Cars in a small town play a remarkable role in the character of a community. The older they are, the more people can remember the first owner, and the second, and perhaps a third. They park on our streets as mobile reminders of friends and moments of past adventures, political campaigns, sports teams and other symbols of our local culture, and like the county itself, age with a particular grace.
With Chestertown RiverArts taking a few weeks off this summer with their wonderful Humans of Kent County, the Spy thought it would be fun to document some of the more famous or infamous cars of our community. To disclose the identity of the car owners would make it too easy for our readers. Take a guess and leave a comment below. And submit your own photos of the cars of Kent County with your own stories.
Buick Roadmaster Estate Station Wagon (1985-90)
Until the United States started to experience the ultra-rich in the late 1990s until the present day, the captains of industry of America’s top companies were a modest group. While they lived well, with large houses as well as weekend retreats, their taste in cars was surprisingly simple. And the CEO automobile of choice for decades were not Cadillacs, which projected an undesirable ostentatious impression, but more typically the all American Buick.
That was clearly the case with one of Chestertown’s frequent weekend visitors in the 1990s. Alonzo Decker, the CEO of Black & Decker, would drive his new Buick Roadmaster Estate station wagon into town from his farm north of Galena to attend Washington College’s Board of Visitors and Governors meetings. While it is not known that this example of the wagon was Al’s, the image of it parked on High Street brings back those special days for many Chestertownians.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.