Bucktown Village Store As I crossed the Bay Bridge over the astounding Chesapeake Bay, I couldn’t have predicted that the day’s journey would transport me back in time. Photos: (clockwise from left) Harriet Tubman State Park and Visitor Center (Maryland Dept of Natural Resources), Bucktown Village Store (Jill Jasuta), Sailwinds Park Visitor Center (Jill Jasuta) What better way to commemorate Harriet Tubman’s 200th anniversary (she was born in 1822) than to revisit her life and legacy, for it was near the dense forests and wild marshlands of Maryland’s Eastern Shore that a black, enslaved woman was born and became the “Moses of her people.” The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway (HTURB) starts in Dorchester County, Maryland, where Araminta “Minty” Ross—the future Harriet Tubman— was born enslaved in 1822. Tubman is the most famous “conductor” of the metaphorical freedom train that was the Underground Railroad; she would lead approximately 70 family members and friends out of bondage during some 13 daring escapes. The Byway roughly follows one of her escape routes north out of Maryland and into Delaware and Pennsylvania. One of only 60 nationally designated “All-American Roads,” the HTURB meanders 125 miles through the welcoming towns, beautiful farm country, and unforgettable Chesapeake vistas. Make sure to stop at the Dorchester County Visitor Center with its white, sail-like wings playing tribute to the bay’s skipjack workboats—it’s a great place to better plan your journey. While en route to the Dorchester County Courthouse, I listen to the audio guide with its snippets of black spirituals and an actor’s voice depicting Harriet Tubman, at once steely and comforting: “I prayed to God to make me strong and able to fight…” THE LEGACY LIVES ON The powerful legacy of Harriet Tubman is woven into the fabric of the Eastern Shore. In 2021 it was announced that the homesite belonging to Ben Ross, Harriet’s father, had been discovered within a 2,600-acre Peter’s Neck property purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The homesite will be an important upcoming addition to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. VISIT MARYLAND / 17 Sailwinds Park Visitor Center
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2022 Maryland Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 17
