One April afternoon in 1859, townspeople in Elkton were startled when it appeared that a general alarm fire was raging inside the venerable old seat of justice in Cecil County. The rumbling carriage wheels of the hand-drawn pumper being hurriedly pulled toward the courthouse and the clattering of rushing feet drew curious citizens to the…
Mease Adds to Understanding of United States Colored Troops in Cecil County
It’s always exciting to obtain fresh perspectives and insights on the county’s past when scholars take a serious look at our history. These thorough investigations, requiring months of intensive digging into original documents and a critical evaluation of the primary sources, are valuable — they focus on specific research questions and use the highest principles…
When the Civil War Started – A Vital Civil War Crossroads
Intense excitement prevailed throughout Cecil County 138 years ago this week as Union soldiers tried to reinforce Washington City. Just a week after Southern forces fired on Fort Sumter, and launched the Civil War, the Union’s capital was cut off when rebel sympathizers attacked troops moving through Baltimore. The railroad north of the city –…
Civil War Days on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
For 365 days in 1864 a small diary penned by John Price, the Superintendent of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, provides a unique and enthralling view of Chesapeake City as that troubled year gradually passed by. With the Civil War dragging on, as Union and Confederate armies confronted each other in a deadly, epic struggle,…
Cecil County School Desegregation
“Standing in the Schoolhouse Door: The Desegregation of Public Schools in Cecil County, Maryland – 1954-1965” is a Washington College thesis (2013) by Kyle Dixon, B.A.. The thesis analyzes social and political factors, which led to the desegreation of public schools in Cecil County, MD. Click this link to review a longer article about school…
Cecil County’s First Newspaper
The first printing press to ever rest on Cecil County soil came here 195 years ago. In that era, long before steam locomotives chugged along on rails or telegraphs tapped out lightning-fast messages, a young newspaper editor from Lancaster, Pa., named John McCord arrived in Elkton. He was also a printer since in those days…
Remembering Triumph’s Home Front Defense Workers Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
As this Memorial Day — the time to honor those who died in the military while serving our country — draws to a close, we also want to remember another group who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation. These were Women Ordnance Workers (WOW) and men employed at Triumph and other defense jobs in…
The Day the Railroad Bridge Crashed into the Susquehanna River
After four CSX freight cars plummeted off the Susquehanna River Bridge Friday night during the late winter nor’easter, we had questions about whether anything similar had ever happened there before. At least one similar accident occurred. On September 23, 1908, the railroad bridge crashed into the river. The Baltimore Sun said: “With a splitting roar,…
Koterski Talks About An Early Pottery at Saint Mary Anne’s
March Lecture Sponsored by the Archeological Society of the Northern ChesapeakeDate: Wednesday, March 14, 2018Time: Light refreshments at 6:30 pm, program at 7:00 pm, followed by a shortChapter meeting.Location: Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main St., Elkton, MD. Program: “An Early Pottery at Saint Mary Anne’s – A Cemetery Discovery of No Grave…
Cecil County’s First Newspaper
Cecil County’s first newspaper, the Elkton Press.