2024 Annual Meeting and Spring Dinner
The 2024 Annual General Meeting and Spring Dinner saw the presentation of the first Pete Himmelheber Award for Excellence in Research, Preservation, and Interpretation of St. Mary’s County History. Its recipient was Mr. Al Gough.
Travis Parno, PhD, Director of Research at Historic St. Mary's City gave a comprehensive presentation on "Exploring Maryland’s Colonial Beginnings: Excavations at St. Mary’s Fort".
The 2024 Annual General Meeting and Spring Dinner was held on May 10, 2024, at the Old Breton Inn in Leonardtown, MD.
2023 Fall Dinner - Before the Base with Eve Love
Long-time Historical Society member Eve Love who, along with husband John Cook, recently published "Before The Base" in collaboration with the Calvert Maritime Museum. It is the story of the communities that were in the Cedar Point area before the Navy took over in 1942.
2023 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: Debunking Myths Concerning Surnames During the Era of Slavery
At the 2023 Annual Meeting & Spring Dinner on May 5th, archivist and librarian Kent Randell spoke on the topic "Debunking Myths Concerning Surnames During the Era of Slavery". This presentation includes audio of Mr. Randell's remarks and his slides.
2022 Fall Dinner
The Historical Society's 2022 Fall Dinner featured Joe and David Norris with their songs and stories of the County and Southern Maryland. The dinner was held at the Old Breton Inn in Leonardtown on Friday, October 14, 2022.
2022 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: The DNA of History
In 2019, the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Historical Society conducted an extensive DNA study looking into the genetic diversity and the role that kinship has played in shaping 17th century migration patterns to the Chesapeake colonies of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. The project's leader, Raquel Fleskes is well-known to those who participated in the study. Along with her Doctoral Advisor, Dr. Theodore Schurr, Raquel’s last visited us at the College of Southern Maryland in early 2020. when she and Dr. Schurr presented their early findings. Now a National Science Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Fleskes returns to the Historical Society to present updated findings from the project and ancient DNA research.
2021 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: What's In A Name?
The annual Spring Meeting and Dinner of the St Mary's County Historical Society. Held on May 21, 2021, the theme was "What's In A Name" - recalling the names - especially the nicknames - and the people who carried them in St Mary's County. Presented by Pete Himmelheber and Pat Woodburn.
2019 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: Taverns and Ordinaries
Those wonderful places where neighbors gathered, and still gather, to swap stories, catch up on the local news, gossip, and just be neighborly – most often over a glass of beer or – at least in the old days – a tumbler or two St Mary’s County rye.
2018 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: Hoofbeats Through History in St. Mary's County
From farm work to racing to polo, and delivering the National Christmas Tree to the White House, horses have played a major role in the County. For the 2018 Annual Meeting & Spring Dinner, members and guests retell stories of these noble steeds.
2017 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: Stores as Community Centers
Stores have been an integral part of St. Mary's County life - those neighborhood stores where folks came not only to purchase items but to sit and chat, maybe over a beer or coffee, about the latest news and gossip. This May 2017 Spring Dinner brought those stores, people, and conversations back to life.
2016 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: Oysters... 1634 to Spats
At the 2016 Annual General Meeting & Spring Dinner, members and guests shared stories of Maryland's, and the County's, favorite food: oysters.
2014 Spring Dinner/Annual Meeting: Bootleggers Bash
"Bootleggers Bash" was the topic of the May 2014 Annual Spring Dinner. Several Historical Society members including Silas Hurry, Roy Dyson, George Baroniak, John Roache, Pat Woodburn, and others offered tales of bootleggers and rum-runners (or, more correctly, rye and bourbon runners) in St. Mary's County.