On this Labor Day, a holiday that honors American Workers and remembers the struggle to acquire better employment conditions, it’s a good time to share some research I have been doing on men who paid a high price erecting the Conowingo Dam. An untold number were killed, injured or disabled while toiling away at the…
Remembering the Service of Sheriff Sam du Pont
Following the local election in the autumn of 1970, headlines across the nation put a favorable spotlight on Cecil County. A member of the Du Pont family, Samuel Francis du Pont, had become sheriff, and curious journalists from some of the nation’s largest dailies sensed a unique story here. Sam du Pont certainly wasn’t after the $125-a-week…
Hack’s Point: A Natural Spot for Summer Visitors
While Cecil County has always been an attractive spot for vacationers, the arrival of the automobile age after World War I accelerated that trend as new waterfront communities started popping up. Desiring to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of July and August, visitors from Philadelphia, Wilmington, Lancaster, and other nearby urban areas motored here,…
The Boulden Ford Building Hummed With Activity of Auto Trade For Most of the 20th Century
The appearance of the first “locomobile on Main Street in 1900 heralded the beginning of a new era, which would dramatically change Elkton, an old colonial town. On a Friday in April at the top of a new century, “the sight of the strange machine proved too much for ‘Poor Excuse’ Dr. B. M. Wells’ horse, and…
Stately Building Anchors Part of Downtown Elkton
Before the Civil War distracted everyone, it was widely noted that Elkton needed a large public hall, a place to hold public and social events. So in 1863 the Odd Fellows Lodge developed a plan to provide the town with such a convenience. The entire community had an interest in such a structure, which could…
“Operation of 1865 – 1912” by Stella Graves, R.N.
Thoroughly Modern Early 20th Century Nurses Meet the Old Civil War Surgeon
It wasn’t exactly the most daring escape, but on a Friday evening in November 1912, four young jailbirds charged with illegally hitching a ride on a freight train decided they weren’t waiting around for the trail. Opting instead for “leg bail,” they carried bedsteads from cells and tied the frame together with blankets. This wobbly, makeshift…
The Graduates of the Union Hospital of Cecil County School of Nursing 1914 – 1926
Graduating Classes of the Union Hospital Nursing School, 1914-1927 Fourteen classes graduated from the Union Hospital of Cecil County School of Nursing. Over a span of 17 years the hospital certified that 43 young women had demonstrated the required skills and competencies, and they thus received the professional diploma of a nurse. Here is a list of the graduates as published in a…
Nursing Careers for Young Ladies Offered by Union Hospital in 1911
The first two decades of the 20th century were a time of rapid innovation for health care delivery in northeastern Maryland. First, Union Hospital of Cecil County opened its doors to the community in 1908, filling a critical medical gap since inpatient care required travel to Baltimore, Wilmington, or Philadelphia. As local doctors moved from treating…
94-Year-Old Relative of Officer Francis Tierney Killed in Line of Duty in 1915 Attends Wilmington Police Ceremony
On May 8, 2015, the Wilmington Police Department unveiled a memorial wall honoring the ten members of the Wilmington Police Force who have been killed in the line of duty. A member of the current police academy, the 96th class, read the roll call of WPD’s fallen officers, as the individual plaques were uncovered. The…