The speaker’s series for the 2012-13 seasons continues at the Historical Society of Cecil County with original programs designed to have popular appeal, introduce new research, or provide practical, how-to instruction. The talks take place on the first Saturday of each month at 2;00 p.m. at the Cecil County History and Genealogy Library at 135 E. Main Street in Elkton.
Here are the programs for the remainder of the season:
Dec. 1, 2012 — A Living History Program – Private Elbert of the United States Colored Troops — This living history presentation by Willis Phelps, Jr. portrays Private James H. Elbert of the United States Colored Troops (USCT). The Civil War soldier will share the story of African-Americans rallying to the colors as they fought for freedom. If you haven’t seen the performance before, you won’t want to miss this lively program.
Jan 5, 2013 — The Mason Dixon Line: Stories Behind a Geographic Boundary – On the 250th anniversary of the start of the line that was designed to settle the boundaries for Pennsylvania and Maryland, the Society sponsors this talk by historian Mike Dixon. It examines the stories behind the line.
Feb 2, 2013 – Vietnam Mailbag: Voices From the War — During the peak years of the Vietnam at conflict, from May 1968 through December 1972, a young reporter, Nancy E. Lynch, relayed the hopes and fears, the joy and the tears, of hundreds of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines from the region through the Vietnam Mailbag column she wrote in the Wilmington Morning News. Nancy kept all those letters, and the pictures sent with many of them. For this program Nancy reopens the Vietnam Mailbag, giving a new generation a fresh look at the first-person accounts of troops in the combat zone. In Vietnam Mailbag: Voices From the War, 1968-1972, she tells the story of troops at war — through the letters they wrote to her a generation ago and through a series of moving interviews with veterans who now share their views on how the Vietnam experience shaped their lives.
March 2, 2013 – Stealing Freedom Along the Mason Dixon Line – This talk by historian Milt Diggins examines the story of Thomas McCreary, an opportunist making whatever profit he could from the institution of slavery. Working out of Elkton, he was a slave-catcher who was active around the time the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed.
All talks are designed to be informative and enjoyable while concentrating on fresh, broadly engaging topics or subjects that help with their research.