On July 6th chicken lovers across the country recognize National Fried Chicken Day. In Maryland, Maryland Chicken or Chicken a la Maryland is one of the most famous historic dishes from the Old Line State. Essential to any summer picnic, we present the history of Maryland Fried Chicken.
In late June of 1863, nearly 150,000 soldiers moved through the narrow and dusty roads of Maryland towards the devastating clash at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, just a few miles north of the Mason-Dixon line.
While the battle unfolded on the fields surrounding Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, much of the campaign that led to the dramatic battle played out in Maryland – with both US and Confederate forces moving across the state and covering their movements as they attempted to outflank and corner their adversary.
On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” More than 100 years later, in 1916, President Wilson officially established June 14 as National Flag Day.
Marion Station in Somerset County, Maryland was once locally considered to be the Strawberry Capital of the World!
Marion Station’s reputation as leader in strawberry production came with the arrival of a line of the Pennsylvania Railroad to the Eastern Shore in 1866. The town was able to construct a train station due to benefactor John C. Horsey, in turn the station and the town was named for his daughter, Marion. Several hundred ice-refrigeration train cars arrived to Marion Station each day to collect strawberries and ship them across the country. An auction block stood outside the station and berry-wagons would line up for miles to deliver their fruit.
The ease of shipping strawberries via railroad made Marion Station famous as the largest shipper of strawberries in the entire world. The economic boom that came with harvesting and selling strawberries created a viable town in Marion Station and even enable the town to build the first hospital in Somerset County. By the 1930’s a series of events led to the decline of strawberry production; the land had been “strawberried” to death. Train service lessened as well, and completely stopped in 1976. Strawberry farmers were no longer able to sustain a living through strawberries and much of the farming transitioned to raising poultry. The Marion Station train station still stands today and once housed the Accohannock Indian Museum.
CELEBRATE MARYLAND’S STRAWBERRY HERITAGE
Maryland offers many strawberry festivals and pick-your-own fruit orchards throughout the summer. What’s your favorite u-pick farm in Maryland?
Our Preservation Month posts were written and prepared by Rachel Rettaliata, one of Preservation Maryland’s Waxter Interns. Rachel’s work with us focuses on communications and advocacy. She is a Fulbright Scholar, and will be attending the historic preservation program at the University of Maryland this fall. Learn more about Rachel and our intern program here: presmd.org/waxter.