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The Chesapeake Loga publication of the chesapeake bay MaritiMe MuseuM

Winter/spring 2014

2 winter/spring 2014 the chesapeake log the chesapeake log winter/spring 2014 3

contents Winter/Spring 2014

chairman’s messageby Tom D. Seip

president’s letterby Langley R. Shook

currentsCBMM awarded grants; new oyster drop-off location; Oyster Stew Competition winner; ALL announces new officers; New Governors welcomed to board; New decoy exhibit in April; New choices for Membership, and more.

curator’s cornerGloucester of the Merchants & Miners Transportation Company by Norman H. Plummer

CBMM receives several gifts to collection

lifelinesVolunteer Profile: Martha Austinby Marie Thomas

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5 6

12

15

16

24

26

featuresRosie Parks Floatsby Dick Cooper

Showboat Days are here again: The James Adams Floating Theatreby Kate Livie

calendarSpeaker Series, Member Nights, education and boatyard programs, WineFest, Elf Classic Yacht Race, Maritime Model Expo, and save-the-dates for 2014.

on the railUpdates on the Potomac River Dory Boat, tug Delaware, draketail Martha, and Rosie Parks' pushboat. Plus, meet the newest addition to the CBMM Boatyard crew.

19 22

notice: help WanteD cbMM summer sailing program instructor

Help the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum teach the fun, excitement, and adventure of sailing on the Miles River! We are currently seek-ing sailing instructors and volunteers to assist the Education Department with teaching children and adults the basic fundamentals and technical skills of sailing on our JY 15 vessels. All instructors must be certified in Boaters Safety and/or life guarding through the American Red Cross. Applicants for the head sailing instructor position must additionally be US Sailing Certified Level 1.

Employment dates: June 10th – August 28th. To apply for an instructor position please send résumé to: Human Resources Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum P. O. Box 636 St. Michaels, MD 21663

Résumés can also be emailed to [email protected]. To apply for a volunteer position, please contact [email protected] or 410-745-4956 for more information.

Service learning hours are available for Maryland high school students!

mission statementthe Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and people of the Chesapeake Bay.

museum Valuesrelevance. we provide meaningful and accessible experiences to everyone who cares about our Mission—all of our communities and constituencies.

authenticity. we seek genuinely to repre-sent the people and cultures whose stories we preserve and tell.

stewardship. we value the priceless assets entrusted to us and accept their preserva-tion and enhancement as our paramount responsibility—our collections, our campus and facilities, our financial resources, and the volunteers and staff who perform our Mission and make our Museum the rich enterprise it is.

sign up for our e-newsletter and stay up-to-date on all of the news and events at the Museum. email [email protected] to be added to our mailing list.

chesapeake Bay maritime museum

navy point, po box 636st. Michaels, MD 21663410-745-2916 • cbmm.org

hours:April to May, 9am–5pmJune to August, 9am–6pmSept. to Oct., 9am–5pmNov. to March, 10am–4pm

On the cover:The skipjack Rosie Parks was relaunched at the annual OysterFest celebration on November 2, 2013. Photo courtesy of William Wilhelm, williamwilhelm.com.

editors: Marie thomas & tracey Munsoncreative director: Marie thomascopy editor: Mariana lesher

contributing Writers: Dick cooper, esty collet, kate livie, tracey Munson, norman plummer, tom seip, langley shook, Marie thomas.

The Chesapeake Log is a publication of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

connect With us:

beautifulswimmers.tumblr.com

chesapeakeboats.blogspot.com

in loving Memory of chrys alvarado

On January 20, 2014, our long-time volunteer and friend Chrys Alvarado passed away. Chrys became a CBMM volunteer in 2005, acting first as a docent and a Crab Cakes and ecology cruise educator before assisting as a receptionist, membership assis-tant, volunteer association board member, volunteer support committee member, and special event volunteer. Chrys had her hand in almost every facet of what we do and was always here to help when we put out a call.

Chrys was always a surprise—she regaled us at board meetings with stories from her youth, including saving lives as a lifeguard. She led an amazing life and we were fortunate to have her here with us to share her energy and enthusiasm. Later we were awed by her strength as she fought an amazing battle for her life. She will be very missed by the staff and volunteers at CBMM. Our sincerest condolences are with her beloved husband Ed, and her lovely family.

Apprentice for a Day public Boatbuilding program

Learn traditional boatbuilding skills under the direction of a CBMM shipwright. Be a part of the whole 17-week process or just sign up for those aspects of boatbuilding you want to learn.

JourneyMan's special :Choose any four classes for $150 CBMM members & $200 non-members. Drop-in rate $45 / $55.

Current project: 17-1/2 foot lapstrake sailing skiff

Questions? [email protected] or 410-745-4980

Schedule: bit.ly/afad2014


Chairman’s Messageby Tom D. Seip, Chair of the Board

Board of Governors2013-2014

tom D. seip, Chairrichard c. tilghman, Jr., Vice Chair

James p. harris, Treasurerrichard J. bodorff, Secretary

schuyler bensonpaul berry

harry W. burtonWilliam b. carterWilliam s. Dudley

David e. DunnDagmar D. p. gipe

e. brooke harwood, Jr.christopher a. havener, Jr.

francis hopkinson, Jr.fred israel

richard J. Johnsonpeter M. kreindlerelizabeth s. loker

frank c. Marshall, Jr.patrice Miller

geoffrey f. oxnambruce a. ragsdaleMitchell b. reissD. bruce rogerss. stevens sands

lelde schmitzDiane J. staley

henry h. stansburybenjamin c. tilghman, Jr.

alfred tyler, 2nd carolyn h. Williams

Presidentlangley r. shook

Emeritirichard t. allen

howard s. freedlanderalan r. griffith

Margaret D. kellerbreene M. kerr

charles l. lea, Jr.D. ted lewers, MDfred c. MeendsenJohn c. north iisumner parker

robert a. perkinsJoseph e. peters

James k. petersonnorman h. plummer

John J. robertshenry h. spire

James e. thomasJoan Darby West

Donald g. Whitcomb

Museum Staff

PresidentLangley R. Shook, President, 4951

Breene M. Kerr Center for Chesapeake StudiesPete Lesher, Chief Curator, 4971

Richard Scofield, Assistant Curator of Watercraft, 4966

Rob Forloney, Director of the Kerr Center, 4959

Kate Livie, Director of Education, 4947

Eric Applegarth, Exhibits Specialist, 4945

Lynne Phillips, Collections Manager, 4972

Helen Van Fleet, Education & Reservations Assistant, 4941

Boatyard Michael Gorman, Vessel Maintenance Manager, 4968

Mark Donohue, Rosie Parks Project Manager, 4967

Jennifer Kuhn, Boatyard Program Manager, 4980

Joe Connor, Vessel Maintenance Assistant

Bill Bronaugh, Shipwright Apprentice

Brooke Ricketts, Shipwright Apprentice

Communications & Special EventsTracey Munson, Vice President of Communications, 4960

Marie Thomas, Communications Manager & Art Director, 4953

Melissa Spielman, Director of Events & Volunteer Program, 4956

Ida Heelan, Events Coordinator, 4944

Development & Constituent ServicesRené Stevenson, Vice President of Constituent Services, 4950

Debbie Collison, Membership Manager, 4991

Cheryl Miller, Constituent Services Assistant, 4943

Megan Fisher, Visitor Services Manager, 4945

FinanceJean Brooks, Vice President of Finance, 4958

Craig Atwood, Director of Finance, 4958

Patti Miller, Store Business Development Manager, 4954

Digie McGuirk, Staff Accountant, 4957

Devon Duvall, Museum Store Manager, 4962

Tara Mores, Leslie Price, Museum Store Clerks

OperationsBill Gilmore, Vice President of Operations, 4949

John Ford, Facilities Manager, 4970

Lad Mills, Boat Donations Program Manager, 4942

Sam Fairbank, Facilities Maintenance Assistant, 4969

Joseph Redman, Facilities Maintenance Assistant, 4969

Andrew Walter, Boat Donations Program

Assistant Manager, 4942

To contact, dial 410-745, and the number listed.

To email, use the first initial, full last name @cbmm.org.

President’s Letterby Langley R. Shook, President

It’s been a little over three months since the historic relaunch of the skipjack Rosie Parks, and I can still feel the excitement of that warm November afternoon. More than 4,500 people joined us at OysterFest—the largest, single day crowd in the Museum’s 48-year history—to witness Rosie kissing the water for her well-deserved homecoming. From the rechristening ceremony with Parks family members, to the solo performance of the hymn, “A Closer Walk with Thee” as the iconic skipjack headed down the railway, the day was filled with moments many will remember for a lifetime.

To me, the relaunch marks one of the most significant milestones in the 48-year history of this institution, one that will remain a part of Museum President Langley Shook’s rich legacy. With Langley’s retirement plans announced this past December, it’s a great time to reflect on his four-plus years of contributions to the Museum serving as its fourth President. And as he stays on board until his successor is found, Langley’s contri-butions continue to strengthen the Museum through this transitional period.

Coming out of his law practice retirement with a commitment to lead the Museum for up to five years, Langley began his tenure guiding the Museum through tough economic times. Today, his leadership is marked by a long list of major accomplishments, includ-ing fundraising for the Rosie Parks restoration, living shoreline extension and bulkhead projects, as well as attracting more diversified audiences to the Museum. He’s doubled Annual Fund donations and boosted planned giving toward the Museum, all while recruiting and hiring what I believe is the Museum’s best-ever staff. Because of Langley’s leadership, we are well-positioned to attract and engage the next leader of the Museum.

After Langley’s announcement, a search committee was formed to begin the process of finding a new President for the Museum. The committee includes Emeritus and stand-ing board members, staff, and the Executive Committee, including myself, serving as ex-officio members. Throughout the process, other volunteers will be solicited for their input as well. The process began in December with the search committee interviewing five executive search firms ranging from solo practitioners to large international firms. With a search firm now chosen, we are on our way to meeting the next President of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The interviewing and selection process is expected to take approximately six months, during which time Langley will remain on board lead-ing the Museum.

Until that time, we’re continuing to build upon your love of the Chesapeake Bay through an engaging series of educational and boat restoration programs and a line-up of special events to enjoy. From an oar-making workshop to public sailing days, to our kids club and a new decoy exhibit, the Museum offers something to engage every interest and age level. See our calendar on page 24 for more information. And if you missed the relaunch of the skipjack Rosie Parks, be sure to go online and watch a short video of the historic moment at bit.ly/rosieparks.

Soon I will step down as President of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum when a successor is named. It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve for the past four years. Karen and I have enjoyed almost every moment of it. Sometimes the best things in life are serendipi-tous. This has been both.

Several things stand out in my mind—diver-sifying the Museum’s audiences with events like Watermen’s Appreciation Day and Frederick Douglass Day; restoring the skipjack Rosie Parks to her former glory; increasing donations to the Annual Fund and planned giving; enhancing the Museum’s waterfront with a new bulkhead and living shoreline; and seeing our staff and volunteer forces strengthened. None of this would have been possible without your support, and I thank you for it.

During the quieter winter months we’ve focused on how we can serve our members and visitors better while increasing visitor related, or “earned” revenue that is an important goal of the Museum’s new strategic plan to sustain the institution for the long term. Besides improving amenities for our boaters—adding air conditioning in the showers, at last!—we’ve restructured membership levels to better align dues with the corresponding benefits. The new membership levels and their dues are set out on page 10. A modest increase in general admission charges also will allow us to expand many of our programs, upgrade our facilities, and better serve our members, visitors, and the community at large.

CBMM is fortunate to have membership dues and paid admissions fund a larger portion of operating expenses than many of its peers, but charitable gifts still provide the lion’s share of revenue support. Please consider donating to this year’s Annual Fund that closes on April 30, or making a second gift. Planned giving opportuni-ties can be found on page 14, including an invitation to join the new Lighthouse Legacy Society that should especially interest those who love CBMM and its mission, but who may not feel comfortable making a substantial gift until lifetime financial responsibilities are fulfilled. My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who has donated or arranged a planned gift to the Museum. Your support is what enables us to connect people from all walks of life to the Chesapeake Bay. Your belief in our Museum is what allows it to be at the forefront of preserving and exploring the history, environ-ment, and people of the Chesapeake Bay.

I cannot close without remembering and cherishing Chrys Alvarado, who we lost after her long and courageous battle with cancer. For a decade Chrys was an absolutely sensational CBMM volunteer and good friend, who had her helpful hands in almost every facet of what makes CBMM so special. In my time, Chrys was the always cheerful volunteer receptionist at the front desk, a few steps from my office door, on Friday afternoons. Chrys never lost her lovely Roanoke, Virginia accent, and she never lost her twinkle and always upbeat personality. Our hearts go out to Ed, another champion CBMM volunteer, and the rest of Chrys’s loving family.


currents

cbMM awarded stories of the chesapeake grant; works with SMHS senior to create interpretive panels

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was one of nine recipients of the “Stories of the Chesapeake Small Grants” for 2014, awarded by the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area organization. The Museum received funds to create and install interpretive panels in the small boat shed detailing the various Chesapeake Bay fisheries such as pound netting, gill netting, and the significance of the small crafts featured in the exhibit. Beginning in September and continuing through mid-January, St. Michaels High School senior Charles Danenmann interned at the Museum, assisting CBMM Exhibits Specialist Eric Applegarth with the graphic design of the new signage.

“I’ve really enjoyed interning at CBMM,” says Danenmann. “I liked working with staff to create the new panels and I’ve learned lots of new things that have helped me in my Interactive Multimedia Design class at SMHS.” He hopes to continue studying graphic design in college.

“We are pleased to have received this award as it will allow CBMM to update and expand its interpretive labels for a large number of small craft, all with tremendous significance for the people of the Bay. Each one of these boats has a unique story to tell and this grant gives us the

opportunity to highlight how they were used, why they are special and their role in our communi-ties,” says Director of the Center for Chesapeake Studies Robert Forloney.

Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, focusing on Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, is a program of Eastern Shore Heritage Area, one of several designated and certi-fied Maryland Heritage Areas, where public and private partners make commitments to preserve historical, cultural, and natural resources for sustainable economic development through heritage tourism. For more information, visit storiesofthechesapeake.org.

st. Michaels high school senior charles Danenmann.

Oyster Recovery Partnership oyster drop-off location now at cbMM

CBMM once again partnered with the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) to collect 500 gallons of oyster shells at OysterFest. In addition, the Museum now has four 32-gallon barrels installed alongside the access road off the CBMM parking lot year-round. The barrels are available any time to members of the public to drop off used shells to be collected by ORP, who will then transport them to Horn Point for processing. Each shell recycled is then seeded with an average of 10 baby oysters and planted back into the Bay in an effort to restore oyster reefs.

The Oyster Recovery Partnership is a nonprofit organi-zation whose mission is to plan, promote, and implement science-based and sustainable shellfish restoration, aqua-culture and wild fishery activities to protect the environment, support the economy, and preserve cultural heritage. For more information, visit oysterrecovery.org.

theo's steaks, sides & spirits wins oyster stew competition

Theo’s Steak, Sides & Spirits owner Chris Agharabi recently accepted a plaque from the Museum for winning the oyster stew competition at the 2013 OysterFest celebration. Six restaurants competed, with more than 500 participants taking part in blind taste tests and voting by ballot for their favorite stew.

Theo’s Steaks was served as stew ‘F’ in the tastings. OysterFest participants also picked Roy’s Kwick Korner, from Glen Burnie (stew ‘D’) as second, with third place going to Bistro of St. Michaels, (stew ‘C’). Mark your calendars for next year’s annual OysterFest on Saturday, October 25, 2014.

all announces new officers at January meeting

The Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL) held its annual meeting and winter social on January 9 at CBMM. Members elected new officers and learned who will serve as board members and committee chairs for the organization. ALL is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization committed to promoting the exploration of ideas, exchanging knowl-edge, and sharing experiences.

The ALL officers for 2014-2015 are Wilson Wyatt, Jr., President; Robert Lonergan, Vice-President; John Ford, Secretary; and Brice Gambler, Treasurer. Nominating Committee members include Ed Delaney, Barbara Reisert, and Ron Lesher, Immediate Past President.

The elected at-large board members will serve staggered terms. Tom Hollingshead, Anne McCormick, and Ed Delaney will serve in 2014. Kate Mann, Jim Adams, and Barbara Reisert will serve for 2014-2015. Wyatt named the committee chairs, who are appointed by the president and also serve on the board and the executive committee during their terms: Sam Barnett, Curriculum; Esty Collet and Ann DeMart (co-chair), Marketing; Beverley Martin, Membership; Brice Gambler, Finance; and Helen Van Fleet, Registrar.

Attendees at the event also enjoyed hearing Vice President Bob Lonergan describe the ALL Winter Session courses and events. For more information about these programs, to obtain a catalog for the full semester, or to register for courses, please call 410-745-4941 or visit cbmm.org/all.

all Vice president bob lonergan with John Miller, a presenter of “Master of the Modern short story: alice Munro,” from January 14 to february 4. photo courtesy of katie Wyatt.

Mrycf awards grant to cbMM sailing program

The Miles River Yacht Club Foundation (MRYCF) in St. Michaels, MD has awarded the Museum a grant to help underwrite new equipment for the Summer Sailing Program. The grant will replace torn sails and provide a new dolly to move the sailboats. Currently, the Sailing Program has only one new sail, which was generously funded by MRYCF in 2012. The new equipment is imperative to the success of the program. To find out more about our Summer Sailing Program, visit cbmm.org/learn.htm.


currents

The Museum’s Board of Governors recently elected three new governors. Joining for a three-year term are Beth Loker of Royal Oak, MD, Bruce Rogers of Easton, MD and Carolyn Williams of Washington D.C. and Easton, MD.

Beth Loker retired after 30 years with The Washington Post in 2003, serving the last 10 years as its vice president of systems and engineering. She has served on several boards of directors, primarily in the health care and media fields, including CareFirst Inc., and currently with Quality Health Strategies and the Copyright Clearance Center.

In addition to corporate boards, Loker’s volunteer work includes supporting scholarship students at University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Sciences Horn Point Laboratory, and serv-ing as honorary director with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, as well as emerita member and past chair of The George Washington University’s National Council for Arts and Sciences. Loker earned her BA degree in philosophy from the George Washington University and completed graduate studies in opera-tions research and economics.

Bruce Rogers has served as president of Sherwood of Salisbury for more than 25 years, after serv-ing as its vice president for seven. His community involvement includes serving on the advisory council for Salisbury University’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business and as board member of the Salisbury Foundation Board. He previ-ously served as a member of the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, board member of the Calvin B. Taylor Bank, and advisory board member of the Wilmington

Trust Company. Rogers attended Salisbury University before earning his BS in business from Northwood Institute in Midland, MI.

A graduate of Cambridge University in England and Yale Law School, Carolyn Williams practiced law for 35 years with the Washington, D.C. law firm Williams & Connolly. She special-ized in complex civil litigation represent-ing companies such as General Electric and Pfizer Inc., in defense of product liability suits and The Washington Post and The National Enquirer in defense of defamation actions.

Williams serves on the boards of several professional and charitable organizations, including the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s mediation program, the Yale Law School Alumni Board, the Vestry of Christ Church-Easton and the Board of Trustees of the Academy Art Museum in Easton.

fordham brewing donates proceeds from Rosie Parks oyster stout

Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company, of Dover, Delaware, donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Rosie Parks Oyster Stout to the Museum, for the second year in a row.

“Every year, we look forward to brewing Rosie Parks Oyster Stout. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is doing important work, and we are excited that our beer can help draw attention to it,” says President and CEO Jim Lutz. The Rosie Parks oyster stout is seasonally available in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Delaware for a limited time.

fordham & Dominion brewing president & ceo Jim lutz presents cbMM Vice president of communications tracey Munson with a check for $500, proceeds from the sale of the Rosie Parks oyster stout.

new Decoy exhibit: Carvers at the Crossroads

cbMM introduces speaker's bureauLet the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum bring the stories of the Chesapeake's culture, history, and environ-ment to your organization or group with our new speaker's bureau. Through hour-long presentations by CBMM's cura-tors, shipwrights, and educators, your audience can discover the history of the Bay's steamboat days, the adventure of log canoe racing, the pleasures of early Chesapeake yacht cruis-ing, and the stories of watermen making a living on Tangier, Smith and Hooper's Islands.

The cost is $200 per presentation within a 30-mile radius of CBMM. Presentations outside of the 30-mile radius incur an additional mileage fee. Two weeks notice is encouraged when booking a speaker. A list of topics is available at cbmm.org/cbmmspeakers. Contact Director of Education Kate Livie at 410-745-4947 or [email protected] for more information or to schedule a presentation.

Decoys and tools from upper chesapeake bay carvers, including the toolbox of chesapeake city carver leonard pryor, will be featured in the exhibit Carvers at the Crossroads.

The Chesapeake Bay’s Susquehanna Flats were a mecca for waterfowl hunting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the confluence of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, the rich bottom grasses and shallow open water provided the perfect habitat for millions of migratory ducks and geese that drew sportsmen and market hunters alike to the region’s small waterfront towns.

In these communities of Maryland’s Cecil and Harford counties, decoy carvers of all skill levels and walks of life worked to keep up with the demand for expansive decoy rigs to harvest the blizzards of wildfowl. Although most carvers developed a unique, identifiable style, decoy construction or decoration styles had a way of flowing between counties, towns, and even states because of connections between different craftsmen—familial ties, friendship, and sometimes just fancy.

In the upcoming exhibit, Carvers at the Crossroads: Sharing Ideas, Techniques and Styles Across the Chesapeake’s Susquehanna Flats, the stories and connections between these early 20th century carvers will be told through artifacts, photographs, and above all, the decoys they created. Like Leonard Pryor, a Chesapeake City carver whose elegant birds communicated influences both deeply local and surprisingly distant, Carvers at the Crossroads will connect visitors with a period in Chesapeake history when the carving techniques and skills of the Susquehanna Flats were as abundant and nomadic as the canvasbacks, pintails, and blackheads they artfully rendered. Exhibit opens April 12, 2014 and continues through November.

Members Preview: April 11, 2014 (see page 24)Video of Fordham Tour: bit.ly/fordhamtour

Beginning in the fall of 2012, CBMM Board of Governors alumni have reconnected with the Museum they have served so faithfully since its founding. In October 2012, then Chair of the Board CG Appleby and his wife Nancy hosted a party to kick off this new alumni effort, with two information sessions following in the spring and fall of 2013.

Emeritus Board Member Howard Freedlander is leading the alumni effort, happily accepting CG's request to establish an alumni group.

“This effort to enable former governors to renew their ties to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has been really gratify-ing,” Freedlander said. “The on-campus session led by CBMM staff offered attend-ees an opportunity to learn about and comment on the strategic plan, while learn-ing about the Museum's current educational activities. Both sessions were fascinating and well-received. I hope that more and more of our board alumni will attend our staff-led activities.”

The next CBMM Board Alumni event is scheduled for April 24. Contact René Stevenson for details at 410-745-4950 or email [email protected].

cbMM welcomes new board members

pictured from left: bruce rogers, beth loker, and carolyn Williams were recently elected as new members with three-year terms to the board of governors of the chesapeake bay Maritime Museum in st. Michaels, MD.

cbMM alumni event


currents

new choices for membershipIn our ongoing effort to better serve CBMM members, we solicited feedback over the last year to see how we could better suit your needs. In addition to increasing amenities for our boaters—including air conditioning in the showers—we have restructured membership levels to create more choices. This new membership structure goes into effect when your current membership expires. Until your membership expires, you will continue to enjoy your current level of membership and all its benefits. When your membership expires, you'll be able to choose a new level of membership that best suits your needs and budget. If you have questions, please call our Membership Office at 410-745-4991.

OLD LeVeLs Of MeMBership

individual

family

Do you want to bring in extra guests?

contributor

Do you want overnight docking privileges?

supporter

Benefactor

sustaining

life

new ChOiCes

individual $60• free general admission and reduced festival admission for oneadult for one year

• 10% Museum Store discount

household $75• free general admission and reduced festival admission for twoadults & children under 18 for one year

• 10% Museum Store discount• free day docking

friends & family $100• all benefits of household plus• free general admission for two additional guests for one year• Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) reciprocal admission to over 80 museums nationwide

mariner $125• all benefits of family & friends plus• overnight docking privileges

supporter $200• all benefits of mariner plus• free docking on second night of visit • free head pump out

Benefactor $500• all benefits of supporter plus• 20% Museum Store discount• free CBMM Burgee

sustaining $1,000• all benefits of Benefactor plus• one free night of docking during peak season

life $2,500 (one time fee)

• all benefits of sustaining plus• free signed, limited edition maritime print

no

yes

no

yes

ALL MEMBERS RECEIVE:

• reduced admission to Museum programs and special events

• member hospitality areaat special events

• exclusive monthlyMember night programs, concerts, presentations

• discounts on Museumclasses, workshops, and boat rides

• discounts at partici-pating local merchants, restaurants, hotels, inns, and bed & breakfasts

• CBMM member decaland membership cards

• annual subscription toThe Chesapeake Log

A big thanks to theNEALL FAMILY

CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

We are pleased to announce the Navy Point showers and

bathrooms will be air conditioned to benefit our boating members as well as our visitors, thanks to the

Neall Family Charitable Foundation. The high efficiency units are

Energy Star approved and have an 18 SEER (Seasonal Energy

Efficiency Ratio) rating by the U.S. Department of Energy, making

CBMM a first class energy efficient facility, minimizing operating costs.

cbMM Member perksMembership has its benefits, including discounts on lodging, dining, shopping, and area attractions at 45 local businesses. present your cbMM membership card before purchase; discounts apply only to cardholder.

cbMM sponsorsFive Gables Inn & Spa • fivegables.com15% off lodging; mention CBMM discount for reservation

Ava's Pizzeria & Wine Bar • avaspizzeria.com10% off regular menu Sun-Thurs

Sherwood's Landing & Pursers PubThe Inn at Perry Cabin • perrycabin.com10% off food & beverage Sun-Thurs, no holidays

Chesapeake Bay Outfitters • 410-745-310710% store discount

Pixel, Print & Post • pixelprintpost.com10% off $25+ retail document services, packing & shipping

Patriot Cruises • patriotcruises.com$49 Member Season Pass

Visit bit.ly/memberperks to download a complete list with more than 45 participating local businesses!

don't forget to use your museum store discount!

Museum members get store discounts, and your purchases support the children

and adults served by our educational, exhibit, and boat restoration programming.

books • jewelry • artwork • model kits clothing • ceramics • toys • ornaments housewares • keepsakes • and more!

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Store410-745-4962 / online store coming soon!


curator’s corner

Gloucester of the Merchants & Miners transportation companyby Norman H. Plummer

The Museum is fortunate to have in its collection an oil painting by

Otto Muhlenfeld of the Merchants & Miners Transportation Company steamer Gloucester. Muhlenfeld, who died at age 35 in 1907, was known as the “Port Painter of Baltimore.” He was born in Baltimore and lived near the harbor all his life and his paintings of harbor activity include vessels of all descriptions including tugs, pilot boats, and steamers.

The Baltimore-based Merchants & Miners Transportation Company was incorporated on April 24, 1852. During its existence, the company operated passenger and cargo steamships that served ports in Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. International service to Havana, Cuba was initiated in 1920, and to Nassau, Bahamas, in 1939, but unlike the company’s domestic routes, neither of these services endured. Its vessels served the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World Wars I and II.

In World War II, most of the company’s ships were requisitioned for war duty. Unfortunately, after the war, the company could not afford to re-purchase the ships sold to the government for the war effort, or build new ships. Operations ended in 1948 and the company was liquidated in 1952. Over the course of its long history, Merchants & Miners had 64 vessels. The steel-hulled Gloucester was built in 1893 by the Maryland Steel Company at Sparrows Point in Baltimore for $343,000. Her official dimensions were:

length, 272.2; beam, 42.0; depth, 16.0; and her original tonnage was 2,541.61 gross and 1,976.99 net. Her original Certificate of Enrollment, issued in Baltimore on November 2, 1893, describes her as a “Steel Steamer—has a Stem head and a Round stern.” She was a coal-burning screw steamer.

You might say Gloucester was an unlucky ship. Her first serious accident occurred at 1:30am on September 16, 1898 while en route from Baltimore to Boston, when she struck the fishing schooner Alice C. Jordan off Martha’s Vineyard. As described in The New York Times, “The Gloucester struck the schooner with fearful force nearly in the centre of the port bow and cut into her fully a third of her breadth.” Nine of the schooner’s crewmen died, three killed in the collision, the others trapped below when the schooner sank. Seven,

including the captain, were picked from the ocean by the Gloucester and carried into Boston. Coincidentally, the Jordan hailed from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Her second disaster happened at 4:44am on March 16, 1912 when she collided with the four-masted schooner Herbert D. Maxwell off Thomas Point in the Chesapeake Bay. The 186-foot, Maine-built Maxwell was carrying 1,150 tons of fertilizer from Baltimore, bound for Wilmington, North Carolina.

The schooner sank and four of her crew went down with her. However, Gloucester picked up her captain and the remaining crew. Gloucester broke her foremast and had considerable torn rigging and broken rails. She made port in Baltimore unassisted, guided by Captain J. McDorman. For the Gloucester’s next big adventure, she was on the other side of the coin this

an oil painting of the steamer Gloucester, by the “port painter of baltimore,” otto Muhlenfeld.

time, responding to a crash. On June 10, 1930, the Merchants & Miners’ Fairfax rammed and sank the tanker Pinthis, with the end result of 48 lives lost.

Fairfax left Boston in early evening in dense fog, blowing fog signals repeat-edly. The inbound Pinthis emerged from a fog bank and blew one blast on her whistle. Fairfax had only 100 to 200 feet of warning and distance after sight-ing Pinthis. The Fairfax hit Pinthis at an estimated speed of three knots.

A gash in the Pinthis’s hull freed thousands of gallons of high-test gaso-line to enter her engine room, where it met the open furnace fires. Pinthis

became a huge fireball, showering fiery streams aboard Fairfax and adjacent water before burning fiercely. All 30 of the crew were immediate victims of the sudden holocaust, along with 18 passengers.

Immediately after the impact, the captain sent an SOS, ordered the fire alarms to be set off, and contacted the Gloucester which was due to leave Boston about that time. She came by and took surviving Pinthis passengers to shore. Captain Brooked backed Fairfax away from the Pinthis and anchored away from the burning pyre. Gloucester’s career ended a few years later.

Her last master, from November 20, 1934, was H.E. Callis. Her last license was surrendered at Baltimore on February 21, 1938, the reason given was

“Vessel scrapped,” and under that was rubber-stamped, “Abandoned.”

Gloucester herself may have been abandoned, but her story lives on in Muhlenfeld’s fine painting. Other Muhlenfeld paintings in the Museum collection show the Merchants & Miners steamers Itasca, and the excur-sion steamboat Ontario, and Rock Creek, as well as the tugs Dauntless, Savage, and Pilot #1.

cbMM receives several gifts for collection

(top left) CBMM President Langley Shook stands with Ed Hatch (pictured right) who recently donated his 36'' x 48'' oil painting of the log canoe Edmee S to the Museum. “I was fortunate enough to experience sailing on this elegant lady and seeing her under sail is a thing of beauty. It is my privilege to donate this painting to such a prestigious and informative institution, and it is my desire that the painting be placed where it can be enjoyed,” said Hatch.

(top right) Chief Curator Pete Lesher holds up “Hammers and Tongs—Jennifer Lynn,” by renowned Chesapeake artist Marc Castelli, who donated this framed, original watercolor to the Museum, in honor of former CBMM Board member Duane Beckhorn.

(bottom left) Larry DeBaugh and his son Fred (pictured left) donated seven model boats, three in exquisite glass display cases. The models range from a delicate mahogany runabout to a detailed, rigged model of Admiral Farragut's flagship, USS Hartford. As a child, Larry spent his summers cruising the Chesapeake with his family, and has

fond memories of the Museum and the Chesapeake Bay. (bottom right) Beatrice Schirmer donated her Bryan Quirk oil painting of the skipjack Rosie Parks in memory of her late husband, Howard Gibbons Schirmer, who loved the water.

Do you have an artifact, painting, or Chesapeake Bay-related ephemera that you wish to donate to CBMM? Contact Chief Curator Pete Lesher at 410-745-4971 or [email protected] a look inside the Museum's collection! bit.ly/collectiontour


lifelines

Volunteer Profile: Martha Austin

Martha Austin began volunteering at the Museum in the spring of 2013, donating her time at the reception

desk, where she answers calls from the public and assists various other departments such as membership and market-ing. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Austin moved to the Eastern Shore in 1978, after graduating from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Martha met and married her husband, Captain Jack Austin, in 1979. The Austins have lived in St. Michaels ever since, raising their three daughters, Arianna, Pacy, and Claire, now grown. Captain Jack grew up on the mouth of Leeds Creek and according to Martha, “knows the bottom of that river better than any crab.”

Martha decided to volunteer at CBMM after the open-ing of Push and Pull: Life on Chesapeake Bay Tugboats exhibit, which features her husband, Captain Jack, a tugboat captain.

“I really appreciated the recognition CBMM gave to mari-ners and the tugboat industry in general, because there is an awful lot that goes on in the region that depends on them,” says Martha.

“I realized, as a resident of St. Michaels, how important CBMM is—it’s the backbone of this town, and I really care about it. I appreciate the heritage, especially the maritime history that is preserved here. And it’s just great how the Museum shares this experience with such a broad audi-ence—people who don’t live here can come and appreciate it,” adds Martha.

In addition to volunteering at the Museum and working part-time at Pixel, Print and Post, Martha also helps with the Children’s Home Foundation of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton, Maryland, which provides needs-based funding for local students and adults wishing to pursue technical, job or career training.

“Helping and encouraging students and adults to real-ize there are other options besides the traditional four-year college route and helping them pay for vocational training is very important,” says Martha. “There are so many career opportunities out there, from nursing, electronics, welding, maritime, hospitality, and so many others, and we want to help people find what works best for them.”

“I’d really encourage anyone new to the area to get involved at CBMM. This really is the jumping off point to getting to know the area and its people,” says Martha.

Upcoming Volunteer Docent Training, Van Lennep Auditorium

These sessions are for docents who have completed the annual General Tour Training. The two-part sessions offer background and content information, as well as practical and applied instruction in CBMM's exhibits and campus. Both sessions are mandatory for each program training to be successfully completed. Contact Director of Education Kate Livie at [email protected] or 410-745-4947 for more information or to register.

Bay Bounty Tour Training: March 11 & 13, 10am-12:30pm

St. Michaels Walking Tour Training: March 12 & 14, 10am-12:30pm

Bay Discovery Tour Training: March 18 & 20, 10am-12:30pm

Oystering Legacy Tour Training: March 25 & 27, 10am-12:30pm

Crab Cakes Program Training: April 1, 10am-12:30pm

Through a series of informative and hands-on orientation sessions, the Museum provides volunteers with a wealth of knowledge about Chesapeake culture, history, and its environment. All volunteers participate in basic training sessions and have the opportunity to expand their knowledge with specialized training sessions, focusing on specific topics and programs. Contact Melissa Spielman at 410-745-4956 for more information or email [email protected].

CBMM Welcomes Founding Members of the Lighthouse LegaCy soCietyLEAVING A LEGACY…These generous friends have pledged a legacy gift of $25,000 or more to ensure future generations of visitors will be able to experience and appreciate the rich heritage, culture, traditions, and challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay and the people who have shaped their lives around it.

The LIGhThousE LEGACY soCIETY was launched in June 2013 with a donor’s challenge to generously match bequests of $25,000 or more. This challenge was met and extended by another anonymous donor, resulting in over $8.2 million in legacy gifts committed in just the past six months.

We invite you to join these founding members by naming Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in your will or trust, or as a beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance policy or other planned gift, so the Museum’s mission of preserving and exploring the history, environment and people of the Chesapeake Bay will continue to impact generations to come. or join our friends in the Museum’s PERPETuAL MARINERs soCIETY, who have previously named CBMM in their estate plans. The future of the Museum is in the hands of generous people like you.

For more information, contact René stevenson at 410-745-4950 or [email protected].

NANCY & CG APPLEBY

ELLEN & RIChARd BodoRFF

GLoRIA & JAMEs GIBsoN

GREG GuThMAN

ChRIsToPhER hAVENER

JANE & FRANCIs hoPkINsoN

FRANk MARshALL

NANCY & FREd MEENdsEN

PAMELA & dENNIs PITT

ELLEN & NoRMAN PLuMMER

BRuCE RAGsdALE

RosA & sTEVE sANds

ALExA & ToM sEIP

kAREN & LANGLEY shook

LINdA & hENRY sPIRE

JudY & hENRY sTANsBuRY

RENÉ & ToM sTEVENsoN

BEVERLY & RIChARd TILGhMAN

by Marie Thomas


OysterFest started out more like a September day than a Saturday in November—warm and windless, the air fresh and clear. The campus

of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was scrubbed and painted and the Lady of Honor, the skipjack Rosie Parks, sat high on the marine rail-way overlooking the gathering crowd, a bouquet of red roses gracing her bowsprit. For most of the day, folks were queued up at the oyster-shucking tables, slurping down the Bay’s bounty, judging an oyster-stew contest, or taking in the wares of the gathered vendors. It was like so many other fall festivals—but then it changed.

About 3:30 in the afternoon there was a quiet but noticeable move-ment toward the Boat Shop, the beating heart of the Museum. The crowd started to form along safety ropes lining the marine railway. Those who were savvy and quick enough had already taken up coveted places high above on the Hooper Strait Lighthouse’s decks and cupola. After three years of painstaking work by shipwrights, apprentices, volunteers and even school children, the fully restored Rosie Parks, one of the most celebrated skipjacks in the Bay’s oystering history, was being launched to resume her life as the Museum’s floating ambassador.

“We counted over 4,500 people in attendance,” Museum President Langley Shook said. “Which set an all-time record for a single day crowd in the almost 48 years since the Museum was founded. And we set it by a pretty good margin.”

The crowd hushed as Museum dignitaries spoke about how the rebirth of the Rosie Parks had become a focal point for staff, volunteers, and visi-tors. They talked of how the project became a centerpiece to show off the time-honored skills the Museum has a mission to preserve. Former Board Chairman Joe Peters got a round of applause when current Chairman Tom Seip presented him with a beautiful, scale-model half hull of the Rosie. Peters is credited with being one of the strongest proponents for the rebuild in the face of stiff opposition by some who thought the old boat too far gone to bring back. They argued it would be a waste of good money with so many other projects needing funding; a point of view that most, if not all, have since reversed.

Rosie ParksF L OAT Sby Dick Cooper

“Everything I have heard from every board member has been entirely positive,” Shook said. “Those who were keen on the reconstruction saw it as a way to generate some excitement and be a unifying force to draw attention and energy to the Museum. Now that it is completed I can say that unques-tionably it succeeded.”

Seeing Rosie on the railway that day, all gussied up with her colorful name boards, varnished brightwork, and crisp waterline, it was hard to recall a time when this queen of the oyster fleet had been a derelict hulk, rotting in her slip and in constant danger of sinking. When she was hauled to prevent that fate she instantly began falling apart.

In many ways she was a symbol of hard times at the Museum in the middle of the Great Recession and a constant reminder of the ill effects of years of deferred maintenance. Rosie was suffering from the common disease of her species, wood rot. Skipjacks were designed and built to be stable workstations for dredging oysters in the

days of sail power. Made of cheap local pine fastened to ribs of local oak, they were not built to last. Most skipjacks that were worked hard and put away wet did not survive much past 25 years. Their captains often felt it easier to have another built than to keep up the tedious and expensive repairs.

Continued on page 18

a view of the relaunch from the hooper strait lighthouse. photo by tom stevenson. Watch a video of the launch at bit.ly/rosierelaunch .


feature

So how did Rosie make it to the ripe old age of 59? To begin with, she had good bones and a style and grace uncommon in an oysterman’s world of rough edges and quick fixes. And she had a name and pedigree that made her historically important to preserve, in order to protect the history of the Chesapeake Bay.

She was built in 1955 by Bronza Parks, a self-taught master craftsman whose southern Dorchester County boatyard in Wingate, MD, built hundreds of boats for more than three decades in the mid-20th century. Bronza built the skipjack for his older brother, Captain Orville Parks, who was known on the Bay as one of the best oystermen to ever sail a lick.

Bronza’s life was cut short on May 13, 1958 when he was shot and killed by a mentally ill client over the cost of a custom boat being built. The murder case dragged through courts on both the Eastern and Western Shores for a decade, garnering front-page headlines at every legal twist. Captain Orville went on to win numerous skipjack races at the helm of the Rosie Parks and was named “Admiral of the Chesapeake” by then Governor J. Millard Tawes. In 1970, an ABC television show entitled “The Chesapeake Oystermen” featured him and the Rosie Parks. A news clip promoting the show said Captain Parks was “the embodiment of the skill, determination and courage demanded of this special breed of seamen.”

On the advice of his doctor, Captain Orville got out of oystering at the age of 78 and sold the Rosie to the Museum in 1975. He died the next year just weeks after his 80th birthday.

The rechristening during the 2013 OysterFest took on a more spiritual tone as the Reverend Mark Nestlehutt, rector of Christ Church in St. Michaels, blessed the Rosie and led the crowd in prayer. There was silence while Mary

Parks Harding, Bronza’s daughter and her son Pres Harding, and Sharon Weber and Tom Parks, Orville’s grandchildren, climbed up on a platform at the bow of the skipjack. The petite Mrs. Harding was handed a large bottle of cham-pagne wrapped in burlap. She took a two-handed swing at the bow with the bottle but it failed to break. That did not discourage the matriarch of the extended Parks family.

The crowd waited patiently while she took four more cracks at the bow and then burst in cheers when the bottle exploded white foam over the skipjack like a wave. Sharon Weber stepped up to represent her branch of the family tree and fared a little better, breaking her bottle on the second try.As they stepped back, the Rosie Parks began to slide slowly down the railway as Arlinda Barnes—a vocalist from Trappe, Maryland with a soulful, rich voice—began singing, “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.” When Bronza was

ready to launch a boat, he would crank the handle on a fire engine siren mounted on the wall of his boat shop in Wingate and the residents of the hamlet would come out their homes, in from the fields and workboats to help. Several members of his crew were mu-sicians and would pull out their guitars, fiddles, and mandolins and play gospel tunes as the boats were rolled down on large-wheeled wagons to the water’s edge. When the tide was high enough to launch, they would sing Bronza’s favorite song of all, “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.”

The crowd let out another cheer when Rosie’s rudder touched the water and later roared when she floated free in the harbor.

“I was thrilled during the entire ceremony,” Mrs. Harding said. “I can’t think of a greater tribute to Dad and Uncle Orville.”

Throughout the afternoon, Theodore Cephas, a lean man with the weathered hands and face of a waterman and gray flecks in his beard and hair, watched quietly from the VIP tent next to the railway slip. Old friends and members of the Parks family who have known Cephas since they were children hugged him and made small talk. Cephas was Orville Parks’ first mate on the Rosie and had worked her decks for 20 years side by side with the Captain; a man he said

“could catch oysters on a state road.”When the Rosie was tied off

securely along the dock, the assembled Parks family members stepped back making a path for Cephas. With a quick and practiced motion, he was on board the spotless white decks and headed straight for the helm. He reached a hand out and caressed the cabin top and then a thin smile crossed his lips as he touched a wooden spoke of the wheel, his eyes sparkling as if for only a moment he could see back over the decades.

(top) bronza parks. (bottom) orville parks.

(top row, from left) cbMM chair of the board Tom Seip (right) presents former Chair Joe Peters with a scale-model half hull of the Rosie. the crowd begins to gather. pres harding speaks before the relaunch. photos by cbMM.

(middle row, from left) pres harding, Mary parks harding, sharon Weber and tom parks rechristen the Rosie. photos by Dick cooper.

(bottom row, from left) the crowd cheered as the Rosie kissed the water. photos by cbMM.

Theodore Cephas, first mate aboard the Rosie for more than 20 years, was the first person to step aboard the newly relaunched skipjack. photo by Dick cooper.

Watch the recap of the entire restoration project by DelmarvaLife at bit.ly/RosieDelmarvaLife.


Show Boat Days are here again:The James Adams Floating Theatre

by Kate Livie

The posters came first. Screaming with gaudy colors and emblazoned

with ladies emerging from a haze of stars and clouds, legs extended in a Jazz-Age salute, the imminent appearance was heralded: “Coming! Coming! Coming! Show Boat Days Are Here Again!” Pasted on the walls of Maryland and Virginia’s remote river towns, these visual whoops of excite-ment shared the news of the James Adams Floating Theatre’s hotly anticipated arrival.

In the deeply rural and isolated Chesapeake of the early 20th century, tidewater communities like Crumpton, Tappahannock and St. Michaels were places where life revolved around seasonal cycles on the water and the land—tomatoes, peaches, and crabmeat in summer, with oysters, waterfowl, and muskrat in winter. For Bay folk tethered to the river, it was an ordinary life, stable but utterly devoid of glam-our. From Reedville to Chestertown, Chesapeake communities were starved for an infusion of glittery escapism.

The James Adams Floating Theatre's dockside bulk was a Faberge egg of delights promising a panacea for humdrum hamlet life: a week of nightly romance, adventure, comedy, and music in the 800-capacity audito-rium. As long as they had water access and a few dimes squirreled away, audi-ences along Bay tributaries could sigh with the lovelorn ingénue in Tempest and Sunshine, discover ‘whodunnit’ in The Boy Detective, and shout with encouragement as winsome cowboys defeated the magnificently-mustached

villain in Sunset Trail. From 1914 to 1941, the Floating Theatre enchanted small towns and cities throughout the Chesapeake’s tributaries. Long after its circuit was abandoned for newfangled “talkies” and “colored pictures,” the legacy of the magical little showboat lived on in the memo-ries of its audiences.

The Floating Theatre was the brainchild of a seasoned entertainer and vaudevillian, James Adams, who had made his fortune in the travelling

carnival business. In the late 19th century, as a retinue of showboats plied their trade throughout the rivers of the Midwest, Adams discovered while working in the Southeast that the opportunity of a carnival circuit on the East Coast was still wide open. It was a time period when, according to the U.S. census, more than 60% of the American population still lived in rural, agricultural communities. But even the humblest of towns often boasted its own theater, an outpost of civilization

and culture in remote locales. These small stages, ranging from utilitarian platforms to elaborately appointed entertainment palaces, hosted various troupes of travelling performers during the heyday of the “American Repetoire Theater Movement.”

During a peak of popularity last-ing the first four decades of the 20th century, travelling repertoire compa-nies, comprised of a corps of versatile actors and musicians, provided the main source of entertainment for small town America. Melodramas, musicals, and romantic comedies were the most popular offerings, followed by farces and minstrel shows. Modern audiences would find the fare lowbrow and hammy, but in farm towns and fishing villages, it was an escape from the hard physical-ity of a world where machines had just begun to make everyday life easier.

Adams, a savvy showman, knew well the demand for small-town travelling entertainment, and set about

capitalizing on it in 1913 with the construction of a 128-foot barge in Washington, North Carolina, named Playhouse. Within its 30-by-80 foot auditorium appointed in a cream, blue and gold color scheme, there was room for 500 on the floor and 350 in the balcony, providing the capacity to perform for entire towns. Adams spared no expense—his “Floating Theatre” boasted a stage, room for a 10-piece concert band and a 6-piece orchestra, a galley, a dining room, running water, and room for 25 live-aboard cast and crew. The exterior was painted an immaculate white, with dark trim, porches, and balconies.

Its design, however, was pragmatic as well as pretty—drawing only 14 inches of water when it was empty of audiences meant the Playhouse could easily reach the little towns crowded like barnacles alongside the Chesapeake’s shallow tributaries. Towed on either end by two tugs, Trouper and Elk, and embla-zoned with “James Adams Floating Theatre” in lettering two feet tall, the theater’s buoyant bulk made its leisurely way to river communities throughout the watershed between April and November annually.

Once the Floating Theatre appeared dockside, its small-town hosts could anticipate a week of nightly entertain-ment, from plays and musicales to concerts of the latest popular tunes. Vaudeville bits and specialties performed by company actors and musicians added variety and comedic relief to the play-bill. While the company experienced

a seasonal flux in members, a few regulars cottoned to the Playhouse’s nomadic lifestyle and became featured stars of the theater’s reviews. Beulah Adams, the sister of James, performed trademark roles as the paragon of the blushing ingénue. Known as the “Mary Pickford of the Chesapeake,” with her trademark sausage curls, dimpled smile and petite stature (as well as the help of some artfully-applied stage makeup), she continued performing convincingly as a young girl on the Floating Theatre’s stage until she retired at age 46.

Charles Hunter, Beulah’s husband, was another longtime Floating Theatre troupe member, playing character roles from straight men to love interests. During the vessel’s second season in 1915, he joined the cast, eventually moving up to direct plays and provide artistic oversight. Hunter, although a versatile and competent actor, was dogged by extremely poor eyesight. To look younger for roles, he’d remove his thick glasses before going onstage, clinging to the curtain to enter and exit, blindly groping his way back to the wings once his act was over.

Pop Neel was another longtime Floating Theatre cast member. A grizzled veteran of the carnival circuit, Neel had played with scores of circus bands until he came aboard the Playhouse in 1914 at the age of 56. A cornet player, Neel played competently until his age and health began to take their toll on his teeth. By the early 30’s, his dental state was as dilapidated as an old picket fence.

Continued on page 22

(top) the floating theatre with its two tugs, Trouper and Elk. in 1933, the vessel changed ownership and had a name change to “the original floating theater,” a strategy of the new owner, nina howard, to capitalize on the success of edna ferber's novel, Showboat.

(opposite page) these posters, or “heralds,” were used promotionally in small towns along the James adams floating theatre's circuit. pasted on walls a few weeks prior to the showboat's arrival, heralds such as this one from 1927 created a buzz of excitement amongst potential theater-goers.


In order to keep performing, the Floating Theatre’s management bought him a bass fiddle, one he played until his retirement in 1939 at age 79. Locals were encouraged to support the Showboat’s visits, which resulted in some special perks for those willing to pitch in. Young boys were often singled out for minor chores, toting and fetching, in exchange for tickets to that evening’s entertainment.

Hartley Bayne, a Crumpton resident in the 1930’s, remembers the thrill of “working” for the Floating Theatre as a 10 year-old: “The actors had their private rooms on the Showboat. They had to have fresh water, and water to bathe in. So the boys in Crumpton, and I guess, Centreville and Chestertown,

we carried buckets of water up and I would do two different actors’ rooms at a time, so all of them had fresh water. And that night, I’d get in free, because I was a waterboy.”

Bayne later became a pen pal with one of the actors, Thayer Roberts, whom he’d befriended during a visit in 1935. Roberts, a seasoned vaudeville performer, went on after his stint with the Floating Theatre to transition from theater to film and played bit roles in B movies for the rest of his career. Though his life took him far from the sweltering tidewater where he’d trod the boards for small-town audiences, it seems he never quite managed to forget his summers aboard the Floating Theatre. From time to time over the next decade,

he’d sit down in his Hollywood Hills home to write to the scrappy water carrier from Crumpton, who would later grow up to eventually become grandfather to the author of this article.

Not all audiences were equal, however, for the Floating Theatre. This was the heart of the Jim Crow era in the Chesapeake, when separate-but-equal was anything but, and the showboat was no exception. Anticipating mixed-race audiences, the balcony was origi-nally advertised in 1914 as “reserved for colored people exclusively,” a novel arrangement for the time that galled many who preferred their entertain-ment be strictly segregated along racial lines. However, the attempt to draw more diverse audiences proved to be a

this headline from The Baltimore Sun in november, 1925 features three of the floating theatre's core staff—married actors beulah adams, left, and charles hunter, right, with owner James adams, below. over the course of its run, the James adams floating theatre attracted much press attention, with writers traveling from as far as new york city to cover the showboat's colorful players and featured entertainment.

failure for the showboat—regardless of their “forward-thinking” separate seating. For the Bay region’s African-Americans, many restricted to low-wage menial jobs, the ticket prices were far from affordable. James Adams acknowledged this disparity for The Saturday Evening Post in 1925 when he commented to the interviewer, “The 20-35-50 cent scale is a bit beyond the range of the negro population. Most of them… (wait) on the wharf, listen to the music inside, and wait for the 15-cent concert after-show.”

A showboat staffer in the late 20’s and early 30’s, Maisie Comardo, identi-fied another reason African-Americans avoided the Floating Theatre—curfews. Comardo reflected in an interview years later that many African-Americans did not want to linger in the white part of town as the concert ended.

Frequently, small Chesapeake towns restricted their main streets after-hours for white-only use, with violent reper-cussions if those restrictions were ignored. For many locations throughout the circuit, that curfew would have started before the showboat’s final curtain call—effectively eliminating any chance of attendance for all people of color in the community. These racial disparities were to become nation-ally famous when the Playhouse was immortalized in Edna Ferber’s novel, Showboat. Ferber had first visited the Floating Theatre in 1924, while the vessel was in Crumpton, Maryland for a week, and later travelled to North Carolina in the spring of 1925 for a second, longer stay.

Through her own observations and interviews with the Floating Theatre’s cast, especially Charles Hunter, Ferber compiled extensive notes onboard the Playhouse, documenting the culture and community of the little show-boat and the isolated tidewater towns it visited. Ferber later described the rich content of her interviews with Charles Hunter, who was a bit of a raconteur once he finally opened up:

“Tales of river. Stories of show boat life. Characterizations. Romance. Adventures. River history. Stage super-stition. I had a chunk of yellow copy paper in my hand. On this I scribbled without looking down, afraid to glance away for fear of breaking the spell.”

Ferber published Showboat to public acclaim in 1926—it spent 12 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, and inspired a blockbuster Broadway musi-cal of the same name in 1927. Although the story was fictionalized with a Mississippi setting and an imaginary cast of characters, the glories of the Floating Theatre’s limelight and the cruelties of the Jim Crow Chesapeake were addressed with arresting realism on Ferber’s Cotton Blossom.

The success of Showboat—immortal-ized on the page, the stage, and in 1936 on the big screen—helped to ensure the memory (albeit slightly embel-lished) of the James Adams Floating Theatre would never disappear entirely. The publication of Ferber’s Showboat and the subsequent adaptations that followed marked the acme of the Floating Theatre’s history. As its star set, the movie industry and radio were becoming powerful cultural juggernauts, supplanting repertoire companies as the small-town choice for entertainment.

By the late 1920’s the Floating Theatre was facing hard times. In 1927, she sank near Norfolk Harbor, requir-ing expensive repairs, and again in 1929, near the Great Dismal Swamp. The Great Depression only continued the downward spiral for the showboat. Entertainment became a luxury for down-on-their-luck audiences who felt keenly the pinch in their pocket-books. By 1933, it was the end of an era. James Adams sold the Floating Theatre to a St. Michaels woman, Nina B. Howard, who managed the boat with the help of her son, Milford Seymoure, and changed the name from

“The James Adams Floating Theatre” to “The Original Floating Theater.” Although Beulah Adams and Charles

Hunter stayed under new management, times had changed and business contin-ued to fall off. Audiences throughout the showboat’s circuit were no longer transported by the sentimental romances and slap-stick comedy after experiencing the elaborate sets and subtle, emotional acting of the moving pictures.

By 1936, Hunter and Adams finally quit and began a land-based touring company. In 1938, the showboat sank for the third time in the Roanoke River. Three years later, again under new ownership, the Floating Theatre caught fire in Savannah, Georgia. Her flocked wallpaper, dressing rooms with knotty pine, cramped, oil-splattered galley, and the gold and silver painted seats of her auditorium flickered in the blaze of her final curtain call. It had been a good run. So many dusty Chesapeake towns had drowsed under the Floating Theatre’s spell, roaring with laughter, crying in sympathy, clapping their hands and singing along to “Buffalo Girl” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”

Through World War I and the Depression, the great monolithic hulk of the Floating Theatre approaching downriver meant diversion from your troubles, a blissful cocktail of comedy, razzle dazzle, and glittery fantasy. Although audiences would never again gather each night by the town wharf, ticket in hand, the theater’s music and mugging entertainers would live on in their delighted memories, and in the stories they told to their children and grandchildren. Certainly, this author’s grandfather was no exception.

“It was special to be picked, and I went to help every day, so I could go at night,” said Pop-pop, Hartley Bayne, reminiscing about his waterboy days in Crumpton. “It was the best week of the year, and everybody in the whole town was there, at the showboat.”

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calendar

programs/member nights/special events

This Old Chesapeake House Speaker Seriesper session cost is $10 for cbMM members and $15 for non-members. space is limited and pre-registration is required by contacting helen Van fleet at 410-745-4941.

Old houses are a part of the character of the Chesapeake land-scape and serve as a reminder of history’s role in our day-to-day lives. these sessions explore the history, restoration, and ongo-ing preservation efforts of old houses, large and small, public and private, from throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.

A Home to Heroes/House of Worship: Buffalo Soldier House, Asbury & Bethel Churches on the HillWednesday, february 26 10-11:30am in the Van lennep auditorium

Join Morgan state University professor Dale glenwood green as he explores the hill Community project in easton, MD, which historians and archaeologists believe to be the oldest United states community of free persons of color still in existence.

Historic Walking Tour of St. Michaels friday, March 7, from 10-11:30am

participants will meet at the Museum for a maritime walking tour of historic st. Michaels, led by CBMM Chief Curator and st. Michaels historic District Commissioner pete Lesher. Lesher will make the houses of st. Michaels come alive by sharing the stories of the town's shipbuilding past where privateers and schooners were constructed, to its bustling heyday as a town built on the Chesapeake's oyster and crab industries.

Education Programs

Member NightsEarly Yachting on the Chesapeake:

“A Perfect Paradise for the Cruiser” thursday, february 20, 20145:30pm in the Van lennep auditorium. Members free. rsVp to Debbie collison at 410-745-4991.

Using sources from the 1870s through the 19th century, Chief Curator pete Lesher explores the gradual discovery of the Chesapeake Bay as an ideal cruising ground. the image of the Bay through the eyes of the people who discovered its beauty has changed over time, but some constants remain, from the Chesapeake’s picturesque coves to the summer squalls so characteristic of the area.

“Magic Lantern Story:” An Evening with Marc Castelli tuesday, March 11, 20145:30pm in the Van lennep auditorium. Members free. rsVp to Debbie collison 410-745-4991 by March 7.

renowned Chesapeake artist Marc Castelli will share a unique slide presentation featuring his annual show of photographs collected while out on the water with watermen in all seasons of the year.

Blessing of the Fleet Wednesday, april 95pm, hooper strait lighthouse. Members free. rsVp to Debbie collison at 410-745-4991 by april 8.

help launch this year’s boating season with members, volunteers, and boatyard staff for an official ceremony honoring our own floating fleet of Bay boats, as well as local work boats. Ceremony will be led by the reverend Kevin M. Cross.

Members Preview - Carvers at the Crossroadsfriday, april 115:30pm in the Waterfowling building. Members free. refreshments served. pre-register with cheryl Miller at 410-745-4943 by april 7.

get a sneak peek at the newest decoy exhibit. the Chesapeake's susquehanna flats were a mecca for waterfowl hunting in the late 19th and 20th century. in these communities of Maryland's Cecil and harford counties, decoy carvers of all skill levels and walks of life worked to keep up with the demand for expansive decoy rigs. their stories will be told through artifacts, photographs, and the decoys they created.

Naval History of the Chesapeake Baytuesday, June 10, 20145pm in the Van lennep auditorium. Member free. rsVp to Debbie collison at 410-745-4991 by June 6.

Join Associate Director/senior Curator for the U.s. naval Academy

Museum James w. Cheevers, for an in-depth illustrated presenta-tion on the maritime history of the Chesapeake Bay relating to the U.s. navy.

Model Guild Lapstrake Skiff Model Workshop friday, february 28, 6-9pm and saturday & sunday, March 1 & 29am to 5pm in the bay history building. $80 for cbMM Members and $95 for non-members. all tools and materials are supplied. pre-registration required by calling 410-745-4941. contact Model guild Director bob Mason for more information at 410-745-3266 or [email protected].

A lapstrake skiff model-building workshop invites participants to build, step-by-step, a 10 inch wooden rowing skiff with lapped side planking and a flat bottom. CBMM's Model guild welcomes anyone 12 years of age and older to take part in these classes, and encourages new members of all skill levels to participate in the guild, use its facilities, and trade model boatbuilding experience with CBMM visitors. A special rate for a parent-child team can accommodate younger children.

feb/march/april/may/summerModel Guild Two-day Half-hull Carving Classsaturday & sunday, March 29 & 30 9am to 5pm in the bay history building. $80 for cbMM Members and $95 for non-members. all tools and materials are supplied. pre-registration required by calling 410-745-4941. contact Model guild Director bob Mason for more information at 410-745-3266 or [email protected].

this two-day half-hull model-building workshop invites participants to create a half-hull model of the Pride of Baltimore II. Band sawed from a block and carved to the rounded shape of the Pride's hull, the half-hull model is then mounted on a baseboard to form a fine wall display piece.

Boater Safety Coursesapril 16 & 17, May 14 & 15, June 18 & 19 July 16 & 17, august 13 & 14 6-10pm in the Van lennep auditorium. the cost is $25 per two-evening session, with space limited and pre-registration required. register with helen Van fleet at 410-745-4941.

Any Maryland boater born after July 1, 1972, is required to have a Certificate of Boating safety education, in order to operate a vessel. the certificate is obtained by passing a Department of natural resources-approved boating safety course, and once obtained; the Certificate is valid for life. participants completing the Boater safety course and passing the test will receive this Certificate. the course is also recommended for anyone looking to become a safer, more experienced boater.

Lighthouse Overnight Adventuresselect fridays & saturdays in april, May & June cost: $40 per person, 12-person minimum and 18-person maximum, which includes the overnight program fee, two day’s admission to cbMM, an official lighthouse patch, and a copy of From a Lighthouse Window Cookbook. to register, contact helen Van fleet at 410-745-4941.

Your group can spend the night in our 1879 hooper strait Lighthouse! travel back in time to experience the rustic life of a lighthouse keeper with hands-on, interactive activities, games, and stories. the program, designed for youth groups, children’s orga-nizations and scouts ages 8-12 (and their chaperones) is available fridays and saturdays in the spring and fall, beginning at 6pm and ending at 9am the following morning.

Kids ClubJune 16 - July 25. session dates and themes to be announced. contact Director of education kate livie at 410-745-4947 with questions or email [email protected]

the Museum's weekly Kids Club is a half-day, hands-on Chesapeake-focused camp for kids ages 4 to 7, where children learn about the Bay firsthand through activities, stories, games, and crafts.

Summer Sailing Program June 16 - august 15. session dates to be announced.contact Director of education kate livie at 410-745-4947 with questions or email [email protected]

explore the Miles river and learn maritime skills while learning to sail a boat in a fun, safe, and encouraging environment. sessions include Basic, Advanced, and Adult & teen sailing.

Boatyard Programs

CBMM Friday Open Boat ShopMarch 7, april 18, May 9, June 95:30-8:30pm. $20 cbMM members & $30 non-members. register with Jenn kuhn by calling 410-745-4980 or email [email protected]. participants must be 16 or older, unless accompanied by an adult

Members of the public are invited to the boat shop to work on small projects of their own, or bring ideas for a future project, and receive the advice of an experienced shipwright and wood worker.

Oar Makingsaturday & sunday, april 5 & 6 in the boat shoptwo-day session runs from 10am-4pm both days. $60 cbMM members, $80 non-members, plus the cost of materials, approx. $50, depending on oar dimensions. pre-registration required to Jenn kuhn at 410-745-4980 of [email protected]. for ages 16 and up unless accompanied by an adult.

Under the direction of CBMM Boatyard program Manager Jenn Kuhn, learn to handcraft your own set of oars specific to your vessel, or just for decoration. when registering, be sure to specify what type of vessel your oars are for, and we’ll help you deter-mine its dimensions. white pine will be provided unless another material is requested in advance, or provided by participants. Bring a bagged lunch. Class size is limited.

Public Sailing Days at CBMMfridays, June 20, July 18, august 15, september 19two-hour sessions from 1-5pm saturdays, June 21, July 19, august 16, september 20two-hour sessions from 10am-4pm $10 per person per session plus Museum admission. Drop-in par-ticipation is available, but reservations are encouraged as small craft are limited. for more information call 410-745-4980 or email [email protected].

get out on the water in one of the Museum’s wooden sailing or rowing skiffs. Built by the Apprentice for a Day public boatbuilding program, the boats used range in size and are built for one to two people, with instruction provided for beginners.

Special Events

5th Annual WineFest,‘‘Wines from Around the World’’saturday & sunday, april 26 & 27 – town-wide, st. Michaels Tasting venue located at CBMM (lawns of administration buildings) 12noon-5pm daily. early bird discounts and advance tickets available at winefestatstmichaels.com

experience more than 300 international, national, and Maryland wines at 15 pouring venues within walking distance of one another. proceeds from the festival benefit charitable organizations throughout the region.


save-the-date

Elf Classic Yacht Race saturday, May 17 Race finishes at 4pm at the Museum, where spectators can watch the boats come in. free for members or with Museum admission.

Join Elf and other classic sailing yachts for a true yachtsman's race. the eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis will serve as the departure point. this event is organized by the Classic Yacht restoration guild to create the sensibilities of yacht racing of the 1880s when the races began on shore; including the row to the boat on mooring or anchor, making sail and reversing the process at the finish—in this case signing the race log on the grounds of the Museum. for more information, contact rick Carrion at [email protected] or visit cyrg.org/elfclassic.htm.

Maritime Model Exposaturday, May 31 & sunday, June 1 sat., 10am-4pm & sun., 10am-3pm free for members or with Museum admission

held in conjunction with the Museum's Model guild and the north American steamboat Modelers Association, this expo includes radio-controlled models powered by steam, battery, and wind. static displays of highly detailed and realistic models by the washington shop Model society and others will be featured, as well as activities for children.

antique & classic Boat festivalJune 13, 14, 15 (father’s Day weekend)

Big Band nightJuly 5, (rain date: July 6)

mosaic WorkshopAugust 9

Watermen’s appreciation day August 10

charity Boat auctionAugust 30 (Labor Day weekend)

Boating party fundraising galaseptember 13

mid-atlantic small craft festivalOctober 4 & 5

oysterfestOctober 25 – new DAte!

on the rail

on the railPotomac River Dory Boat

The restoration of the Potomac River Dory began in early January and continues over the course of this winter. The Dory is a 1931 oyster tonging boat built at Banks O’Dee, Maryland. Shipwrights, apprentices, and volunteers have worked to replace the shaft log, keel section, and bottom planking, which will be done in 6/4 white cedar. Once the paint is finished and the Ford Straight-6 engine is installed, the Dory Boat will rejoin the Museum’s floating fleet of historic vessels with her relaunch out on the Miles River in St. Michaels sometime in late March.

“With the Dory’s launch, the CBMM floating fleet will now be maintaining 11 boats in the water, and all are operational,” says Vessel Maintenance Manager Michael Gorman.

DelawareThe 1912 tugboat Delaware was hauled in September for her

annual maintenance and some additional repairs. Shipwrights and apprentices replaced two garboard planks of Douglas fir and removed the shaft to assess the condition of the shaft alley and deadwood in addition to recaulking and painting. With assistance from Kastel Brothers of St. Michaels, shipwrights updated the shaft coupling and serviced the propeller.

MarthaThe 1934 Bronza Parks-built Hooper Island draketail’s (or

dovetail) yearly maintenance consisted of fresh paint and the replacement of zincs and cotton caulking. Shipwrights took measurements for the new planks to be milled this winter and ran her fuel clean for winter storage.

Rosie's PushboatShipwrights constructed a new keel, made patterns of the top

side planks in order to make new ones, and shaped a new transom. Work will continue through the spring. The boatyard is currently seeking a donation of a four cylinder, 150 horsepower diesel engine for the pushboat. If you have an engine or would like to donate toward the purchase of one, contact Project Manager Mark Donohue at 410-745-4967 or [email protected].

(first row) potomac river Dory boat.(second row, first two photos) potomac river Dory boat.(second row, last photo) Draketail Martha.(third row) tug Delaware.

(fourth row) skipjack Rosie Parks's pushboat.

Meet our newest addition, resident salty boatyard cat and Chief Mousing Officer. View more photos online at bit.ly/EdnaSprit.

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