Joshua Thomas was a dynamic young waterman who became a leader in Methodist revivals and camp meetings on the islands of Tangier Sound. Journeying from meeting to meeting in a log canoe named The Methodist he soon became famous as the "Parson of the Islands." Historians credit him with establishing Methodism as the deep-rooted faith of the island people. The most spectacular event of his career was preaching to the British expeditionary forces encamped on Tangier Island during the War of 1812 - and predicting that they would not succeed in taking Baltimore. The log canoe he used was a prototype of the Island Blossom, built in 1892, a famous racing log canoe, shown with seven of the crew riding springboards to balance it.
