Our Organic History
Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s in St. Mary’s County was a world of wide-eyed wonder, charm and character. In many ways it was a much faster pace and place than today. No traffic to slow you down and plenty of places to go without getting bored too quickly.
Instead of restaurant chains we ate in local businesses and sampled local dishes. We ate organic and didn’t have to pay extra! Restaurants like The Roost, The Spinning Wheel, Halfway House, Nick’s in the Park, Evans Seafood and my all -time favorite Duke’s restaurant were always buzzing. There were several dozen others to choose from and you could always go up the road and experience the Strip in Waldorf.
My parents would either take us to The Black Steer in Mechanicsville, Hill’s Club or Jean’s Las Vegas.
A day/night out with your folks at any of these places would be a smorgasbord of good food, coffee shops, slot machines, politics , pitch and poker games. The lights were shining and the crowds were humming.
Large gatherings of this kind were commonplace in all of these establishments.
Maybe that sounds somewhat backwards from the idyllic lifestyles that are associated with the fishing and farming past of the St. Mary’s peninsula which might reasonably be viewed historically as something of a rural outpost.
But that would be to forget the ambiance and character of the real social gathering spots. These are the places where we really learned a few of life’s important lessons.
We learned how to interact with people one on one. The restaurants and barrooms were our social media outlet. Gambling was a way of life and a lot of folks relied on it for their paychecks.
There were more neighborhood barrooms than churches, but it was not uncommon to frequent both on Sundays. My father would give me a dollar to put in the collection at St. Aloysius but I would only deposit 50 cents. I would always hit the Bakery in Leonardtown on the way home and play the nickel slots after mass with the rest of the gang after a few donuts .
Life was grand when you were 10 years old in Leonardtown and it is pretty darn good today!
Let’s not forget the days when we didn’t have to try and live ORGANIC! We have retained our sense of community and we do pass on traditions from old St. Mary’s. Keep the fires of the past lit. They might guide you in your journey of life.
