A Date With History: Marty Bollinger on Claiborne

A Date With History Speaker Series

When Claiborne Bridged the Chesapeake:
The History and Legacy of the Claiborne Ferries

While it has been 70 years since the last Claiborne ferry connected Talbot County with the far side of the Chesapeake, the legacy of those days is still with us.  Claiborne’s multiple ferry lines – there were five of them over the decades serving four different destinations – literally put the town on the map. This lecture will describe the history of the Claiborne ferries: how they were generated initially by a political tug-of-war between Baltimore and Philadelphia, how Eastern Shore politicians used their statewide leadership positions to solidify Claiborne’s role, and how the ferry lines were shaped and ultimately made obsolete by technical revolutions in ground transport. It will also illustrate how the evidence of Claiborne’s days as a major ferry and rail hub can still be found all around us — if you know where to look.

Marty Bollinger is a retired management consultant and amateur historian, now residing in Claiborne. He has always had an interest in naval and maritime history and has published three books and several articles on the subject. His publishers have included the Naval Institute Press and the World Ship Society. He currently serves as the Vice President and a Director of the Naval Historical Foundation, works as an Adjunct Executive Lecturer at the University of Virginia, and participates as an active volunteer with the ShoreRivers organization. In his spare time he plays with boats and takes pictures of distant galaxies and nebulae with his telescopes.

Cost: FREE for members
          $5.00 for non-members
Call 410-822-0773 or email for your reservation
Date: Wednesday, August 3rd from 1pm-2pm
Location: Talbot Historical Society – Denton Extended Museum and Hill Research Center
                      25 S. Washington Street, Easton, Maryland