Westside Historical Society will resume its popular Delmarva History Lecture series at the MAC Center on Thursday, Sept. 22,  with a talk by Ray Thompson about  the transformation of Salisbury from village to city in the years after the Civil War.

As Professor of History at Salisbury University for many years, Thompson’s classes always filled, and in retirement he continues to “fill the room.”

As co-founder with Professor Sylvia Bradley of the Delmarva Research Center – now known as the Nabb Center – he continued to research and share his love of Eastern Shore history.

This talk will focus on Salisbury in the era known locally as the Age of Jackson, 1886-1916.

Thompson takes a detailed and completely new look at Salisbury in the post-Civil War period, describing the phenomenal transformation of Salisbury from village to city and showing the impact of the Jackson family, who were the political, religious, economic and social leaders of the growing hub of Delmarva during the period 1886-1916.

Using little seen sources and images, Thompson will provide a new look at Salisbury as it moved from a local to a more national importance as the Jackson family used marriage, as well as local, state and national connections, as they established a vast economic empire stretching throughout the south and turned Salisbury into an architectural gem as never before. As social and political leaders in the Gilded Age of  Salisbury, Maryland and the nation, they also had a dramatic impact on the religious face of Salisbury. 

There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

The doors will open at 1:30 p.m. and the talk will begin at 2 p.m. There is no charge for these lectures, presented by Westside Historical Society.

For more information, email Sylvia Bradley at westsidehistorical@gmail.com or phone 410-726-8047.