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On a sunny Saturday afternoon in August 1936, the majestic Hindenburg Airship graced the skies above Cecil County. Having just completed its fifth scheduled flight to the United States, this colossal Zeppelin had arrived at Lakehurst, New Jersey, with a full passenger load. However, due to choppy winds, the captain decided to forgo landing and instead treated the passengers to a scenic tour of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

As the Hindenburg journeyed towards the nation’s capital, it first soared over Atlantic City, then crossed the Delaware Bay, gliding gracefully over Frederica, Delaware, at 12:35 p.m. After reaching the southernmost point of its trip in Washington, the airship began its return to Lakehurst. Following a route that paralleled the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad lines, the Hindenburg passed over Cecil County between 3 and 4 p.m. Its relatively low altitude gave hundreds of spectators in the county a rare opportunity to witness this marvel of flight up close.^1,2

On this afternoon, a baseball game was in full swing, featuring the Triumph Fusee Team from Elkton battling it out against the Rising Sun Hustlers. The Midland Journal remarked that the only thrill for spectators came when “Germany’s pride of the air, the Von Hindenburg, soared over the diamond on its way to Lakehurst.”³

After a day in the skies along the Atlantic Seaboard, the Hindenburg touched down at Lakehurst Naval Air Station at 6:55 p.m., concluding its journey.

Tragically, a year later, on May 14, 1937, the Midland Journal reported a devastating incident: approximately 40 passengers and crew members perished when the Hindenburg exploded while attempting to land at its hangar in Lakehurst, NJ. Many in Cecil County recalled observing the airship on that fine Saturday in 1936.

Endnotes

1. “Giant Zep Zoards Over Wilmington,” Wilmington Morning News, Aug. 10, 1936 ↩︎
2. “Big Air Ship Passes Over,” Midland Journal, Aug. 14, 1936 ↩︎
3. “Elkton Takes a Fall Out of Rising Sun,” Midland Journal, Aug. 14, 1936 ↩︎

September 5, 1936, was a big day in Elkton, for on that Saturday in the middle of the Great Depression, the Pure Oil Company opened a fully equipped service station at the corner of Main and Bow streets. J. J. Maloney, the local agent for the Company, noted that the idea of this new venture was to give Elkton motorists a one-stop service station. It was a new cottage-type service station, the latest in design. It had it all: spacious well-lighted drives, conveniently located pump islands, and the modern type of computing pump. The station still stands on the northwest corner of Main and Bow.

For additional photos of the Pure Oil Gas Station see this album on Facebook.

In 1669, concerns began to develop among the Lord Proprietor and General Assembly of Maryland. They were troubled by the alarming number of servants and criminals who escaped the grasp of the province’s enslavers or justice system while seeking refuge in neighboring colonies. It was evident to the lawmakers that measures were needed to curb the occurrences.

Situated along the border with Pennsylvania and the Lower Colonies, northeastern Maryland was a common place for these daring flights to freedom. So, sensing an opportunity, Augustine Herrman, a prominent landholder in the region, embarked on a campaign to persuade the Assembly to choose his vast estate, Bohemia Manor, as the location for a prison. Having been granted this land in Baltimore County in the early 1660s, Herrman saw the northeastern edge of the territory and his manor as the best site to erect a prison. (It would become Cecil County in 1674.)

After considering the situation, lawmakers passed “An Act for p’venting servants & Criminall psons from Running out of this Providence,” It authorized Herrman to build a twenty-foot log prison to serve as a place for “surety and safe keeping” of runaways and fugitives until they could be claimed by an enslaver or meet justice before the Maryland courts. To compensate for the building of the log prison, the freemen of the province were assessed a levy of ten thousand pounds of tobacco.

But the commitment didn’t end there. The colony also agreed to compensate the First Lord of Bohemia Manor for apprehending and remanding runaways from Delaware Bay and other Northern plantations to the newly established prison.

Summer is just four days away, and weather forecasters are already warning us about an early heatwave that is settling in on Maryland over the next few days. All this talk on the Baltimore evening news broadcasts reminded us of a memorable fifty-five-year-old photograph from the summer of 1969. 

That July, oppressive heat made outdoor activities nearly unbearable. People were desperate to find ways to escape the scorcher that blanketed the region. Some sought relief by basking in the cooling water from the Bay at one of the county’s beaches, while others anxiously scanned the sky, hoping for a passing thundershower to bring some relief. Seeking refuge in air-conditioned spaces, like the Elk Theatre, or making a beeline for the cooling waters of the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City became a common option, while others scattered here and there, seeking any break they could find from the tropical conditions.

Assigned by the Cecil Whig’s editor, Don Herring, to capture the story through his lens, Jim Cheeseman ventured out into the hot, humid air. During this assignment, he stumbled upon a remarkable scene at the corner of Main and Bridge streets, giving readers a visually engaging glimpse of that hot spell. Taken in July 1969, it showed a young man who found a unique way to escape the sweltering conditions by resting briefly in a self-serve icebox. In those days, the business on the corner was Elkton Supply. Today, it is known as American Home and Hardware.

As we brace ourselves for the impending heatwave, we thought you might enjoy this 1969 photo. It is one of our favorite Jim Cheeseman pictures.

Notes about the Jim Cheeseman Photo Collection

This picture is from the Jim Cheeseman Cecil Whig Photo Collection at the Historical Society of Cecil County. The Society has thousands of photos in this collection, concentrating on the 1960s and 1970s.

Jim was the senior or lead photographer for many years, and when he retired, Executive Editor Don Herring and Jim Cheeseman donated this large visual record to the Society. It contains Jim’s work during these decades and pictures taken by some staff photographers working at the paper. It’s officially called the Jim Cheeseman Cecil Whig Photo Collection, and Jim contributed these images. Don and Jim were responsible for saving this large visual record of Cecil County and ensuring it was donated to the Society. We spent many days at Jim’s apartment as the three of us worked through the collection, adding whatever notes Jim and Don could recall to the pictures and negatives. Then, boxes of photos and negatives were taken to the Society for processing.

If you are looking for news photographs of Cecil County, check out this collection at the Society.

THE HISTORY OF THE ROAD AND ITS CONNECTIONS TO THE COLD WAR, CIVIL RIGHTS, SOVIET UNION & PRES. KENNEDY

THUR., MAY 23, 2024, 6:30 p.m.

CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY – ELKTON BRANCH

BY MIKE DIXON

After tracing the history of Route 40 over generations, this program discusses how in the early 1960s the roadway between Baltimore and the Delaware Memorial Bridge became an unexpected battleground–a place where Cold War tensions, international diplomacy, and the civil rights movement intersected. Along this heavily traveled 63-mile stretch of road through northeastern Maryland and Delaware, powerful forces collided: communist propagandists, Jim Crow segregation, the Kennedy administration, and Freedom Riders. The spotlight fell on this unassuming highway as the Soviet Union and the United States vied for influence in Africa. From its origins to its enduring impact, we explore the road’s significance, shedding light on the complex interplay of unexpected global and domestic forces that shaped its story.

Free program, but registration is required for Trouble on Route 40.

Click the link for more information or to register for the program.

A wealthy industrialist and investor, James Bell, moved to Cecil County sometime around 1857 and established his winter residence here. He wanted to escape the severe winters of the north, and, according to the Midland Journal newspaper, “Conowingo struck his fancy.”

There he purchased property immediately above the village, which is now known as Bell Manor. Wm. E. Porter had owned the land and he “was very glad to get rid of it as it was something of a wilderness and required a mint of money to make it look like civilized country,” the paper added. Bell turned it into one of the nicest spots in the county, his family spending the winter months here.

Bell was wealthy, newspapers remarked, “being credited with several million.” He was an exporter, particularly of cotton, and during the Civil War, made a great deal of money.

Locally, he was a major stockholder in the Conowingo Bridge Company and was involved in other enterprises in the village. James Bell died suddenly in May 1897 at his summer residence, Livingston Manor, near Hudson, Columbia County, New York, at 83.

Built around the the1860s, Bell Manor is a fine property on a high hill overlooking the Susquehanna and the old Village of Conowingo. The center of the large tract is the Bell Mansion, which the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland now own. This historic estate has seen many uses over the generations.

James C. Bell, a wealthy New York banker and shipper, started purchasing property in the Conowingo area around 1857. Over a few years, he acquired about 1,000 acres in the 8th election district. Around the 1860s, he built his retirement home in this remote corner of Cecil County.

Following Bell’s sudden death in May 1897, the family started selling off parts of the property. The Conowingo Land Company acquired the largest portion in 1902. It eventually became the property of the Susquehanna Power Company.

As contractors struggled to erect the Dam, the power company used it as a hotel or residence for executives and senior managers at the massive project on the Susquehanna River.

However, once the work was completed, the company converted the mansion into a convalescent or rest home in 1929. Philadelphia Newspapers frequently mention families visiting recuperating patients at Bell Manor, sometimes referring to it as the “Conowingo Convalescent Home.” According to one source, the facility closed in 1952.

In 1961, the Bell Manor House was included in the purchase of 300 acres from the Philadelphia Electric Company by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, adding to the existing 300 acres already owned by the Girl Scouts at Camp Conowingo.

For additional photos, see the album on Facebook.

For more information, see this historic site survey from the Maryland Historical Trust.

The Elkton & Middletown Railroad didn’t go far, and it didn’t go fast. But after Sid Bledsoe shared a 1960 photo showing a boxcar on the track, we decided to check out the old right-of-way to see if there were any surviving artifacts from the short line.

Originally discussed in the 1870s, the plan was to serve as a cutoff between the main line in Elkton and the Delaware Railroad in Middletown. But plans lingered until 1894, and by December of that year, the road had been built from the main line to the Big Elk Creek, a distance of about 1/3 of a mile. The corporation spent about $75,000 on its right-of-way.

This short section of track served an industrial area along Big Elk Creek, with spurs into Singerly Pulp and Paper and the Scott Fertilizer.¹

Although the route had been acquired south of the creek in the general direction of Chesapeake City, the company never extended construction beyond the creek. It was consolidated into the PB&W Railroad in 1916.

Walking this short line in 2015 with Sid Bledsoe, the grading is still obvious, and a few old rails remain in place. The tracks’ use for delivery to Elkton Supply (now American Home and Hardware) was discontinued in the 1970s.

The High Line (Autumn 2002) has a detailed article on the Elkton and Middletown Railroad Company by John Hall.

For additional photos of the E & M Railroad, see this album on Facebook.

Endnotes

1. “Elkton’s New Railroad,” Midland Journal, December 2, 1895, 3[↩]

KENMORE – In 1977, the Singerly Fire Company opened a fire station at Singerly and Providence roads, and in the early planning, the Company referred to it as the Providence Station. That caused a majority of the residents in the area to petition the county commissioners, asking that the area at the corner be known as Kenmore rather than having it referred to as Providence Coroner, Providence, Andora, or Fair Hill. Thus, on Feb. 28, 1977, the commissioners officially designed this community as Kenmore.

The Kenmore name had been around for decades. In the 1920s, the northeastern corner of the County needed a modern high school to relieve overcrowding at Elkton and supplement the small one-room primary schools in the area. With the Board of Education developing plans for a facility, the Kenmore Papermill in Providence donated land at the corner of Providence and Singerly roads. The company mule barns had been located on this parcel, as mules were used to haul pulp from Elkton to Providence.

With plans coming together, 200 residents petitioned the Board of Education to change the name to Kenmore School since the company donated the land. In March 1924, the Board agreed, naming it Kenmore High School, the Cecil Democrat reported. The contract for the structure was awarded to H. Clay Phillips & Son of Middletown, Del.

The Kenmore School opened in February 1925, and the first class of seniors graduated in June 1925. The commencement was held at the Rock Presbyterian Church. Hazel Emma Ott gave the salutatory, Anna Menagh Castner read an essay, and Corrine Alphonza Patchell gave the valedictory. The Rev John P. Otis gave the address to the seven graduates, their families, and guests. The graduates were Corrine Alphonza Patchell, John Emory Mackey, Helen Beatrice Patchell, Hazel Emma Ott, Anna Mary Stewart, Anna Menagh Castner, and Sara Elizabeth Hathaway.

In 1939, Kenmore’s enrollment was changed to include pupils in first through 11th grades. An addition to the Kenmore School was constructed beginning May 11, 1954, and was opened in January 1955. This new addition was dedicated on March 27, 1955. In 1958, the school’s name was changed to Kenmore Elementary School for first through sixth grades, as the upper grades started attending Elkton High School.

When a funeral procession from Wilmington, Delaware, crossed over the Perryville and Havre de Grace Bridge in early spring 1923, the new owners, the Maryland State Roads Commission, charged $4.45 for the hearse and five automobiles to cross the span. On the return of the hearse and cars, the toll taker collected another $3.95 from the mourners.

This caused James J. Doherty, the Delaware undertaker, to seek a refund from the State Roads Commission. Funeral Director Doherty asserted that an act of the 1867 legislature ordered that no turnpike, bridge, or ferry company should collect tolls upon carriages, other vehicles, or horses going to or returning from a funeral. The lawmakers added that if someone violated this rule, the fine was between fifty and one hundred dollars.

John N. Mackall, Chairman of the State Roads Commission, wrote to Attorney General Alexander Armstrong, seeking guidance on the matter. Armstrong provided an opinion, writing that when the statute was passed, toll roads, bridges, and ferries were owned by individuals or corporations. Moreover, the legislature did not intend for the state to be prosecuted for charging a funeral.¹

When the legislature passed an act in 1922 permitting the acquisition of the Havre de Grace and Perryville Bridge, the new act contained no exception for funerals, so that took precedence over the 1867 statute. The State Roads Commission could charge whatever toll they determined. and the state wouldn’t fine itself, so the Commission didn’t have to return the money.

As a practical matter, the attorney general continued that while the act prescribed maximum limits for charges, it imposed no minimum restriction. Since it had been the policy of the state since 1867 to require these toll routes to refrain from making charges to funeral processions, the opinion noted that in the spirit of the earlier provision, which had met with public approval for so long be observed until there was further legislation on the subject.

Endnotes

1. Alexander Armstrong, “State Roads Commission, Funeral Procession Crossing Havre de Grace and Perryville Bridge Not Entitled to Toll, Exemption,” Report and Official Opinions of Attorney General, (Annapolis: Attorney General’s Office, 1923), 308-310.[↩]