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Commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War through unique programs and learning opportunities at your library this year! Through May 2012, all Cecil County Public Library branches will feature events and activities centered around the greatest conflict in our nation’s history. From reenactments to special programs on the role of women and local African Americans in the war, not to mention children’s activities and book discussions with local authors, there’s something for everyone–and everywhere!

Here is the February schedule.

• Cecil County African-Americans in the Civil War; Eric Mease speaker; Wednesday, February 8 @ 7pm; Elkton Central Library
• Freedom Quilts for Kids (Grades 3-6); Wednesday, February 22 @ 3:30pm; Elkton Central Library
• Follow the North Star Workshop for Kids (Grades 3 -8); From the Banneker-Douglass Museum; Wednesday, February 22 @ 3:30pm; Perryville Branch Library
• A Copperhead Looks at the Civil War; Monday, February 27 @7pm; Rising Sun Branch Library;

Registration is required for all programs.

The life of a Waterman, a video documentary examining the work of Cecil Countians commercially fishing the Chesapeake, recently came to our attention.  It was completed by Megan Moore, a Cecil College student, for a class project.  Thanks Megan for sharing this excellent work.  Hopefully we’ll see more of these creative products, as other videographers document how life is changing so quickly in the 21st century in Cecil County, and hopefully we’ll see more from Megan.  Check it out.  It’s a fine piece of work, profiling one aspect of the area’s culture and heritage through new media.

Sylmar draws its name from its location on the state border, taking the second syllable of Pennsylvania and first syllable of Maryland.   Its growth came about after the Philadelphia and

Baltimore Central Railroad built a line through the area in the mid-1860s.  In 1877, the company erected a depot and freight house at the spot, calling the station State Line.  That was soon changed to Sylmar.   By 1902, the population had reached 50 people, according to Polk’s Maryland Directory.  It had an undertaker (W. N. Brown), a blacksmith (Amos Whiteman), an auctioneer (S. H. Dowland), a general store (Kimble S. Howard), and several other business interests that year.

With the railroad depot, freight house, and siding creating growth, the U.S. Post Office opened a station here on March 26, 1886.  Amid the Great Depression, the facility closed on Dec. 30, 1933.

Several postcards exist of this northwestern Cecil County town, located just a few miles northeast of Rising Sun.  The two below show the railroad depot and the post office and store.  Other community images include shots of the church, school and additional views of the railroad.  These cards are from about 1912.

Additional Sylmar photos

The 118-year-old fire bell that stood watch over Elkton for decades, arousing firefighters from their slumbers in the dead of winter nights or calling them from their labors on hot summer days, remains an important part of Singerly Fire Company today.  For years this instrument, mounted in the belfry high atop the fire station, alerted volunteers when a blaze threatened the community.

Cast by the C. S. Bell Co. of Hillsboro, Ohio, the 1,190 pound instrument was placed in its perch high above the engine room in the fall of 1893.   By 1910 things advanced as the company installed an electric gong.  When the operator at the telephone exchange received a fire call, she pushed a button activating the device. Once the first firefighter arrived at the station, he tugged on the rope striking the gong in the tower as that urgent tolling was heard all over town.    In time, the tapping out of calls for Elkton’s volunteers on the bell stopped as Singerly installed a modern fire whistle.

Sam Goldwater, a young firefighter in the early 1970s recalled helping put the instrument back into the spotlight.  It had been stored away for generations, but when the Newark Avenue station opened in 1970 Gene Meekins became interested in getting the ancient relic out of storage.  As part of the opening of the new firehouse, it was placed on a pedestal at an entrance to the station.  Later, in preparation for the 1976 Bicentennial, Mark Onifer, Bobby Holmes and Sam cleaned up the sentinel that had tapped out many urgent alerts, cleaning it up and giving it a fresh coat of paint.

Although the bell was silenced once electronic alarm systems arrived, the Singerly Fire Company has made sure this relic from its past has been preserved.  The bell was last formally rung when the fire company celebrated its 100^th anniversary.  Two former presidents, Jim Spry and Gary Storke, struck the gong causing the sound that once called Elkton firefighters to duty to ring out as the members gathered for the special celebration.

While traveling in Western Mass one summer backs in the 1980s, we stopped at a large roadside flea market.  There  I found a few photographs of Singerly Fire Company apparatus in the inventory at one table so I immediately picked them up.  Here are scans of two of those images, one showing the Ahrens Fox and the other the Hale.  I suspect the pictures were snapped in the 1950s.

With national archives month drawing to a close, we thought
we’d remind those interested in researching Cecil’s history, that the Society
is the county archives.  The County Commissioners asked us to assume the responsibility of becoming the caretakers for centuries old local records years ago.  Those visionary local government leaders wanted these materials for researching the past to reside in a repository where the focus was on protecting the manuscripts while also making sure they were available to those looking into earlier times.  After we entered into the agreement, the county scoured out of the way places, finding valuable records dumped on the floor of old sub-basements, in fallout shelters, and other uncared for spots.  Today researchers are able to use protected and organized records from the almshouse, the insane asylum, road department, and more.

Having official repositories where someone focused on caring for historical records is important, if sources for studying local history are going to survive.  That’s what archives do preserve governmental or corporate records, manuscripts, photographs and other valuable materials.  Unlike a
regular library where most information comes from books and periodicals,
researchers go to these places to gather firsthand facts, data, and evidence
from original sources.  The study of the past, whether it is for a family history project, or some scholarly matter is greatly enhanced when we have strong repositories to protect, organize, and provide access to priceless materials.  Locally, our volunteer organization is pleased to fill this role.

As the premier spot for digging into Cecil County ‘s past we can help if you’re searching for relatives from generations ago, clues about an old house, or some other elusive historical facts.  Whether it is in these sources or other records groups, there’s a good chance that our stacks hold some clues for you.

On this last Saturday in October, an early wintry mix started falling on Cecil County early this afternoon, causing a little snow and ice to accumulate on the ground of the old Principio United Methodist Church.  The mix will change over to snow tonight and accumulate 1.5-inches, according to AccuWeather.  Mother-nature apparently decided to play a little trick on the area two days before Halloween.

Free Antique appraisals will be the featured program at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Cecil County Public Library, Wednesday, November 9, 6 p.m., at the Perryville Branch Library in Perryville, MD.

The Friends, who support key reading programs for children such as the CCPL Summer Reading Program and are advocates for reading and our county library system, will hold their annual meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Directly following a short business meeting, Carl York, will talk about antique glassware. Mr. York and his daughter, Carla York, will offer free appraisals following his discussion. For antique appraisals, numbers will be assigned beginning at 6 p.m. Antiques should be portable.

The Friends will also host a silent auction of select antique items.  Light refreshments will be served.