Talbot County eighth graders poured out of school buses and onto the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum to explore the meaning of freedom.

The exhibit, “Bear Me Into Freedom: The Talbot County of Frederick Douglass,” opened March 5. The exhibition traces Douglass’ life from his birth and early years as an enslaved person in Talbot County, through his escape to freedom, and into his later returns to the region as a celebrated free man.

WBOC took to the skies and collected some aerial footage of General Perry Benson’s Grave in Talbot County.

Solomon Barrott (1763–1851) enlisted in the Revolutionary War at age sixteen and served as a drummer in the Maryland Line, fighting in major battles of the Southern Campaign through the surrender at Yorktown. Remembered as “The Little Drummer Boy” and the last surviving member of the Maryland Line, he later returned to Easton, where he lived as a respected citizen and is buried at Spring Hill Cemetery.

On the Eastern Bay of Maryland’s Chesapeake lies the quiet village of Claiborne. Today, it's known for its scenic views and once-thriving ferry dock connecting it to Baltimore and the Western Shore. But few realize that the village carries the name of a figure central to one of the earliest territorial disputes in American colonial history: William Claiborne.

Caroline Burnite Walker was a pioneering librarian who founded the Talbot County Free Library in 1925, ensuring free access to books for the community. A nationally recognized leader in children's library services, she believed in the power of literacy and worked tirelessly to bring a library to Talbot County. Thanks to her vision, TCFL continues to serve thousands of residents today.

Mary Elizabeth Banning, a self-taught mycologist from Talbot County, made significant contributions to the study of fungi in the 19th century. Her unpublished manuscript, The Fungi of Maryland, included 174 detailed watercolor illustrations, some depicting species never before recorded. Despite the challenges women faced in science at the time, her passion and meticulous research earned her lasting recognition, including a fungus named in her honor—Hypomyces banningii.

Amelia B. Coppuck Welby, born in St. Michaels in 1819, was a celebrated 19th-century poet known for her lyrical and romantic verse. Writing under the pen name Minstrel-girl, her poetry gained national recognition, with her 1845 collection Poems by Amelia earning praise—even from Edgar Allan Poe. Though her life was brief, her work remains a beautiful part of Talbot County’s literary history.

Thelma Alfred was a dedicated educator and civil rights leader who founded the Talbot County NAACP in 1949, leading efforts for desegregation and racial equality. Her lifelong commitment to education, activism, and community service left a lasting impact on Talbot County.

Nathaniel “Nace” Hopkins, known as "Uncle Nace," was a man of resilience, leadership, and vision. Born into slavery around 1830 in Trappe, Maryland, his life was marked by a determination to uplift his community.