If you know where to look online, you can learn a lot about how Cambridge locals feel about the city. There are Facebook groups, Reddit threads, NextDoor posts, and Instagram accounts. It was through my own Cambridge-themed Instagram account that I experienced people’s passion for their hometown.
When I moved to Cambridge in early 2019, I was determined to “get involved” in the community and learn the city’s history. I collected books on Cambridge, Dorchester County, and the Eastern Shore in general. These developed in me an appreciation and high regard for the people and places around me. This all put me on a path that would not only connect me to my neighbors but also lead to my current job with The Cambridge Spy.
In the middle of the pandemic, I got it into my head that I wanted to promote my hometown—to show outsiders and potential visitors the charm of this city. And I decided I’d have to do it myself, because in 2021 the official Cambridge Instagram account hadn’t been updated in three years. So, I created an account called Cambridge_MD, and I hoped I would attract maybe a hundred followers.
As I posted pictures and postcards, people started to notice. I pulled out my books and offered little nuggets of history and biography, and more folks followed the account. Since I was out of work, I could devote a great deal of time to the Instagram, trawling Ebay for Cambridge souvenirs and postcards, researching old newspapers on the Internet, and visiting the Maryland Room at the Dorchester County Public Library.
Instagram posts.
Then I decided I needed another source of local info, something I could use not only to draw in tourists but also to give me a better understanding of the city physically. I started a scrapbook, filling the binder with newspaper cuttings, travel brochures, magazine ads, and even the business directory from the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce. I got to know the layout of Cambridge as well as the history of its houses and buildings. All this info went into the Instagram, which stunned me when it passed 1,000 followers.
Why were these people checking out my work on a daily basis? They especially loved the pictures of their community and coverage of local events like the Christmas Parade. Some people who had lived here all their lives would read the little biographies of notables like Bea Arthur, Hal Barber, and John Barth and say, “I never knew that!” Kateri Brohawn of Lucky Kat Designs told me when we met on the local ghost tour, “That’s where I get my history.”
Owners of houses I featured on the Instagram invited me to visit. One morning a few Christmases ago, the Cambridge Yacht Club let me in to take photographs, even clearing out some of the rooms while employees were preparing for the day. They were proud of their business and their community and wanted to be involved, just as I did.
Cambridge scrapbook.
But I said earlier that this story would lead to my current job, so let me touch on that briefly. As the Instagram following grew, I decided to see if I could monetize it with local advertising. The folks at the Chamber of Commerce burst that bubble, but Bill Christopher did inspire me to contact the Dorchester Banner about writing for them. Thus, I became a freelancer and got to know the community even better. Around the time I decided to expand beyond that publication, I just happened to meet The Spy’s publisher, Dave Wheelan. And I’ve worked for him ever since.
In July of last year, my enthusiasm for Cambridge_MD waned, and I officially stopped posting to it. People were sad to see me go, but I wanted to put my time to other pursuits. Yet, my interest in Cambridge continued. A short time ago, I went back on the account to discover that, though it clearly said it was no longer active, the following had continued to grow until I passed 1,500. People obviously still had a passion for this town.
So, I dusted things off and got it rolling again. One thing I had realized was that the Instagram had connected me to the community in a way I really needed, especially as a local journalist. I wanted to know what my neighbors were up to, and I wanted to help remind them what a special place Cambridge is. A common refrain is that the Internet has disconnected people from each other. I disagree.
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