The History of LDGS
The History of The Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society
This History was originally published in the November 2019 "More from the Shore" Newsletter
By Carolyn Adkins and Phyllis Cooper
1979 - In a note found by Donna Clark at the Nabb Research center and dated November 16,1979 “John Jacob was thinking of starting a genealogical society” The Genealogy society was actually started in September 1979. So this September Our Society will be 40 years old.(CA) (PC)
Note John E. Jacob Jr. was a Wicomico County Lawyer who had a strong interest in history and genealogy. He authored several books of which his “Graveyards and Gravestones of Wicomico County “is sold by LDGS.
1982 – The first newsletter was sent out (Spring 1982). The editor was Donna Clark of Pocomoke City, In 1982 the President was Robert Hambury, Vice President was Betty Murrell, secretary was Donna Clark and treasurer was Polly Batchelder. LDGS met on the 3rd Thursday of each month except June, July and August. Meetings were held in the Wicomico County free Library from 7:30 to 9Pm. Membership dues were $5.00 annually. “In the Maryland Room of the Wicomico County free Library you will find on Thursday LDGS members willing to help you research from 1 to 5 PM.” (CA)
In the fall of 1983 Betty Murrell became Editor of the Newsletter. (CA)
In 1984 it was voted on the dropping of meetings in January and February because of weather conditions. (CA)
During this period several books were sold by LDGS. Several books written by Howard and Louise Adkins of Salisbury Maryland, they owned the Adkins Historical and Museum Complex in Mardela Springs, Maryland. Another book for sale was john Jacob’s “Graveyards and Gravestones of Wicomico County”. Mr. Jacob book only goes up to 1900, but to many researchers it was a valuable tool in genealogical research. Since then many Graveyards have now been put on the internet. (CA)
In 1986 the LDGS in co-operation with the Upper Shore Genealogical Society of Easton sponsored a Genealogical Seminar on September 22, 1986 from 10AM to 12 PM at the Talbot County Free Library. The seminar was free. (CA)
In 1987 meeting night was changed from the 3rd Wednesday to the 4th Wednesday at 7 PM to be held at the Wicomico County Free Library. Also the dues were changed from $5.00 to $10.00 annually. A Newsletter will be sent out in the Spring and Fall. (CA)
LDGS first Symposium was held on Saturday, October 3, 1987 at the Days Inn in Pocomoke City Maryland, the cost was $15.00 per person. The first symposium was a smashing success. President Ray Thompson welcomed a sellout crowd from all over the United States. (CA)
LDGS second symposium was October 7, 1989 to celebrate our tenth anniversary. It was held October 7, 1989 at the Holiday Inn on US Route 13 north of Salisbury from 8AM to 4:30PM. The cost is $15, attendance will be limited to 120. This was my first Symposium (Carolyn Adkins)
The third symposium was held Saturday April 25, 1992 at the Holiday Inn on north Route 13. The cost was $20 per person. Attendance will be limited to 100.(CA)
In 1992 the dues went up to $15.00 annually. (CA)
The fourth LDGS Symposium was held at the Sheraton Inn on Saturday May 7 1994. Lucy Whitehead was President at the time , Vice President Pat Taylor, Recording secretary Carolyn Adkins. I enjoyed helping and working with Lucy planning this symposium, the treasurer was Pat Hooper. The fee was $20.00(Carolyn Adkins)
The fifth LDGS Symposium was held at the Sheraton Inn on April 13, 1996. The fee for the symposium was $25.00 per person. The symposium was a big success. (CA)
1995-1997 Lucy and Lloyd Whitehead were instrumental in numbering the pages of Leslie Dryden’s collection, also with volunteers, putting the sheets in protective sleeves and new notebooks. LDGS was happy to sponsor this project. (CA)
Monthly meeting was changed from the Wicomico County free Library to SSU Research center. (CA)
The sixth LDGS symposium was held Saturday May 13, 2000 at the Asbury Church Fellowship Hall. The cost of the symposium was $25 per person. The symposium was well attended. (CA)
12/20/1995 Fair Play Foundation gave SSU Research Center $10,000 through the LDGS. (CA)
4/1996 we contributed $250 to Preservation Trust of Wicomico County for Paul Tourant (PC)
5/1996 We contributed $750 to Wicomico County Library on a reader/printer (PC)
12/1996 Fair Play Foundation gave another $10,000 because they were so pleased that Polly Batchelder had done “A Somerset Sampler: Families of Old Somerset County, Maryland 1700-1776.” A publication account was begun in 1997. Many thanks to Mr. Tom Fooks for introducing Fair Play Foundation to LDGS. The Fair Play Foundation has been very generous with their grants to us. Mr Tom Fooks died December 26, 2013. (CA) (PC)
Note: Fair Play Foundation is a Wilmington based private charity that give gifts, grants or loans to other organizations
Jan 1997 Fair Play Foundation gave LDGS $10,000 to share and promote genealogy. It was suggested we have someone do the Townsend line , since Mr. Blaine Phillips was interested in it. Betty Murrell and Pat Taylor had researched that line but said their work did not agree with Mr. Phillips. Pat also suggested we might consider having someone index and redo the “Fooks Family”. We did in 2001, buy the copyright of this book from Wicomico Historical Society for $500 and have it indexed and reprinted with an index and a separate index for $8,823. We had 300 copies of the book and 100 of the index printed and by 5/2003 half of the books had been sold. (PC)
Jan 7, 1998 Fair Play Foundation gave LDGS $7,500. From this LDGS donated $2,700 (4/1/1998) to have the Worcester County Papers, that had been given to the Nabb center, microfilmed. Also we gave $1,000 to Rev. Joseph DiPaolo on his book “My Business Was To Fight The Devil, Recollections of Rev. Adam Wallace, Peninsula Circuit Rider 1847-1865”. I Also have copies of thank-you letters I wrote as LDGS President to Mr. Blaine Phillips. (PC)
9/1998 We paid $400 for Peg Lauridsen, our then membership chairman, now internet / email correspondent for a program to access database. (PC)
1/1999 we decided not to co-sponsor a graduate student to work at the Nabb Center for a semester (approximately $2,500 ) on a project of David Nutter’s archaeological work done around Nutter’s Neck on the Wicomico River. (PC)
8/1999 LDGS contributed $1,500 to Wicomico County Library on a reader/printer (PC)
12/30/1999 Fair Play Foundation for $5,000 grant (PC)
1/7/2001 Fair Play Foundation for $7,500 grant(PC)
12/30/2001 Fair Play Foundation for $7,500 grant(PC)
2001 we became Inc. 3/27/2002 Carolyn Adkins said “We are Inc” Jeff Pilchard had worked on this and Carolyn accomplished it, with Hammond, Moore Shockley and Harrison of Wicomico County. (PC)
1/24/2002 I had contacted Wicomico County Council about the possibility of having space in the old courthouse. We signed a contract for one year, to begin August 2002, for a small room in the courthouse for $783.22. The contract was renewed for 2003. It was a space to store our books but was not handicap accessible and not open at nights for our meetings. It was a beginning but still not meeting our needs we decided to keep the books we had to sell at Pat Taylors’s sister’s in Sharptown. (PC)
2002 we donated $2,000 to Pemberton Foundation for an educational project with school students. (PC)
8/2003 Pat said all LDGS books are stored at her sister’s in Sharptown and feels they need to be closer to Salisbury and requested anyone who had space to contact her. Our sincere appreciation to her sister; our Somerset Samplers were stored there for a long time and then the “Fooks Family” books. Many thanks, Pat and Jim Morris, for getting those large heavy cartons from Sharptown to N. Division Street. (PC)
July 2004 we signed a contract with the Masonic Lodge for 2 rooms plus storage space for our books plus 2 restrooms at 116-1 North Division St, Salisbury for $6,000 a year rent. (PC)
We have purchased a computer, phone, 2 copiers, camera, GPS instrument to locate cemeteries, 3 tables, folding chairs and material for Jim Morris to make us a very nice bookcase; Jim also took care of having a sign over our door done, and making a nice coat rack and having the plaque made in memory of Lucy Whitehead, one of our past presidents. It also had the names of all past presidents and dates they were president. A smaller plaque in memory of Lucy was given by her husband, Lloyd, at our brief business meeting in March 2007.
We also bought 2 large book racks for 107 volume “War of The Rebellion” books Wicomico County gave us. Before we had a library we donated any books given us to the Wicomico County Library; we have been well repaid with many books they have given us. The large racks also have space for some of our other collections. Thanks to Jim Morris and Joe Ballou for getting these shelves in and up. We also have a cabinet to store our extra Newsletters etc in. (PC)
We have been very fortunate to be the recipient of many donations: a new office desk from Joe and Carolyn Ballou (thanks Joe for getting that in and up; also the above mentioned storage cabinet) bookcases from Peg Lauridsen and Phyllis Cooper; a lectern and a framed print of Holloway Funeral Home 100th Anniversary from rob Hall, desk chairs from Jim Morris and Irving Brewington, a computer (thru Jim Morris) from someone who contributes computers to Christ United Methodist Church, a reader from Barry Miles, file cabinets, a “Family Tree” program from J D and Sandy Quillen, a lovely antique coverlet from an anonymous friend, several bibles, a very nice newspaper clipping collection from Emily Briddell, 1960s-1970s scrapbooks from Somerset County Business and Professional Women Club and too many books and other interesting items too numerous though greatly appreciated, to name them all. Thanks to Virginia and Allen Green for the great library work and getting it on our computer. Also many thanks to Gail Simpkins for keeping our front window nicely decorated and for a chair. (PC)
On September 13, 2004 the LDGS moved into a building on North Division Street. A dream of having our library, since the Maryland room of the Wicomico County Free Library has been done away with. (PC)
We have the copyright for John E, Jacob ‘s “Graveyard and Gravestones of Wicomico County” It was costing us more to have them reprinted than we were charging for them so a contract was signed with Willow Bend to print them. We get a 10% royalty on the ones they sell and a 40% discount on any of them we buy. This was renewed in Feb 2005 for 5 years. (PC)
Spring 2004 we donated $5,000 to Nabb research Center (PC)
12/4/2004 Janet Dise, Peg Lauridsen and Phyllis Cooper participated in a genealogical program at the Wicomico County Library to help them get a grant. We have participated in Pemberton, Salisbury, and Westside Historical Society festivals to try to sell our books. We have had many very good speakers and interesting field trips. (PC)
10/2005 Janet, Barry and Phyllis attended a meeting at Delaware Archives in Dover, DE with several organizations with an interest in Delmarva Peninsula genealogical and historical focus and sold $200 of our books. (PC)
10/2005 Jim Morris had at 116-1 N. Division. St; a Beginner’s Genealogical Workshop open to the public at no cost. (PC)
2006 Our Treasurer Pat Hooper got us 501-C, so we can invest some of our money to draw interest. Many thanks Pat! Others including I who talked about it but you did it! (PC)
April 2007 A quorum of members at our meeting voted to give Nabb Research Center $500. (PC)
In 2013 we closed the 116-1 North Division Location and moved our library to Jim Morris’ house at 1220 Johnson Rd, Salisbury, MD
In 2014 LDGS changed the meeting time from 7pm to 2 pm.
Sept 1979 a small group of people began the Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society. I am truly glad they did; thanks to them I have made many friends and enjoyed being a member for some time now. At one time, I believe, we may have had over 200 members. Now with Internet and so much more interest being shown in genealogy and additional groups springing up, our membership is 105, and our newsletter shared with 20 libraries. Thanks, Betty Murrell, for being “More from The Shore” editor for 20 years. I have no intention of challenging your record. Thanks Kaye, for picking up our mail for so many years and the great job of the mail list and getting it all where it needs to go. Thanks Peg for being my volunteer partner and making up the Volunteer list so many years. If I haven’t mentioned your name , it’s not because I don’t know who you are and the good jobs you have done – Thanks. Janet , many thanks for four years of giving your best, as President , to the Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society. With all the changes, it has not been an easy road . Carolyn and Joe – my very best wishes. I know you will do a great job. (PC)
The officers of the LDGS now are President, Mr. Howard Dickerson, Vice-President Mr, John King, Treasurer, Mrs. Pat Hooper, Recording Secretary, Mrs. Kaye Records, and Membership Chairman, Carolyn Adkins. (CA)
I want to thank the many editors of the newsletter Donna Clarke, Betty Murrell, Phyllis Cooper, Janet Dise and Howard Dickerson for wonderful newsletters. Thank you for all the research and many wonderful articles. Thanks to Mrs. Pat Taylor for letting me use her copies of the newsletter from the beginning of the LDGS. (Carolyn Adkins)"