Caroline Burnite Walker was a pioneering librarian who founded the Talbot County Free Library in 1925, ensuring free access to books for the community. A nationally recognized leader in children's library services, she believed in the power of literacy and worked tirelessly to bring a library to Talbot County. Thanks to her vision, TCFL continues to serve thousands of residents today.

Mary Elizabeth Banning, a self-taught mycologist from Talbot County, made significant contributions to the study of fungi in the 19th century. Her unpublished manuscript, The Fungi of Maryland, included 174 detailed watercolor illustrations, some depicting species never before recorded. Despite the challenges women faced in science at the time, her passion and meticulous research earned her lasting recognition, including a fungus named in her honor—Hypomyces banningii.

Amelia B. Coppuck Welby, born in St. Michaels in 1819, was a celebrated 19th-century poet known for her lyrical and romantic verse. Writing under the pen name Minstrel-girl, her poetry gained national recognition, with her 1845 collection Poems by Amelia earning praise—even from Edgar Allan Poe. Though her life was brief, her work remains a beautiful part of Talbot County’s literary history.

: Isaiah Fountain was a bold and resourceful African American farmer from Trappe who became the central figure in one of the biggest news stories to occur in Talbot County. In 1919 the Easton Star-Democrat wrote that the Isaiah Fountain case was "one of the most noted in the State's annals." A century later, lawyer and author, Sherrilyn Ifill wrote that the Fountain case "was one of the most notorious on the [Eastern] Shore during the early part of the twentieth century. Ifill also wrote that the case also involved Talbot County's largest incident of mob violence in its history. Today Isaiah Fountain's case is little known.

To continue Black History Month coverage, WMDT presents the life of Nathan Nace Hopkins. The man who helped enslaved people in Talbot County become free. He did that not only physically, but mentally, and emotionally. His great-great-grandchild, Dale Kevin Brown, said his significance to the area is enormous.

Thelma Alfred was a dedicated educator and civil rights leader who founded the Talbot County NAACP in 1949, leading efforts for desegregation and racial equality. Her lifelong commitment to education, activism, and community service left a lasting impact on Talbot County.

Nathaniel “Nace” Hopkins, known as "Uncle Nace," was a man of resilience, leadership, and vision. Born into slavery around 1830 in Trappe, Maryland, his life was marked by a determination to uplift his community.

James Rouse, the visionary designer behind Columbia, Maryland, was born and raised in Talbot County. His innovative approach to urban development began with Talbot Town, one of Maryland’s earliest shopping malls. Rouse later gained national acclaim for creating iconic destinations such as Boston’s Faneuil Hall, Baltimore’s Harborplace, New York City’s South Street Seaport, and New Orleans’ Riverwalk.

WBOC’s Chopper 16 flies over the Tench Tilghman monument and final resting place in Talbot County, MD.