When my kids were small, they loved looking through our garden after my husband tilled the soil.  They would explore the newly turned dirt in search of treasures they hoped had been brought up from their hiding place in the earth.  Alas, all they ever found were some interesting rocks and a couple of lost toys.

Despite my kids’ lack of success, there are actually treasures buried in Maryland’s dirt, in the form of arrowheads.  These are historic treasures, rich in the clues they provide about Maryland’s first inhabitants.  Long before Captain John Smith navigated through Maryland’s waterways, several different Native American tribes made their homes along Maryland’s bountiful forests and rivers.  Now and again, some of the tools they used, including arrowheads, rise out of their hiding places to remind us of the past.

There is actually much more to an arrowhead than just a sharp point at one end.  Archaeologists and collectors examine arrowheads for several different features.  What type of mineral was used to make the arrowhead?  How was it made and how might it have been attached to the shaft of the arrow?  The answers provide helpful clues to technological advances and other aspects of Maryland’s first inhabitants.

Whether you have ever found an arrowhead in your back yard, or just wished you had, you can learn more about these fascinating artifacts at the Perryville Branch Library on June 11th.  Dan Coates, President of the Archeological Society of the Northern Chesapeake, will present a program on Prehistoric Projectile Points, and he will bring arrowheads and other tools to display.  Mr. Coates will also describe why certain shapes were used for specific functions, describe the local mineral resources that were available, and talk about what we can learn from these tools.

The program begins at 7:00.  You can register online or contact the library to register at 410-996-6070, ext. 3.  Bring your own artifact to compare with those on display!

What treasures have you unearthed in our area?

Photo credit: “Cloddio Archaeolegol – Archaeological Dig” by Parc Cenedlaetho Eryri

In the Spring of 1813, exactly 200 years ago, war came to the upper Chesapeake Bay. The War of 1812, declared nearly a year before by President James Madison and followed by an ill-fated invasion of Canada, surely seemed far removed to many Marylanders. But rumors of war changed to all-too-real smoke and flame with the arrival of British forces commanded by Admiral Sir George Cockburn.

Cockburn’s orders were quite clear—he was to wreak havoc and punish Americans as part of an amphibious campaign that would eventually reach from Norfolk to Havre de Grace. The sight of a British flag soon struck fear in the hearts of Marylanders up and down the Chesapeake.

While the war would continue for months to come and lead to the burning of Washington, the battle of Baltimore and the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and ultimately the British defeat at the Battle of New Orleans, Chesapeake Bay residents faced the worst of the British onslaught beginning in April 1813.

On Monday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m., join accomplished historian Mike Dixon for “Spread the News: The War of 1812 on the Chesapeake,” offering a look at how news and information was shared in an era before the instant communication we take for granted today.

Two centuries previously, the British campaign directly impacted Cecil County residents. Dixon will share anecdotes from local residents of the day, as well as details about the British rampages on the Sassafras River, Frenchtown, Elkton,  Principio and Havre de Grace—where much of the riverfront town was put to the torch despite the efforts of the heroic John O’Neill.

Mr. Dixon will be exploring how reports of the British campaign spread like wildfire, causing panic in some quarters, and in others prompting the local militia to organize a defense. He will also share some of the new discoveries that have come to light about the location of the earthworks at Elk Landing, the local historic site that played a key role in the defense of Elkton or “Head of Elk,” as it was then called.

“The times in these parts has been troublesome,” wrote militia Captain Andrew Hall of the 30th Maryland Regiment that took part in the defense of Elkton. “Our waters has been polluted with the English since last spring and is yet. They’re blockading all our seaport towns which causes merchandise of all sorts to be very high … on the 28th (of April) the British landed at Frenchtown two miles below Elkton and set it on fire, and consumed it to ashes and would have destroyed Elkton if they had not got cowed by the shot of one cannonball from a small battery thrown up at (Elk Landing).”

The War 1812 is sometimes called the Second War of Independence or even the Forgotten War, although so much of the action took place almost in our backyards here in Cecil County. After this talk, you’ll know and appreciate far more about what the War of 1812 meant for those who lived in Cecil County two centuries before.

Registration is requested due to limited seating for this talk, so please call 410-996-1134 or click here to sign up.