ELKTON, May 7, 2021 – On this Friday in early May, family, friends, police officers, firefighters, and public officials gathered at Hicks Home for Funerals to say a final goodbye to Deputy Chief Larry Coleman Storke. Born on December 14, 1941, the 79-year-old public servant passed away on Thursday, April 29, 2021. Coming of age…
Elkton Drive-in Hit by Blue Laws
Once common in Maryland. Blue Laws, also known as Sunday Laws were designed to ban many activities on Sunday, according to Wikipedia. But some of these ancient restrictions were still hanging on in the Laws of Maryland when the new Elkton Drive-in Theatre at the edge of town ran afoul of the Maryland restriction in…
The Whistle Didn’t Blow for the Last Train to Rising Sun?
RISING SUN, January 26, 1983 — People who thought trains had disappeared from the Octoraro Branch Railroad years ago were surprised when 30 freight cars rattled on down the line from Chester County one Wednesday in January 1983. After slipping into Cecil County and clanging past the old Sylmar Freight House, the cars rolled past…
Nurse Rose Suter, a Victim of the Spanish Flu
ELKTON — Since we started researching the pandemic of 1918 two-years ago, we have spent many hours online and in archives studying death certificates, undertaker registers, and health department reports. After examining the curated sources for an area, we visit the cemeteries while collecting additional information and remembering those who perished in that perilous time…
Mary Maloney First Woman to Serve as County Commissioner in Maryland
After sadly hearing that Mary A. Maloney-Wilson, 96, passed away on Dec. 16, 2020, we recalled some of the popular Cecil County leader’s accomplishments. As a business leader, elected official, and trailblazer, there were several firsts. The times were changing here as the 1960s slowly gave way to the 1970s. Although a Board of Commissioners…
Remembering Claude “Zeke” Cornett
ELKTON, Nov. 23, 2020– On this sad day, Singerly Fire Company mourned the loss of one of their own, Ambulance Chief Claude “Zeke” Cornett. With fire service and military honors, the 92-year-old World War II-era veteran was laid to rest at Gilpin Manor Memorial Park. Born in 1928, Zeke joined Singerly as a probationary…
Observing Thanksgiving During the Civil War
At the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln designated Aug 6, 1863, as a national day for “Thanksgiving, Praise, and Prayer” for the Union Army’s recent successes. This early proclamation set a precedent for America’s national holiday, and the observance soon settled on the final Thursday in November with communities across the north…
Stealing an Election Was the Charge
When Cecil Countians headed to polling places on Nov 8, 1864, to cast ballots in the presidential election, tensions were high. The country had suffered through three long years of brutal Civil War fighting and many people had grown tired of the continuing bloodshed. On Election Day, people confronted a sobering decision as this lack…
The Cecil County Lynching Memorial Blog
As the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project works to advance the cause of reconciliation in the state by documenting the history of racial terror lynching, the group has supported the development of blogs for the county coalitions. Here is the link to The Cecil County Lynching Memorial page. The Committee is working to memorialize the victims…
An Octagonal School at Carter’s Mill.
Carter’s Mill School, also known as the eight-sided school was built in 1820 by Robert Carter at Carter’s Bank. The stone place of learning was replaced in 1886 by a two-room frame building located on the west side of Singerly Road at Andora. William Spratt built the Andora School for $275 It is uncertain when…