'Handsell: Three Cultures, One Story' Book Release & Signing

Author Margaret (Midge) Ingersoll will be reading from and signing copies of Handsell: Three Cultures, One Story at the newly reopened Harriet Tubman Musuem and Educational Center (424 Race Street, Cambridge, MD) on September 23rd. The evening will begin with light refreshments at 6:00 p.m., with a reading and signing to follow at 6:30. The event is free and open to the public.

Ingersoll has been researching the Handsell Historic Site for 20 years. A founding trustee of the Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance (NHPA), the nonprofit that manages Handsell, Ingersoll was fascinated by the site’s ties to Native, African American, and Colonial American history. Located in Dorchester County near Vienna, it has been added to the National Register of Historic Places and become a popular destination for historians and tourists alike. “While the stories of the Native Chicacoan Village, the English merchant saga, and the Enslaved history have been told to visitors at Handsell, it was time to put our research all together in one volume to share it with the public,” says Ingersoll.

Handsell: Three Cultures, One Story gathers information from various archives, court records, family letters, and oral histories into a compelling narrative. The book brings once-obscure local histories to light, documenting significant events and important cultural connections. Ingersoll hopes it generates more interest in Handsell and additional research into its past. All profits from her book, which sells for $20, will be donated to NHPA to help defray the site’s maintenance and operating costs.

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational is dedicated to celebrating the legacy of Harriet Tubman and providing an interpretive history of her achievement. The Dorchester-based nonprofit offers guided walking tours, group tours, and educational programs relating to Tubman. It also advocates for families, promotes historic preservation, and hosts events highlighting the rich heritage of the Eastern Shore.