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Since the area Archeological Society is hosting a talk on the British raids on the Upper Chesapeake, we’re posting this brief piece on some of the extensive research on the Elk River. 

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Two graduate students finishing advanced degrees in archeology, part of a team exploring the sunken mysteries of the Elk River, spent several weeks here in the autumn of 1999 looking for history submerged under the waterway.  Michael Plakos, the East Carolina University scholar, told the Cecil Whig, “It is part of history that hasn’t been written yet.  . It’s very exciting for us,” he continued as he spotted the hull of an old ship on his sonar.  The researchers dove down to the wreckage to map it and retrieve artifacts.  Mike Hughes was the other student involved in this project. 

When the British came up the Elk River to Frenchtown on April 29, 1813, the local militia retreated after firing a few shots from a small battery.  The enemy started burning the village, destroying quantities of flour and military goods.  Two vessels moored in the river were also destroyed.  One was run aground and burned.  The other, a Baltimore-Frenchtown packet, was burned. 

The next year, Stephen Bilicki, the assistant underwater archeologist for Maryland, came back to complete a phase I survey of the Upper Elk River.  These types of studies identify archeological sites and resources in a designated area.  

“Walk the Line” with author William Ecenbarger as he tells some of the many stories he gathered while researching his book. The presentation will cover the history, geography and human impacts of the Mason Dixon Line.  Also, the author will relate how important local libraries were to him as he performed his research.

Monday, Sept. 20th at 6:30 p.m. at Chesapeake City Branch.  Registration Required

Kingsville, MD, August, 30, 2010 —The Eclipse Base Ball Club of Elkton won its 4^th straight Maryland 19^th Century Base Ball State Championship on Sunday, August 29^th at Jerusalem Mill in Kingsville, Maryland.  After clinching the regular Maryland State Championship title with a 10-1 record, the Eclipse went in to the tournament as the number one seed for the 3^rd straight year.  This year, a record six clubs participated in the single elimination tournament.  Elkton was joined by the Arundel Excelsiors, the Chesapeake Nine of Baltimore, the Havre de Grace Dauntless, the Potomac Base Ball Club of Washington and the Talbot Fair Plays. 

In the first round, the Talbot Fair Plays defeated Arundel 12-0 while Chesapeake downed Havre de Grace 11-10 in 10 innings in the best game of the day.  The semi finals saw Talbot down the second seeded Potomac Club 9-2 while Elkton knocked off Chesapeake 14-6.  This set up the same championship match that has taken place the last 4 years- Talbot vs Elkton.  The same result was had as the previous three years.  

Elkton started the match scoring 1 run in the top of the first but Talbot came back with 2 in the bottom to take the lead.  It was the last lead the Fair Plays would have all day.  Elkton quickly came back and tied it at 2 after 2 innings.  In the third, Elkton scored 5 runs and broke the spirit of the Fair Plays who were playing their 3^rd game of the day.  Elkton added on more runs and pulled away for a 19-6 victory to retain the pennant for a 4^th straight year. 

Tom Duffy from Elkton was the winning pitcher pitching a complete game to pick up his 20^th win of the season.  The victors chose Brian Howarth from Newark as the tournament MVP.  Also playing a great match included Tim Bower from Rising Sun, Erik Myers from North East, Mike Phelan and Lee Donelson from Baltimore, Bruce Leith from Elkton, Ryan Gannon from Wilmington and Glyn Richards from Mt Ephraim, NJ.  Other members of the champions include: Greg Rodenbaugh and Bill Freeland from North East, Jon Killpatrick, Roberto Soto and Jason Bromley from Oxford and Antoni Sekowski from Warwick.

 The Eclipse will be playing in the Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League’s Championship Tournament on October 3^rd at Ft Mott, New Jersey and will be the league’s number 1 seed.  (See www.mavbbl.com for more details).  Elkton’s next match will be September 25^th at 3:00pm at the Rising Sun American Legion grounds for the Rising Sun 150^th Anniversary Celebration as they take on the Bohemia Eurekas.

Rising Sun 150th Celebration

Saturday, September 11
9:00 a.m. “Rising Sun Mile” held at the Rising Sun High School
Bring your family and walk, stroll, or run.

1 – 5 p.m. Chautauqua held at Community Fire Co. of Rising Sun pavilion
(chicken and ribs for sale by Fire Co. Ladies Auxiliary)
Featuring:
West Nottingham Bell Choir,
Rachel Opdenaker will demonstrate and explain Civil War era
children’s games,
Hannah Opdenaker will portray “Miss Tillie Pierce” 15 year old
Gettysburg citizen,
Chris Opdenaker will narrate “What Women Wore” from
petticoats, outerwear, hair, and accessories,
John Houck will discuss Flags of the Confederacy,
Jim Opdenaker will portray General William T. Sherman

Saturday, September 18
(Time TBA) Rising Sun History Trivia Bingo at the Rising Sun Library

WEEKLONG ACTIVITIES

Guided walking tours will be available (Times TBA) and the Rising Sun Historical Preservation Commission Museum will be open (Times TBA).

The following are subject to change:

Saturday, September 25
9:00 a.m. 150th Parade

11:00 a.m. Open House at St. Agnes Catholic Church on S. Queen Street

1:00 p.m. 150th Fashion Show (1700 – 1980) at Rising Sun Middle School

3:00 p.m. Vintage Base Ball Game featuring the Eclipse Base Ball Club of
Elkton vs. Bohemia Eurekas.

Sunday, September 26 (Faith Of Our Fathers Day)
Morning hours You are welcome to worship at the church of your choice

1– 4:00 p.m. Brookview Chapel open for public visitation

2:00 p.m. Piano and Pipe Organ Recital at First Presbyterian Church of
Rising Sun (Corner of Main Street and Walnut Street)

7– 9:00 p.m. Faith Of Our Fathers Concert at Janes United Methodist
Church on Walnut Street

Monday, September 27 (Agriculture Day)
All day Cecil County Farm Museum display off N. Queen Street

(Times TBA) Tours of Kilby Farm, Balderston Orchards, and Dove Valley
Winery

7– 9:00 p.m. Music by the Fabulous Hubcaps at the Rising Sun Towne Centre
parking lot (sponsored by Sun Pharmacy)

Tuesday, September 28 (Business and Technology Day)
7– 9:00 p.m. Music by the Rhythm Doctors (Big Band Sound) at the Rising
Sun Towne Centre parking lot.

Wednesday, September 29 (Youth and Sports Day)
Civil War Encampment at Town Park, Wilson Avenue
(September 29 through October 3)

6 – 6:30 p.m. BMX Bike Stunt Show at the Rising Sun Towne Centre parking
lot.

7 p.m. Railroad History (with train display) through Rising Sun with
Mike Dixon at Rising Sun Library.

7– 9:00 p.m. Music at the Rising Sun Towne Centre parking lot featuring
local bands from Rising Sun Middle School:
Milihellen, Indigo Eyes, Defeat The Deep, and
Between Blue.

Thursday, September 30 (Veterans and Public Service Day)
7– 9:00 p.m. Music by The Patriot Brass Ensemble at the Rising Sun Towne
Centre parking lot

Friday, October 1
Civil War battles, Town Park, Wilson Avenue

7– 9:00 p.m. Music by Leon Smith and the Sticky Situation Band at the
Community Fire Company of Rising Sun pavilion.
(Pit Beef, Pit Ham, sodas, beer for sale by the Fire Co. Ladies
Auxiliary).

9:15 p.m. Fireworks display

Saturday, October 2
Civil War battles, Town Park, Wilson Avenue

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open House at West Nottingham Academy

7 – 11 p.m. 150th Gala, Dinner and Dance at Rising Sun Banquet Hall on
Biggs Highway. Music by the Epics, and the Ola Belle
Reed Family featuring music from 1860 – 2000.

Sunday, October 3
Civil War battles, Town Park, Wilson Avenue

Additional events planned for 2010

Wednesday, October 13
7 p.m. Civil War Recollections of a Veteran by Mike Dixon at the
Rising Sun Library

Friday, October 15th
8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Rising Sun Health Fair at the Rising Sun Banquet Hall on
Biggs Highway

Saturday, November 13
7 p.m. Mason – Dixon Line new and old history by Mike Dixon at the
Rising Sun Library

7 – 11 p.m. Veterans Day Dance at the Rising Sun Banquet Hall on Biggs Hwy
featuring the Epics, and DJ’s Rosemary and Haven

December (dates and times TBA)
Rising Sun 150th Beard Judging Contest

Annual Carol Sing in Town Square

The Octoraro Branch Railroad once connected Rising Sun, Colora, Rowlandsville, Liberty Grove, and other northwestern Cecil County communities to the outside world.  But in the automobile-age, passenger service declined rapidly and after World War II freight service slowly disappeared.  

The history of this old line, the Baltimore Central Railroad, will be the subject of a program at the Rising Sun Public Library on Sept. 29^th at 7:00 p.m.  While the trains are long gone, we’ll use using dozens of old photographs, timetables, maps, newspapers clippings, and railroad documents to talk about this era, while also asking the audience to share knowledge and memories.   Bring your interests, recollections,  photos and memorabilia to share with your neighbors or just come to listen to the stories at the Rising Sun Library.  

Click here for more information.

A second edition of At the Head of the Bay:  A Cultural and Architectural History of Cecil County Maryland by Pamela James Blumgart is finally back in print.  This sought after hardcover title, which was originally published in 1996, is available from the Historical Society of Cecil County for $75.

This well-illustrated volume interprets the incredibly diverse stock of historic buildings in Cecil County for local history buffs and architectural historians alike. Beginning with the prehistoric period and continuing through the mid-twentieth century, the authors offer a history of the county as a context for its architectural heritage, as well as a detailed discussion of the style and form of houses built by county residents during the past 300 years. These insightful discussions are followed by an inventory of county buildings, both prominent and ordinary, that gives the reader a sense of the wealth of history in the county. Photographs, maps, floor plans, and paintings, many of them historic images, illustrate both the history and the buildings.

Hardcover, 506 pages, $75.00

One of the authors of a newly published Johns Hopkins University title, the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake, will be the guest speaker for the annual Historical Society of Cecil County meeting on October 18th. Dr. Ralph Eshelman spent years investigating sites connected with the conflict in Maryland so as the bicentennial of this chapter of our past nears, we’re pleased to have the opportunity to hear the distinguished historian.

His presentation will focus on the campaign in Maryland and our general area. “No state has more battlefields, graves or sites associated with the War,” he noted in a Washington College lecture. “Elkton and St. Michaels share the distinction of turning the British back twice.”

Dr. Eshelman was the director of the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland from 1974 to 1990. In 1974 he received his Ph.D. in geology and vertebrate paleontology from the University of Michigan. He’s now a research associate at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. He is widely published and lectures on maritime and military history, popular exploration and paleontology. In addition he also served as a consulting historian on the War of 1812 on the Chesapeake for the Maryland Historical Trust and the National Park Service.

The evening program will be held at the Chesapeake Inn in Chesaepake City, MD, start at 6:00 p.m. with dinner on Oct. 18th. Watch for additional information on the evening’s arrangements soon, but keep this important date on your calendar. The author’s book will be available for purchase at the special discounted price of $60.00 and he will be happy to autograph your copy.  He accepts cash or check.

 The cost of the dinner is $30.00 per person for members of the Historical Society of Cecil County and $35.00 for non-members.  You may select between Crab Cake or Chicken Marsala.  Your meal will include salad, coffee or tea and dessert.

 Please send your reservation to Paula Newton, HSCC, 135 E. Main St., Elkton, MD  21921.  Make your check payable to the Historical Society of Cecil County and be sure to include your meal selection.  The deadline for reservations is October 8, 2009.  This is a catered dinner making it impossible for us to take late reservations or walk-ins.

We’re always pleased when we discover creative musical pieces about Cecil County.  Well after the piece on “Our Lady of the Highways” went up on the blog,  a reader pointed out a song about this Cecil County landmark by American songwriter Zoe Mulford.  Her 2006 CD, Roadside Saints, contains the track about the “stone lady,” a shrine that encourages prayer for the safety of travelers.  You may want to click on over to Zoe’s website to check out the talented musician’s work, as well as the tune and lyrics of this song and others on the enjoyable album.

Words & Music by Zoe Mulford

Our Lady of the Highways stands on the right side of northbound I-95 just south of the Delaware border. She is especially beloved of truck drivers and traveling musicians.

Thank God for the radio and convenience-store coffee
Three hours you’ve been on the road, and it should have been dawn
North-bound to Delaware, you’ll pass the temple where
Our Lady of the Highways stands looking on

. . .

Hear the swish of the wiper-blades, rain on the windshield
Passing exit 100-A to the town of Rising Sun
Black sky fading into blue – clouds shift and the sun peeks through
Our Lady of the Highways welcomes every dawn

And blessed be…

“The times in these parts has been troublesome,” wrote one Cecil County soldier in describing the War of 1812 on the Chesapeake Bay.  And no wonder:  Frenchtown in flames, Redcoats on the Sassafras, an attack on Elkton.  As we approach the bicentennial of this often-forgotten conflict, local author David Healey will introduce us to the War of 1812 history that’s literally in our own backyards.  Registration required.September 15, 2010 at7:00pm 

Click here for more information