LESLIE — Cecil County once had many thriving little villages, each with its own distinctive characteristics and history. One such village, Leslie, recently caught our attention. Nestled alongside North East Road (Route 272), near where the Holiday Inn stands today, Leslie was once a stop on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
The village took its name from an old Cecil County family. Robert Leslie, the founding ancestor of the family, arrived in America from Scotland around 1645, originally spelling the name “Lesley.” While the exact date the family settled in Cecil County remains uncertain, records show that in 1758, Robert Lesley purchased a 100-acre farm about two miles north of North East, as noted by Ernest Howard in his Cecil County Fact File (1966).
With the arrival of the B&O Railroad in 1886, the community gained a station and began to flourish. By 1902–03, it was home to approximately 125 residents and served as a stop on the daily stage line connecting Bay View, Zion, Calvert, and Northeast. At its peak, Leslie bustled with activity with a sawmill, two general stores, a livery stable, and even its own post office anchoring daily life.
In 1893, the first annual Camp Meeting was held at Leslie Grove. Located halfway between Philadelphia and Baltimore, with convenient access provided by the railroad station, the grove was just an eight-minute walk to the grove. If the camper came by the Pennsylvania Railroad in North East, the organization provided a motor car to meet the train. Tent rentals and boarding accommodations were available for attendees.
Residents also formed the Leslie Cornett Band in 1897.
Though the trains no longer stop and the businesses have faded, Leslie remains a quiet reminder of Cecil County’s vibrant local past.
For more photos of the village, see this album on Facebook.
Always enjoy reading history on cecil County!! Thank you.