Apparently, there was a song titled "Strawberry Time at Ridgely," sang to the tune of "Nobody Works But Father," (if anyone knows what that sounds like). I stumbled across it while reading through Rampmeyer's collection of newspaper articles and senior's memories. I thought it might be of interest. 

​The song goes like this:

​Strawberries ripe at Ridgely and peas in the fields of Ann--
​Take me back to the boyhood dream out of the cities of man!
​Avalon blowing for Bellevue, and the Joppa afar down stream
Churning her way through the Chesapeake to the gardens of beautiful dream.

Strawberries ripe at Ridgely, and the magic of spring abroad, 
​And the chickadee's voice and the robin's lifted in lyrics of laud;
The midnight landing at Easton, and then away and away
​To the wharves of the Choptank waters and the wind of the blue-winged bay!

​Strawberries ready at Ridgely, and the Avalon on her way,
The Joppa bound from Denton with her sidewheels churning the bay;
​Over the waters at Bellevue, and down where Benoni gleams,
​The low, hoarse toot of a whistle, and an echo of childhood dreams!

​--Bentztown Bard, in the Baltimore Sun 369

The fields of Ann is probably a reference to the town of Queen Anne, although there is also a county by the same name.
Bellevue is a town located on the Tred Avon River, in Talbot County, Maryland.
​Easton is located on the Miles River, also in Talbot County.
​Denton is a stop along the Choptank River, in Caroline County, Maryland.

​As for the reference to "Benoni," I have no idea, but if anyone has any information, I would love to hear it!​

​Come out to Ridgely on May 27th for the Strawberry Festival, and come early so you can get your fill of strawberry shortcake! And don't forget to drop by my table and say hello! 

This picture, titled "Berry Pickers," hangs over the mantle in my parlor to commemorate an important aspect of Ridgely's history. For a while it was known as the "strawberry capital of the world." I suspect there's some exaggeration to the title, but this small town was a hub of activity thanks to the preserving plants, the railroad, and the area's ability to grow produce.

​The first crop of strawberries shipped from the Ridgely Station in refrigerator train cars was by T. L. Day in May of 1892. In addition to buyers from the north desiring fresh strawberries, there was a demand for the fruit from the Alliance Preserving Co. which opened in 1890, and later by the Armour Packing Co. in 1910.

​An article in the Caroline Sun for May of 1907 reports that "From Monday until Friday of this week there has been 6,617 crates of strawberries shipped to the cities. That makes 158, 856 quarts with the average price of about $.11." 

This postcard was mailed in October of 1909. Tom Rampmeyer, who compiled a series of newspaper articles and memories from senior residents, claims there are three box cars waiting to be loaded, 33 people in suits or white shirts who are most likely buyers, and 21 wagons and buggies waiting in line to sell their strawberries. The Ridgely Train Station is visible in the distance,  and the streets are unpaved and dusty.

This picture is circa 1910. According to Rampmeyer, there were eight horse-drawn wagons waiting to sell berries. The buyers are on the right, standing on a wooden platform. The first gentleman without a coat, wearing glasses and a bow tie, is writing the berry prices in the ledger. The third man could be an auctioneer, he has his hand raised with a small stick. The fourth man has a berry in his hand for close inspection. 

​According to Mrs. Margaret Redden, "Each day you never knew what the price would be. It varied by the quality of that day's berries, how many orders the buyer needed to fill, and the quantity of berries available."

The above picture is also from a post card and was a familiar scene around the Ridgely area in 1912. Ott Rampmeyer studied this photo with a magnifying glass and counted 21 pickers out in the field. A Ridgely Newsletter reports that in the same year the Armour Company's factory was running day and night in order to keep up with the amount of berries coming in. Seven to eight car loads were shipped daily. The approximate number of people engaged in the berry industry in the area was counted at six thousand. 

​"It is a glorious sight to ride through the country at this time and behold the thousands of people engaged in various vocations, and to see the abundance of hay now being harvested, and the luxurious fields of peas, nearing maturity, and the large acreage of corn and tomato ground prepared. We wonder, in view of all of the activities of life, how much thought is given and how many hearts are turned toward God in thanksgiving for all these manifold blessings."

It's not every novel that I get to use my own house as one of the historical settings! I'm very excited to be able to include my own home in WHERE THIS ROAD ENDS! 
​
The John Jarrell Boarding House & Hotel was constructed in 1895, though the vehicle in the above picture indicates this is not the year of its construction. A large barn still exists in the back of the property, built to accommodate boarders' horses and carriages. John and Mary Jarrell purchased two lots in 1893 upon which to build their hotel, paying $425.00 for the property. The hotel opened for business in 1895, after its completion. The dining room was often used for parties, dinners, and receptions.

My husband and I bought this house in 2015 and have been slowly working on improvements and renovations. It still boasts push-button and turn-knob electrical switches, doors with brass numbers still attached, and the original wood floors (which are a little worse for the wear). I love knowing that the place I call home is rich with history, that hundreds of people have come and gone through its doors through the years, and that among them was the singing cowboy Roy Rogers, who printed T-shirts in the second level of the barn which still stands in our back yard. 

Two summers ago I began work on repainting the exterior of the house, and found it interesting to scrape off layers of paint of various colors, dating back to the very beginning of the house's construction. If the walls could talk, I often wonder what stories they could tell!  

​Below is a picture of what the house looked like when we purchased it. If I ever finish the new paint job, I'll share an update!

This is the barn which formerly housed horses and buggies, and now hold's Ben's tools, a ping-pong table, an air hockey table, and an assortment of furniture which I plan to one day refinish.  ​

The room I currently use as my office once served as the office for the boarding house, as indicated by the stencil on the door.