Talbot County History FAQ
When was Talbot County founded and by whom?
Established in 1661 by European settlers who followed the Native Americans’ footsteps.
Who was Talbot County named after?
Lady Grace Talbot, sister of the second Lord Baltimore
How many miles of shoreline does the County have?
Over 600 miles, the most of any county in the United States
What other names did Easton go by?
Talbot Courthouse and East Capital because of the important commerce brought to the area by the courthouse and due to the town’s geographic centrality on the Eastern Shore.
What town was home to the Eastern Shore’s first hotel, bank and newspaper?
Easton
True or False: Today’s Queen Anne’s and Caroline Counties used to be part of Talbot County?
True; 1706: Queen Anne’s County was created and 1773: Caroline County was created
What religion were many of Talbot County’s earliest residents?
Quaker
Did Harriett Tubman, of neighboring Dorchester County use Talbot County locations in her Underground Railroad?
It is possible, but documentation of this activity directly in Talbot County is hard to document. After all, rescuing slaves or harboring them was illegal.
Why are The Hill and Unionville significant in African American history?
The Hill neighborhood of Easton is currently being studied by Historic Easton, the University of Maryland and Morgan State University and is likely the earliest settlement of free African-Americans in the United States, dating to 1790. Unionville, a village suburb of Easton was settled after the Civil War by Union soldiers who were freed slaves from nearby plantations.
What year did the Bay Bridge connect the Western and Eastern Shore of Maryland?
1952
Whose statue is on the Talbot County Courthouse lawn?
Frederick Douglass
Name the sculptor who created the statue.
Jay Hall Carpenter
What dates appear over the door of the Masonic Temple at 114 North Washington Street in Easton?
1881 and 1930
To whom is the outdoor church bell at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Oxford dedicated?
Colonel Laurence LaTourette Driggs
What bank once occupied the Mystery Loves Company bookshop at 202 So. Morris St. in Oxford?
The Bank of Oxford
What is the oldest individual skipjack, and the only one to be named a National Historic Landmark?
Rebecca T. Ruark
Who owns her?
Captain Wade Murphy, Jr.
When was she built?
1886
Famous People from Talbot County
Harold Baines – Retired professional baseball player
Perry Benson – Revolutionary War and War of 1812 hero
Frederick Douglass – The nation’s greatest 19th century advocate of black freedom and justice
Tench Tilghman – General George Washington’s aide
County Facts and Symbols
County Seat: Easton
Pronounced: “Tall-Butt”