J. J. Newberry Store in Elkton — This report, which has been prepared for Main Street Renaissance, LLC examines the past of a commercial property in downtown Elkton, 106 E. Main Street. It consists of a brief overview of Elkton’s formative years, an examination of extant records, a timeline, and an analysis of the findings….
Route 40 Opens in Cecil County
Maryland-Delaware Line, Between Glasgow and Elkton — By June 1941, the final segment of the “Philadelphia Road,” the new dual highway designated as Route 40, was completed. All along the 47-mile road, from Baltimore to the Mason Dixon Line, portions of the highway had opened as work was completed. But with the completion of this…
Tokens for Your Work on the C & D Canal
As preparations got underway early in 1824 to start building the C & D Canal, John Randel, Jr., the engineer who received the contract to construct the eastern half of the waterway advertised in Wilmington newspapers for 300 carts with horses and 500 men not addicted to profanity or intemperance. He promised to pay liberal…
St. Augustine School
ST. AUGUSTINE SCHOOL — A quiet country intersection south of Chesapeake City once hummed with activity during the school year. But today, only an occasional passing vehicle interrupts the sounds of nature in an area surrounded by horse farms and fields. A school was built here by John Conrey, who received a contract of $488…
President Kennedy Unveiled Mason Dixon Marker
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon arrived in Philadelphia to begin surveying the Mason Dixon Line on Nov. 15, 1763. Two hundred years later on Nov. 14, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, Governor Elbert N. Carvel, and Governor Millard F. Tawes stood on a platform situated on the historic line. The president and many other officials…
Union Hospital Nurses Served on the Battlefield During World War I
During the first fifteen years of the 20th century, most Cecil Countians lived tranquil lives, far removed from growing tensions in distant Europe and the terrible impact of deadly epidemics. However, one group of young ladies preparing to become healthcare professionals at the end of the horse and buggy era would soon learn about these…
Calvert, an Old Village near the Mason Dixon Line
Calvert is one of the most interesting villages in Cecil County, its history extending far back time. Originally known as Brick Meeting House, it stands on land granted by William Penn. Once the Mason-Dixon Line settled the boundary dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania it was firmly established that the community was in Maryland. Because it…
A Halloween Prankster’s Tradition in Rising Sun — The Outhouse
By Ed Okonowicz Rising Sun Outhouse, an article by Ed Okonowicz — At a lot of places on Mischief Night, teenagers playfully soap car windows and toss corn at neighbors’ homes. But years ago, according to one long-time resident, during Halloween week in peaceful Rising Sun, “All hell would break loose.” To hear Cecil County…
Haunted Nights at the Cecil County Detention Center
By Ed Okonowicz The tiny peninsula that formed where the Little Elk Creek and the Big Elk Creek meet southwest of Elkton is an interesting geographical and historical site. The land near the convergence of the two streams attracted the attention of the Cecil County government, which decided to build a new detention center on…
SAM GOLDWATER NAMED TO NATIONAL FIRE HERITAGE CENTER
Sam Goldwater of Elkton has been named as the new Chair of the National Fire Heritage Center Board of Trustees. The National Fire Heritage Center is the nation’s archive for historic documents, and other perishables related to fire protection. These perishables include Art and artifacts Audio Books Charts and graphs Documents Maps Photography Reports Video…