Ed Rybczynski: HdG Patch's First Blog Post

I hate written introductions, in particular the endless stream of introductory blog posts written by friends who, for one reason or another, have launched their own blogs—now mostly defunct. Make no mistake about it, I have blogged in the past. My previous efforts have all been business related.  

I never thought I would consider an invitation to share regularly my personal insights about the small town in which I live. Sounds a bit limiting in scope, don’t you think? Yet, here I am!

At first, I thought it might be a good idea to share the things about our town that  I hope to write about in upcoming posts. Maybe, it would make more sense to share the things I don’t plan on writing about. Truth be told: I have no idea what the posts on this blog will be about. That’s what make it so much fun.

During the past 12 years or so that I’ve called Havre de Grace home, I've come up with a number of talking points to draw upon when describing our town to people who have never been here.

History is big deal around this town. Interestingly, almost everything that I know about the town’s past was passed on by word of mouth by locals with family ties reaching back generation upon generation. There are layers of life here with stories of ghosts and the mythical acts of town folk during local wars long forgotten.

There’s a strongly held belief that Havre de Grace was seriously considered along with Washington D.C. as the site of our nation's capital. Rumor suggests that Havre de Grace lost the vote by a single count. Is it true? Many of the town's streets such as Adams, Washington, Union, Congress, Lafayette, etc. are indicative of a patriotic ideal and historical appreciation.

An interesting and enduring tale boasts of a visit by JFK during his bid for the presidency. Unable to pronounce the name of the town he repeatedly and intentionally referred to Havre de Grace as Aberdeen, our neighbor to the south.

Al Capone purportedly spent  time here while the town housed an infamous racetrack known as "The Graw." An era of illegal gambling is evidenced by houses with walls riddled with hidden compartments. I've been fortunate enough to see examples of the secret caches in some of the commercial buildings on Washington Street.

I don't care if the stories are true or not.  I like them the way that they are, for what they are.

I could stay here for months without starting my car while wearing only t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops. There is so much to do and see. One couldn't possibly tire of walking the promenade, or visiting the many restaurants, antique shops, used book stores, eclectic shops, museums, and parks.

With all that being said, I hope only that this blog leads to the opportunity to meet many of you in person.

Until next time ...