The Lower Shore 250 Commission has announced the launch of Voices 250, a major public history initiative connecting local experiences to the broader national story of Maryland at the nation’s semiquincentennial.
Voices 250 will record, archive and freely share at least 250 oral-history interviews with residents of Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore—Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties—using the Nation’s 250th anniversary as a prompt to capture local perspectives on community, change and civic life. Interviews will be accessioned and preserved at Salisbury University’s Edward H. Nabb Research Center with full provenance records, and curated excerpts will be shared broadly through Delmarva Public Media and online access
“These stories will form a once-in-a-generation snapshot of our region,” said Dr. Alexander Pope IV, project lead and Director of Salisbury University’s Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE). “Voices 250 ensures that the commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary includes the voices and lived experiences of the people who call the Lower Shore home.”
All interviews will be permanently archived at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center, complete with professional accessioning and provenance records. Selected excerpts will be curated into weekly broadcast segments on Delmarva Public Media, reaching tens of thousands of listeners, and will also be made freely accessible online. The initiative emphasizes accessibility and inclusion by combining scheduled interviews with open “stop-and-talk” sessions at community events across the region. Organizers aim to collect voices that reflect the full diversity of the Lower Shore’s communities, ensuring broad participation across ages, backgrounds and perspectives.
Voices 250 is a collaborative effort involving regional partners including Beach to Bay Heritage Area, PACE at Salisbury University, Wicomico County Tourism, Worcester County Office of Tourism and Development, and Somerset County Recreation, Parks and Tourism. Together, these partners will coordinate outreach, host events and support community engagement across all three counties.
The project will roll out throughout 2026, with interviews beginning in spring. Voices 250 will create a lasting resource for educators, researchers and residents, through a combination of community storytelling, archival preservation and public broadcasting. This incredible opportunity to capture diverse local perspectives is made possible with funding from the Maryland 250 Commission.
For more information or to participate in Voices 250, visit https://www.beachesbayswaterways.org/voices-250.html or email lowershore250@gmail.com.
