Ep. 43 - Jerry Smith: The Rogue's Point Pirate of Smith Island

Ep. 43 - Jerry Smith: The Rogue's Point Pirate of Smith Island

Jerry Smith is a waterman, history buff, YouTube creator, and life-long resident of Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay. In 2024, he was featured in Peter Santenello’s viral video about the island and its unique culture which has since garnered 5.2 million views, and which resulted in a GoFundMe raising more than $38,000 to repair Jerry’s hurricane-damaged home in Rhodes Point. As “the Rogue’s Point Pirate,” Jerry produces videos about local culture, mudlarking for artifacts, and the ongoing work on his house, and also offers tours for visitors to the island. Smith Island is accessible only by boat. In this episode of the Slower Lower podcast, recorded in the village of Ewell on Smith Island, Chris and Crystal hung out with Jerry and chatted about his newfound popularity, island history and culture, crabs, and more. Topics discussed: * How Jerry got hooked up with the world-famous vlogger-journalist Peter Santenello two years ago. * Spending a day with Peter, the viral video, and the surge of interest in Jerry and his content after it came out. * Jerry's nickname, the Rogue's Point Pirate, inspired by the earlier name for Rhodes Point and his pirate ancestor Marmaduke Mister. * Early settlers (and Jerry's ancestors) of the mid-1600s. * Chris's and Jerry's shared appreciation for Paul Baker Touart's Somerset County: An Architectural History. * Authors who have written about Smith Island, including Frances Dize and Tom Horton. * Life on the island in the 60s and 70s; dressing up to go to Crisfield; businesses closed on Sundays. * Old Bay vs. J.O. Spice? (Jerry's answer may surprise you!) * Jerry's crabcake recipe, plus a recipe for a lesser-known dish, "stewed jimmies." * Challenges in the crabbing industry, and the significant barriers to entry for young people. * Tourism and recent come-heres on the island, and Jerry's optimism about the future. Check out Jerry's videos on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@theroguespointpirate7447], connect with him on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/jerry.smith.306908], and please consider donating to the effort to repair his house via GoFundMe [https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jerry-fix-his-roof].

Ep. 42 - 1950s-60s Trappe with Grandma Shirley

Back by popular demand! Grandma Shirley returned to the Slower Lower podcast for a conversation about her life in the tiny town of Trappe in Talbot County, Maryland, in the 1950s and 60s. Topics discussed: * Meeting a young man named Charles Diefenderfer in 1950 and going for a drive before camp meeting service. * Denton Pilgrim Holiness Camp in the 1950s. * Getting married and moving from Hurlock to Trappe; differences between the two communities. * A short stay in nearby Easton. * Interesting pronunciations of the name Diefenderfer. * Churches in Oxford and Cambridge. * Living next door to professional baseball legend Frank "Home Run" Baker. * Eating her first soft crab. * Steamed crabs, oysters, and Charles's boat. * Crossing the Chesapeake Bay by ferry, and the impact of the controversial Bay Bridge. * Reactions to the assassination of President Kennedy. * The role of church in the family's social life. * . . . . and more! Leave a comment or question for Grandma Shirley, and we'll be sure to share it with her.

Ep. 41 - Crabs n' Bollards - 1st Anniversary Episode

Chris and Crystal reflect on their first year of podcasting and several local news stories. Topics discussed: * Crystal's glowing review of the Red Roost outside Salisbury. * Imported crabs and unscrupulous crabhouses. * Should restaurants identify the source of their crabs as if they were oysters? * The hideous new bollards and boardwalk gate in Rehoboth Beach. * Delaware Governor Matt Meyer posted a Bible verse . . . . and cut the name of Christ out of it!? * Replacing words in movie titles with the word scrapple. * The top ten Slower Lower episodes of the past year. * Thanking past guests and discussing potential future guests (i.e., an archaeologist, a cold case detective, a waterman, and more). * Other podcast stats of interest. Thank you to everybody who has checked out the Slower Lower podcast. Here's to another exciting year!

Ep. 40 - 1930s-40s Hurlock with Grandma Shirley

This very special episode of the Slower Lower podcast features Chris's 91-year-old grandma, Shirley, who was born in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1934. In Grandma Shirley's first-ever podcast interview, she talks about growing up in the small town of Hurlock in the 1930s and 1940s. Topics discussed: * The Pike family's old house in the woods at Rhodesdale. * The sad poisoning of the family's dog, Jojo, by neighbors. * Moving to Charles Street in Hurlock in 1937. * Walking everywhere because they didn't have a car. * Taking the train to shop in Cambridge. * Shirley's first trip to Ocean City with a Sunday School group around 1939. * Beach and boardwalk attire. * A later trip to bustling New York City. * School, the exciting weekly visit to the library, and holiday festivities. * The Baptist and Pilgrim Holiness churches. * Getting blessed: Runners, walkers, and holy rollers. * Making clothes out of feed bags. * Grabbing a chicken from the backyard for a fried chicken dinner. * Food from the garden. * Christmas oranges and nuts. * Never eating crabs or crab soup!? * Ooter Harper's store and penny candy selection. * Shirley's first job at the 5 & 10 in Federalsburg in 1950. * What can parents of today learn from the parents of the 1930s and 1940s? Drop a comment or question for Grandma Shirley and we'll share it with her.

Ep. 39 - Shane Beard & Kyle "K.O." Owens

Delaware-based country singer Shane Beard returns to the Slower Lower podcast with his friend and musical collaborator Kyle "K.O." Owens. We're celebrating the release of Shane's new single "Would If I Could" and a very cool music video! Topics discussed: * A dude in Selbyville is upset about the stinky stuff farmers are spreading on the fields. * Chicken manure vs. cow manure vs. hog manure. * "Would If I Could" and the story and feelings behind the song. * How Shane and K.O. got connected. * K.O.'s rich musical background, including listening to classical music as a baby. * The writing process; starting with a melody and adding words, or vice versa. * The tension between wanting to share a new song with the world immediately and waiting months to release it properly. * Does Shane need a blue verified badge on Facebook? * Shane recounts taking his wife and daughter to see Nate Smith and opener Brandon Wisham. * Poppy's Jams. * Who Would Win In A Fight? Country music edition. Listen to "Would If I Could" on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/track/64tH1E4ki612IWgpr6KenM?si=e6f2d7bdb20b4ebd], Apple [https://music.apple.com/us/song/would-if-i-could/6767046657], iHeart [https://www.iheart.com/artist/shane-beard-32826487/songs/would-if-i-could-399994686?app=listen], Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0GZSGJVBT?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_RPYEsiGuQBlM4In0frBl9RPF8&trackAsin=B0GZSFRQNY], and other streaming platforms, and check out the music video on YouTube [https://youtu.be/P5z2c8s0jCg?si=gW74X-sMJxViyMnq]! Follow Shane Beard on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583910953627]and at shanebeard.com [http://www.shanebeard.com].