Bucktown General Store

I was on a tour, and had the opportunity to hear the current owner talk about the history of the store and how/where Harriet Tubman was struck in the head with the weight. While the items in the store are not original, they give a good representation of how the items of that period might look.

This store is the historical spot where Harriet Tubman was hit in the head with a 5 lb weight -- an important spot to see in person for anone invested in fully seeing Tubman's life for themselves Look for: near the ceailing inside of the store you can see muskrats like the ones Tubman would catch as a girl during early Winter time -- also a 5 lb weight on the shelves... Note: The insude of the store seems to be irregularly open to the public

We explored this site based on recommendations per the Underground Railroad Byway (VisitMaryland.Org). Due to our arrival time to the area from DC, I made an impromptu change to the schedule veering off the path from stop 1, and began at Stop 28, then we skipped to Stop 17. I assumed the store was opened but it wasn’t. However, a scheduled tour was headed to the location and they were running late. The co-owner Susan, who was gracious to welcome us as she was preparing for the arrival of the tour group and she shared some great information with my party of five. I recall reading with my son about Harriet Tubman and learning about her getting hit in the head by a flying object. What a surprise to learn we were at the site of that incident. It was living history in my backyard. I am so grateful for the community members who’ve worked tirelessly to keep these gems open for tourists and locals to learn and preserve history. Susan was such a joy to listen to and she made the experience more relevant for my 7 and 11 year old. When we arrived at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Museum (Stop 18 and explored more, they felt the impact of having just seen her birth place marker (Stop 16), the store and the mill, knowing they were traveling the same path that Harriet once traveled. It was a beautiful experience and day. Please call in advance to make sure the store is opened. And check out the Kayak Tours that Susan and her husband offer. Susan is a certified Tour Guide in partnership with the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge and she offers a wealth of information having grown up in the area as well. I hope you find this review helpful. If so, please give me a thumbs up. Thank you.

Not open the day of our visit, but the exterior is still worth a stop, especially when visiting nearby Underground Railroad sites. It provides a fuller depiction of Harriet Tubman's character and life in the region.

It was amazing to be in a place that has so much history. Seeing all of the old items and realizing you are standing where a giant like Harriet Tubman once stood.....wow. It also will male you realize how easy we have it now. We have all types of stores all over. I definitely recommend checking it out. 1

The site where Harriet Tubman “Minty” was concussed. From that point on she would have periods of faintness and visions, where she felt she heard from God. She suffered her brain injury because she refused to help another slaveholder recapture a slave hiding out here.

Bucktown General Store is part of the Harriet Tubman trail in Eastern Shore MD. The store is where Harriet first defied a master and paid a heavy price for it. The story goes that while Harriet was in the store a slave made a break for it to try and escape. His master preferred Harriet to stop the man and she refused. On a rage the man hurled a two pound weight that struck Harriet in the head. She had bouts of unconsciousness for the rest of her life. Today the store is just a small place you can drive up to and look in. It was not open to go in when we were there. I am not sure if it does open. It's a neat, quick little stop though.

This visit was most enlightening and extremely enjoyable. It was an audio walk through the history of the area and a hopeful view of the future of the area.