We anchored in Plaindealing Creek, a very quiet anchorage, and the next morning we entered the Tred Avon River to explore Oxford. A museum, small grocery store with a diner and post office is what this town had to offer. It was surrounded with historic homes with white picket fences. Matter of fact next week, they will have a white picket fence contest! Sounds exciting!
Oxford is the oldest town on the Eastern Shore and one of the oldest in continuous existence in the
U. S. Its first citizens were Choptank Indians. No one knows when the first white settler arrived or who they were, but there were settlers and plantations here as early as 1659. Oxford was named the first Port of Entry, on the Eastern Shore in 1683. The town was riding high on tobacco by the time Robert Morris Sr., a Liverpool merchant and shipper, landed here with his 13 year old son, Robert Jr., in 1747. Morris Sr., a canny entrepreneur, helped enrich the area's planters and merchants, who built fabulous mansions along the Tred Avon River, many of which are still here today.
In their desire to thank the man who had helped bring such prosperity, the townspeople set off a cannon salute on Morris' return from a trip to Liverpool. Unfortunately, it accidentally killed him! His son, Robert Morris Jr is one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
We took the dinghy to shore and within a few hours we were back on the boat heading for
St. Michaels.
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Oxford Museum featured this Oyster Clock...note the size of the oyster shells! |
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