This week's flashback is an undated photograph of Martin Wagner's repair shop in Edesville. Mr. Wagner and his work were honored by the placement of a Maryland roadside historical marker with the following inscription:
Martin Wagner 1899-1980 Master machinist and blacksmith. He was the third generation of his family to devote his life to work with forge, torch and anvil on this site. The Wagner blacksmith and machinery repair shop began serving the residents of Kent County in the 1850's. Besides repairing manufactured equipment the Wagners created many new products for farmers and watermen. The Wagner skills made life easier for many generations of people covering a wide area of the upper Eastern Shore.
In a locale where agriculture and working the waterways were so inextricable from daily life and the economy, a blacksmith was as essential a tradesman as it gets. There are no oysters without tongs in good order, no crops without plowshares. Please share your memories of Martin Wagner and his business in the comments, or by email to [email protected]. Image courtesy of the Historical Society of Kent County.
Visit the Bordley History Center, 301 High Street, Chestertown to learn more about Kent County history. Regular hours Thursdays and Fridays from 11 am - 2 pm and Saturdays from 10 am - 1 pm, and from 5 pm - 7 pm on First Fridays. Visitors can browse the museum shop and explore genealogical records on a drop-in basis. Collections staff is available by appointment to assist with research in the library and archives. Upcoming events include First Friday, October 4, with an open house commemorating the filming of the CBS miniseries SPACE in 1984, and a presentation about the history of baseball on the Eastern Shore by author and baseball historian Marty Payne on Sunday, October 6. Visit www.kentcountyhistory.org or call (410) 778-3499 for more details.