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Many African Americans from the Eastern Shore have played prominent roles in helping to shape the history of Maryland and the nation.  Some served as leaders from the pulpit, a few worked as regular conductors on the Underground Railroad, and many served as educators, newspaper publishers, and in other ways.

Here in Cecil County, one of those leaders was Bishop Levi J. Coppin.  He was born in Fredericktown, Maryland, thirteen years before the Civil War started.  The family Bible said, “Levi Jenkins Coppin, born Dec. 24^th, 1848.”

His mother, Jane Lilly, taught the youngster to read and write, and at the age of 17, he began to study scriptures. After moving to Wilmington when he was 17, he joined the Bethel AME Church. In 1877, Levi became a minister, eventually becoming the 30th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. During his lifetime, he also served as an editor, educator, and missionary. Coppin University is named after his wife, Fanny Jackson Coppin. She was a noted educator.

The Bishop published his autobiography in 1919.  “Intermingled with this ‘Unwritten History’ is the story of my life. . . Those who are fond of reading novels about men who never lived, and things that never did and never will happen, may enjoy a change to something that is historic and real,”  the foreword notes.  Of the nine chapters, the first five concentrate on Cecil and Kent counties and his life here.  The fifth chapter is entitled “Farewell to Cecilton.”  He passed away in 1924.   

This book is a helpful, seldom-used local source for anyone studying the antebellum and Civil War eras on the Delmarva Peninsula. In the antebellum period, many landowners in the lower part of the county relied on slave labor to harvest crops and perform plantation work. This valuable title provides information on the families in the area, slavery, some insight on the Underground Railroad, the arrival of Union Troops in the town, news of Emancipation in Lower Cecil, and life in general for African Americans during the slavery era. 

Bishop Levi J. Coppin’s digitized e-book is available through the Internet Archive.

Here is an article about trying to save the Bishop Levi Coppin School.

The table of contents from the Unwritten History by Bishop Levi J. Coppin (Source: Internet Archive).

The winter 2013 edition of The Inkwell, the Society newsletter, is at the printer now and will be mailed to members shortly after the first of the year.  In this packed issue you will find in-depth history articles, a roundup of the latest local heritage news, features about people, and updates on events.  It also contains columns that examine research collections and provide practical how-to tips for patrons working with materials in the Cecil County history and genealogy library. 

Highlights include a fascinating, thoroughly researched story by Eric Mease about a Civil War Chaplin, the Rev. Joseph Brown of Cherry Hill.  He has taken a scholarly look at the pastor’s life by working with the original diaries written during the war, which includes his detention at the infamous Libby Prison.  Also there is a column about the man who knew the highs and low in Cecil County.  He was H. Wirt Bouchelle, our local weather observer for 55 years.

Make sure you keep up with the latest news from Cecil’s heritage keepers by becoming a member of the Society.  And look for some additional exciting news about products for members early in 2013.  We will be opening our virtual library, where supporters will be able read archived copies of the Society’s print product spanning a 60 year period.  These serials have brought local history articles to readers for generations and are helpful to those digging into the past.

We will also be launching the Annual Journal of Cecil County History.  The once a year product will feature long-form original scholarly submissions that add to fresh understanding or revised interpretations about the past.  Another focus for 2013 will be the enlargement of the member’s only research section, which will contain e-research materials.  Look for details about these and other exciting products, as our all-volunteer organization continues to work to preserve, record and document Cecil’s past. 

 

One of the Historical Society volunteers, Kyle Dixon, is an undergraduate at Washington College where he is working on one of his senior graduation requirements.  It’s a research paper that examines school integration on the Upper Chesapeake and he has discovered a valuable Cecil County collection at McDaniel College.  Other researchers may find this resource to be helpful, so we are sharing a note about it here.

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Morris W. Rannels, the Superintendent of Cecil County Schools from 1952 to 1960, oversaw the system during a time of major social change and rapid student growth.  After the superintendent passed away in 2007 at the age of 92, his collection of personal papers and documentary materials, which concentrate on Cecil County, were donated to McDaniel College.

This collection concentrates on his management of the growing county school system and the challenges faced by the professional leadership team and the Board of Education.  The physical plant was outdated as many structures needed renovation, the era of the one or two room facility had passed, and a booming student population required additional space.  The overcrowding, school buildings in “poor condition,” and the financial demands of modernization for a system coming out of the Great Depression and World War-II were a major management problem for Superintendent Morris Rannels.

Then on May 17^th, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Course handed down its decision declaring that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.  When a new school year started that fall, the Board of Education refused to admit thirteen African-American students of Navy personnel to Bainbridge Elementary School, a new facility on federal property.  That initiated a complex legal challenge involving the NAACP, the Navy, the U.S. Attorney General, the Cecil County Board of Education, and the Maryland Dept. of Education.  After a federal judge refused to dismiss the civil suit charging local officials with violating the 14^th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the parties agreed to settle the matter out of court, according to the Afro-American.  When the school doors opened next year, it was an integrated school for Navy personnel.

The large body of records consists of six containers of research materials.  “Through the collection, Rannels meticulously records the status of integration in Cecil County, the financial situation of the Cecil County Public School System, student enrollment, teacher hires/resignations, and school constructions/reconstructions.” According to the McDaniel finding aid.   In the next decade, full integration of the school system was handled by another Supt.

Click here for the McDaniel College finding aid.

North East, Dec., 24, 2012 – A light snow began to fall on Cecil County late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve and soon a thin blanket of the fluffy stuff was starting to cover the ground.  In the growing winter darkness the scene made for a near postcard-perfect evening over at the old Episcopal Church in North East.  There the warm glow from the windows of this historic house of worship glowed softly on this wintry scene as the historic church awaited the arrival of worshippers for the Christmas Eve service.

With another year drawing to a close, the old church spires of Elkton catch a few rays from the setting winter sun, as the sky begins to clear.  These silent sentries of time, towering over an old pike lined by 18^th and 19^th century buildings, have watched over Elkton for centuries.

McKinley Scott played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights history of Cecil County and almost paid for his efforts with his life. McKinley’s son Michael will share stories about his father’s life and how his actions in Cecil County fit into the turmoil of the Civil Rights era.

Date:  February 12, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. 

Where:  Perryville Library

Perry Point, Dec., 14, 2012 — The old 18^th century mansion-house at Perry Point was aglow with holiday spirit Friday evening.  Located on the attractive, waterfront Veterans Administration campus. the hospital was hosting a holiday open house.

Drawing visitors in from the December darkness, flickering light from the luminaries showed the pathway to the grand front entrance.  As guests approached the entranceway, they were greeted by a period attired guide, and once inside people learned about the unique story of Perry Point and the centuries old property.  Live Christmas music filled the chambers, while over in one room, Dan Coates, the President of the Archaeological Society of the Chesapeake talked about the Civil War era on the little Peninsula.  During that conflict, the Federal Government used the spacious grounds as a camp and soldiers occupied the house.  While touring the finely decorated home light refreshments were served.

It was built about 1750, according to the Veterans Administration.  “During the Civil War, the United States Government took over Perry Point for the first time, using it as a training station for cavalry mules. The officers in charge of the project used the Mansion House for their headquarters, sharing it for a time with the Stump family. When the situation became too strained for comfort, John Stump II moved his family to Harford County to live with his sister. Upon their return, they found the Mansion House badly abused and the farm sadly neglected.”

If you missed the event Friday evening, it’s open again tonight (Dec. 15th, 2012), as the holiday opening continues from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. 

By Bruce Leith

The Historical Society of Cecil County is kicking off a new fundraiser which will help make the past more accessible.  The Society has accumulated a vast microfilm collection containing most of the newspapers that have been printed in Cecil County since the 19^th Century.  Besides complete holdings of the Cecil Whig, this resource includes weeklies from such bygone titles as the Cecil Democrat, the Cecil Star, the Midland Journal, the Appeal, Cecil County News, the Perryville Record, the Rising Sun Journal, and the Elkton Press just to name a few.

But technology has improved as film and readers, research tools from an earlier era, are slowly being phased out.  The technology now exists to digitize all of the serials so they can be read on a computer.  To do this, the Society has received a quote of about $80 a roll to convert the film to a digital format.

To successfully create the e-products, the keepers of Cecil’s heritage have kicked off a new campaign called “Save our Newspapers – Save our History.”   Individuals and businesses can donate funds for a single roll (which encompass issues for one or two years) or they can contribute a set amount to cover the entire run of the paper.  The cost runs from $80 to do the Elkton Courier to $12,700 to donate to the entire series of the Cecil Democrat.  For each digitized roll, the sponsor will be recognized as the underwriter preserving the valuable editions.

“This is a great way for businesses in the community to show support and also to receive credit every time the paper is accessed.  It is also a great way to memorialize a loved one who may have passed away as well as a great gift for someone special,” said Bruce Leith who is coordinating the program.  All donations are fully tax deductible as the Society is a registered 501c3.  To get more information about the program, to make a pledge, or to see what newspapers are available contact the Historical Society either by email at newspaper@cecilhistory.org or stop in at 135 E. Main Street in Elkton.

Many people around Cecil County have heard about the Mason-Dixon Line, but few know much about its history.  So as 2013 marks the 250^th anniversary of the start of one of America’s most famous boundaries, the Historical Society will present a slide-illustrated Mason-Dixon Line talk.

To settle royal land grants for the proprietors of Maryland and Pennsylvania, two skilled English surveyors started measuring out the boundaries that had involved bitter quarreling and bloodshed.  Four years later, the survey was done, but the line’s story was far from over as popular culture had it take on far different symbolism in the 19^th century.

This program explores the story of the line, which runs through our land and our history, along with the perceptions that have developed around the boundary.  Presented by historian Mike Dixon, this lively talk focuses on the line’s history throughout the centuries.  It includes many dramatic, largely untold stories about these times.

This program is part of the Society’s winter speakers series.  Each winter the Society bring fresh, new programs and applied, how-to lectures to Cecil County.

TIME:                   January 5, 2013, at 2:00 p.m.

LOCATION:         Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street., Elkton, MD

COST:                   Free