Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, President Randy Guy and Mile Hewitt, along with Gov. Larry Hogan’s daughter Jaymi Sterling after laying wreath with St. Clement’s Island in the background
Colton’s Point, MD — The sands of time have ebbed and flowed on the shores of Maryland and more specifically St. Mary’s County throughout the 381 years of their existence. For just three fewer years than that there’s been a St. Mary’s County Sheriff to watch over things. That makes Sheriff Tim Cameron the latest in the line to hold office in what is the country’s oldest sheriff’s department.
The lineage of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department is known because of the exhaustive research done for the book called St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s 375 years. At the March 25th Maryland Day celebration at the St. Clement’s Island Museum, Sheriff Cameron held up that book and insisted it’s a work in progress, with a more detailed history of his department to follow.
The museum sits on the mainland with the island as back drop. On March 25, 1634 Maryland’s settlers on the ships the Ark and the Dove landed on St. Clement’s Island.
Cameron’s speech underscored what he said was one of the highlights of his first two terms, the symbolic unlocking of the doors to the reconstructed chapel at St. Mary’s City. In 1705 then Sheriff John Coode, Jr. was ordered by the legislature to lock the chapel doors and burn it down. Cameron said he obeyed the first order but refused to obey the second.
With the reconstruction of that chapel complete, Cameron unlocked on Sept. 30, 2009 the doors to the chapel to let in a large crowd waiting to see what had been accomplished.
Cameron said he felt comradeship with Sheriff Coode, reminding him that his office and department are not arms of government, “but elected to serve and be answerable to the people.”
Cameron read off many of the last names of the previous sheriffs, saying, “Doesn’t it sound like we are looking at the rolls of Chopticon or Great Mills High School.” He added, “They are the tapestry of St. Mary’s County life.”
Cameron was introduced at the ceremony by St. Mary’s County Commissioner President Randy Guy, who called himself a “son of St. Mary’s County.” Cameron, also a St. Mary’s County native, echoed those sentiments to the large crowd shoehorned into the museum: “I am a son of St. Mary’s County. I have become intensely proud of that fact.” Cameron is especially fond of the “magical life” he spent on his grandparents’ farm.
Former Maryland governor Marvin Mandel, who is turning 95 this year, was a guest at the event.
Remarks were made on behalf of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski by her aide Rachel Jones and by Jaymi Sterling on behalf of her father Gov. Larry Hogan. Aides to Sen. Sen. Steve Waugh and Delegate Deb Rey were also in attendance.
Colors for the event were presented by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Color Guard. The National Anthem was sung by Ellynne Brice-Davis. Invocation and Benediction were given by Father Anthony Lickteig of Holy Angles and Sacred Heart Catholic churches.
After the inside event a brief wreath laying ceremony was held outside at the marker commemorating the landing of Maryland’s settlers and overlooking the island.
Contact Dick Myers at news@thebaynet.com
