelly, Michael J. (1971)

1 folder (0.1 linear feet)

The Thesis of Michael James Kelly, a candidate for a Master of Arts in HIstory at the University of Maryland, is titled, Family Reconstitution of Stepney Parish, Somerset County, Maryland. Kelly utilized data from the parish registers to gather informational data on each of the families to study their vital statistics to learn about the family structure.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2019.005
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Tony Tank Creek Photograph

by Unknown (1938)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a black and white photo of Tony Tank.

Associated Subjects: Photography
Identifier: 2006.326
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Trehearn Family Collection

by Price, Thomas B. B. Jr. (1666 – 1800)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Trehearn Family Collection is a detailed genealogical analysis of the Trehearn family. The collection was written by Salisbury State College history student, Thomas B. B. Price, Jr. Price details the Trehearn family in Somerset County by stating when people lived, the taxes they paid, slaves they had, and what was in their wills.

Associated Subjects: Trehearn Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1988.044
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Vessey House Floorplans

by Unknown (1983)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a first and second-floor plans for the Vessey House, also known as the Caldicott House and Essex Farm in Somerset County, Maryland. The plans are dated March 21, 1983.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.420
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Voting List of Somerset County, Maryland

by Unknown (circa 1920)

3 folders (0.03 linear feet)

The Voting List of Somerset County, Maryland provides the ballot names for each voting district during the 1920 elections; this includes Deal Island, Westover, Fairmount, Princess Anne, Crisfield, Mount Vernon and othersi.

Associated Subjects: Elections • Politics
Identifier: 2006.260
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Walter Thurston Photograph Collection

by Thurston, Walter (circa 1850 – 1970s)

13 boxes,  2 oversize folders (7.75 linear feet)

This collection contains photographs both taken by and collected by Walter C. Thurston, a skilled local photographer. Included in this collection are color and black and white photographs and negatives of aerial, street and city-scape views of Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland and surrounding regions including Somerset, Dorchester and Worcester Counties and Sussex County, Delaware. The collection of images captures local businesses, school buildings, public events, neighborhoods, and area attractions from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s.  Also included in the collection are historic photographs of Salisbury and the Delmarva Peninsula dating back to the 1850s that Thurston collected.

Associated Subjects: Photography
Identifier: 2016.096
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Washington High School Class of 1949 collection

by Unknown (1949 – 1994)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Washington High School Class of 1949 collection contains a 1949 yearbook from Washington High School, and ephemera from the 25th reunion held on August 10, 1974. Additionally, there is a photograph of some of the members of the class taken in 1994.

Associated Subjects: High School
Identifier: 2006.324
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Whittington and Newman Store Ledger

by Whittington and Newman Store (1863 – 1866)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Whittington and Newman Store Ledger, 1863-1866, documents the goods and services provided by the store located near Marion Station, Somerset County, Maryland. Goods and services included carriage wheels and associated repairs, plow mending, plow handles and wheel bushings. Coffins for men, women and children were also sold. The ledger notes customers names, prices and race.

Associated Subjects: Agriculture • Death Records • Ledger • Accounting Records • Transportation
Identifier: 2015.073
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

William E. Simms Collection

by Del-Mar-Va Eastern Shore Association (1932)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a copy of the "Yearbook of Delmarva" dating from 1932.

Associated Subjects: Agriculture • Industry
Identifier: 2010.201
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

William F. Waddy House research collection

by George, Randolph (1988 – 2019)

1 folder (0.1 linear feet)

This collection contains research materials collected by Dr. Randolph George and T. Aaron Horner during their research on the Somerset County, Maryland home known as the William F. Waddy House (also known as the Jarvis Ballard House). Included are tract map reproductions, reproductions of wills, written research, photographs, and notes that document the history of the home that was built between 1740 and 1760. Reproduced documents date back to 1683.

Associated Subjects: Historic Buildings
Identifier: 2019.035
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

William M. Ruark papers

by Ruark, William (1761 – 1906)

1 box (0.25 linear feet)

The William M. Ruark papers document Ruark’s land purchases and sales. The papers date from 1761-1906 with the bulk of the papers dating from 1883-1903. The papers include tax records, deeds, mortgages, land settlements, patents, and correspondence regarding the sale of land in Somerset County. In addition to the land records also included is a photograph of Evelyn Ruark’s grandfather, George Gilliss Pusey, and a short biography of Austin Carpenter Heaton, who was the minister of Manokin Presbyterian Church from 1855-1880.

Associated Subjects: Land Records
Identifier: 1999.029
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

William Martin Collection

by Martin, William (1726 – 1890)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The William Martin Collection details the genealogical history of the Martin Family who had resided in Somerset and Worcester County, Maryland. The main focus revolves around William Martin (1803/1816-1890), and trying to figure out the family that came before William Martin. Within are births off everyone who had the last name Martin on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Associated Subjects: Martin Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1991.025
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Wilmer O. Lankford III papers

by Unknown (1894 – 2008)

3 boxes (2.25 linear feet)

The papers of Wilmer O. Lankford III encompass his research materials and original manuscripts of his four-volume book, They Lived in Somerset; including Lankford family documents such as Wilmer’s Western Maryland College scrapbook, as well as facsimiles and transcripts of church records, from Somerset County, Maryland, 1894-2008. Additional components include Rev. William Colbert’s account of his travels in Somerset County from 1801-1807, and the diary of Ida Marshall Lankford that reflects the lynching of Isaac Kemp for the murder of Constable Ned Carver.

Associated Subjects: Education • Genealogy • Lynching • Methodism • Presbyterianism
Identifier: 1984.011
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Wilson Family photographs

by Wilson Family (1897 – 1920)

1 box (0.5 linear feet)

The Wilson Family photograph collection documents the White, Woolford, Stanford and Tull families of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, including Salisbury, Princess Anne, and Somerset County, Maryland through a series of photographic prints from 1897-1920 with the bulk of the images dating from 1897-1900.

Identifier: 1999.019
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: View Attachment

Women in Early Somerset County essay

by Winder, Joan (December 6, 1984)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Women in Early Somerset County Essay contains a paper written by Joan Winder titled "Women and Economic Authority in Early Somerset County." The essay covers women who had legal and economic control over their families from 1700-1838 in Somerset County.

Associated Subjects: Women's History
Identifier: 1985.016
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Woodrow T. Wilson papers

by Wilson, Woodrow T. (1907 – 2000)

14 cartons,  1 oversize folder (16.5 linear feet)

The papers of Woodrow T. Wilson are a comprehensive documentation of his extensive research conducted to author his four-volume series on Crisfield, Maryland and Somerset County, Maryland as well as numerous articles written for the Crisfield Times. Manuscripts, proof copies, and unpublished materials authored by Wilson and his associates are also included. The amassed collection of newspaper clippings, birth, marriage and death records, family histories and typed articles are a testament to the people of Crisfield, 1907-2000 with the bulk of the material dating from 1968-1980.

Identifier: 2015.153
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Worcester County Soil Survey

by United States Department of Agriculture (1928)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The 1928 soil survey record from Worcester County, Maryland, documents the geography physiology of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and reveals there are sands, loams, and clays from the latest Pleistocene deposit with later modifications. Noted in the survey are nine distinct soil types in this county, which is bounded by Wicomico and Somerset Counties, Maryland, and Sussex County, Delaware. The survey was performed by the United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Chemistry and Soils.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.137
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment