The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-12-11
DORCHESTER COUNTY
BOASTS NOT OF ROMANCE
BUT IS PRACTICAL
Notwithstanding Large Area VI
Marsh Land, 1t Stands Seventh III
State In Value OF Products Anu
Its Future Is Bright.

Cambridge, Md, Dec. 9--Dorches-
ter county boasts or none OF ne
glamor or romance found IN the
creation of her sister counties OF the
Eastern Shore. In 1869, with SUI
citizens, 100 of whom were estate
holders" government was neces-
sary. and before the end OF the year
a writ was served upon the Sheriff OF
dorchester county directing him to
conduct an election for delegates
and that is ali there is known ABOUT
the Maryland General Assembly,
the creation OF Dorchester.
For a period prior to Revolution
airy War leisure class spran CUP In
and about Cambridge, but with the
activities of the Revolution this dis
appeared. Since that time Dorches-
ter has been one of the most produc~
tive and energetic counties of the
whole State None of those beauti-
tul reminders of Colonial days, the
old homes, remain. Sentiment seem
ed to have had no place. especially in
Cambridge, in the march OF progress,
and when one Of these relics stood in
the path of commerce it was demol-
ished and a modern editice created on
tho site.
In its history Dorchester has had
three county seats and as many court
houses. First we find the county seat
at Islington, and from 1873 to 1887
the county court convened at Dorset.
Then it was removed to Cambridge.
where is has remained ever since.
There are no records of the county
affairs from 1869 until 1890; the
county clerks records seemed to
have been considered so unimportant
that not a trace of them can be
found The record, beginning in
1890, was continuius in the Office OF
the Clerk of the Court, but those of
the Register of Wills went up In
smoke when the Courthouse was
burned in 1852. That Courthouse
was but the second that the county
had had. it having been erected in
1870 at a cost of 100000 pounds of
tobacco. The present Courthouse was
erected in 1853. -
In the early days of Dorchester
the county seems to- have been the
Quit of the religious agitation be-
tween the Protestant and Catholic
churches, the latter resentinst the at
tempt to establish church or
state. 1t is not hard to imagine the
bitterness that could have been en-
gendered in this mixed and unsenti-
mental colony.
The punishment of the day were
meted out without mercy. Jones, In
his History of Dorchester County"
tells of some of the infections by the
court, which court seemed to have
been particularly severe upon women
who had erred. One was fined 500
pounds of tobacco, another received
Is lashes on the bare back, while
chap at the same time was only pen
allied 500 pounds of tobacco for
telling his wife and the Sheriff to "be
damned Larcency seemed to have
been the most serious of all crimes
for the punishment given to a man
who had stolen a hog was that he
should return the hog and four other
hogs, take 10 lashes on his back and
stand in the pillory, which he had
been compelled to erect. for 10
minutes For the theft of heart
man escaped punishment, while the
lady of his choice received 10 strokes
of the cat-o-nine tails for letting him
do il. ..-
With the country's call for aid at.
the opening of the war with England.
in 1776, Dorchester soon raised its
quota of troops and took it's place in
the famous Flying Camp" that
meant so much to the success of the
Colonial Army at White Plains. Har>
lem Heights and New Jersey cam
.paign. Col. Henry Hooper of Dor
chester county. who had been ap-
pointed brigadier-general of the mil
itary forces Of the Eastern Shore.
seemed to have been the command
ing spirit of the military activities OF
the eastern side of the Chesapeake.
1t was under the command of Gen.
eral Hooper, that a naval force from
Hooper's Straits, with another force
from Virginia. put down the Tory in
surrection in Somerset and Wicomi-
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