OUR LEGACY Viewing Annapolis a

It was a week ago when I was invited to sail Bear, one of two wooden boats built by John Brady, of the Independence Seaport Museum of Philadelphia.

Bull and Bear, replicas of wooden boats called sandbaggers, are currently on loan to the Nation Sailing Hall of Fame docked at Susan Campbell Park. The sandbaggers were originally built in the 1860s as workboats in New York Harbor to shuttle oysters and other cargo to market.

The owner of the fastest boat could set the price at market for the day. Once racing of these boats ensued, as the masks, boom and sprits became longer, despite restrictions on boat size, sandbaggers became faster, and faster, they also became vulnerable to tipping over.

To compensate, the crew would move sandbags or cargo from side to side to keep the boats upright. Hence the name - sandbagger! What a blast! By the weekend, I could feel the hours spent on Bear in my calves and thighs.

While everyone else was watching the Wednesday night races, I enjoyed seeing another view of Annapolis. The historian that I am looked at my beautiful city and began to connect history to historic landmarks: Horn Point, Greenbury Point, Fort Severn.

What a great place to talk Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War and the industries of our forefathers: brick making, logging, sailing, mining, glassmaking, fishing, boat building, canning and entertainment.

From my view on the Replica Versace Shoes river, I could not help but pondered the vast land holdings of African Americans on the Severn at the end of the 19th century.

They include the Carrs who owned Carr's and Sparrows beaches, the Pinkneys who owned 89.9 acres on Back Creek, their cousins the Brashears who sold land to Charles Douglass, at Walnut Creek, to be used for the friends and family of Frederick Douglass (Highland Beach).

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When you see the condominiums at the location of the old Carr's and Sparrow's beaches, one can only imagine the music that was heard during summer evenings while docked in the river. I was too young to attend Carr's Beach, so my parents would take me to Sparrows Beach. There I played with friends while enjoying the amusements, the sand, the water and the occasional sting of the jellyfish. Most of my memories of Sparrows Beach are in pictures.

I have heard hundreds of stories about Carr's Beach during my lifetime, many from my own family. The first stories I recall came directly from my mother, who was actually employed by Elizabeth Carr, owner of Carr's Beach. Mom worked at the beach during the summers while attending college.

Through Mom, I became familiar with the beach and Madam Carr, so much so that I wrote a script for a first-person interpretation of Elizabeth Carr at the Banneker Douglass Museum 10 years ago.

My favorite story is when Mom talks about how grateful she was that Mrs. Carr never fired her for the numerous times she left the tables she was waiting to enter the jitterbug contests. Mom always believed her job was spared because the Carrs knew her parents, liked her sister Nan who worked there as well and the former business relationship Mrs. Carr had with her mother's uncle, Wiley H. Bates, didn't hurt either.

Through my mother, I became familiar with Mrs. Carr's management style and the difficulty she had with employees and her money.

She told me that Mrs. Carr would check the pockets of everyone counting money b
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