The Rodgers Tavern Museum is pleased to announce this year's slate of speakers featuring topics from the Revolutionary War, the Antebellum period, and archaeology.
This year were excited to offer the February 25th and March 4th lectures as hybrid events offering virtual and limited in-person attendance. All lectures are free though registration is required.
Would the Real Colonel John Rodgers Please Stand Up?
Dr. Robert Selig starts us off with a presentation of his findings from original research into the Revolutionary War activities of the person for whom the tavern at the Susquehanna Lower Ferry is named for. This project, funded by grants from the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association, Inc., is the first truly deep dive into what Rodgers did during America's War for Independence and his contributions to American victory.
John A.J. Creswell of Maryland: Journey to Abolition
John M. Osborne and Christine Bombaro shine a light on Cecil County native John A.J. Creswell and his journey toward becoming an abolitionist. His work and advocacy in pursuing passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution and transformation of the U.S. Postal system during the 19th Century are revealed in this illuminative discussion which also touches on the process of historical research.
Findings from the Rodgers Tavern and Lower Ferry Park Non-Invasive Archaeology Survey
.The Town of Perryville received a FY2020 grant from the Maryland Historical Trust to fund a non-invasive survey of Town owned property that was once part of the historic four acre Tavern Lot and the Susquehanna Lower Ferry. This talk reviews the results the project used to create an informative Geographic Information System (GIS) for cultural resource management and interpretive uses
Colonial Chesapeake Horse Culture: Equestrian History and Artifacts of 17th- and 18th-Century Chesapeake
Those interested in horses and the material culture of the Chesapeake may be particularly interested in this presentation by Sara Rivers-Cofield. She shares her research into early Maryland's horse culture using both historical records and analysis of often unrecognized pieces of bridle and saddle hardware recovered from archaeological sites.