On a frigid winter evening with the North East River beginning to freeze over, a warm, welcoming glow filled the doorway of the P. K. Barnes Icehouse, drawing a curious crowd to the shoreline. They were there, braving the chilly January wind, to learn about the history of meticulous preservation of this remarkable structure and…
Rosemary Culley’s Saved Recording of Elkton Plane Crash Dispatch on Dec. 8, 1963
When Cecil County established a central dispatch system in October 1961, Rosemary Culley took a job with the county, joining the first group of five “operators” hired to take emergency calls. Over a thirty-five-year watch, she rose through the ranks to the top spot in the Department of Emergency Services. She handled some of the county’s…
Gas in Elkton: Illuminating the Town
Once the sun went down in Elkton in the early 1860s, the only feeble light that was available came from flickering candles or the dim glow of kerosene lamps. But all of that changed dramatically during the Civil War. In May 1863, the John D. Baker Company of Baltimore purchased a lot from Fredus Aldridge…
Gashouse Alley: A Street Opened and Closed
On the south side of Elkton’s East Main Street in the vicinity of the Cecil County District Court building, a steep hill descends down to meet the Big Elk Creek. At the point where the drop levels out, the Elkton Gas Light Company built an illuminating gas manufacturing plant in 1863 to serve the county…
The Rising Sun Train Station: The Final Chapter
RISING SUN — September 13, 2024 — On this fine Friday evening at the end of summer, we stopped by the Rising Sun Train Station to capture a photo of the building, as we understand it will soon face demolition. The railroad reached Rising Sun in 1865, marking a significant milestone with the arrival of…
Hindenburg Airship Passed Over Cecil County
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in August 1936, the majestic Hindenburg Airship graced the skies above Cecil County. Having just completed its fifth scheduled flight to the United States, this colossal Zeppelin had arrived at Lakehurst, New Jersey, with a full passenger load. However, due to choppy winds, the captain decided to forgo landing and…
Pure Oil Gas Station in Elkton
September 5, 1936, was a big day in Elkton, for on that Saturday in the middle of the Great Depression, the Pure Oil Company opened a fully equipped service station at the corner of Main and Bow streets. J. J. Maloney, the local agent for the Company, noted that the idea of this new venture…
Prison for Runaways on Bohemia Manor
In 1669, concerns began to develop among the Lord Proprietor and General Assembly of Maryland. They were troubled by the alarming number of servants and criminals who escaped the grasp of the province’s enslavers or justice system while seeking refuge in neighboring colonies. It was evident to the lawmakers that measures were needed to curb…
A Summer Heatwave in 1969
Summer is just four days away, and weather forecasters are already warning us about an early heatwave that is settling in on Maryland over the next few days. All this talk on the Baltimore evening news broadcasts reminded us of a memorable fifty-five-year-old photograph from the summer of 1969. That July, oppressive heat made outdoor…
Trouble on Route 40 — Library Talk
THE HISTORY OF THE ROAD AND ITS CONNECTIONS TO THE COLD WAR, CIVIL RIGHTS, SOVIET UNION & PRES. KENNEDY THUR., MAY 23, 2024, 6:30 p.m. CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY – ELKTON BRANCH BY MIKE DIXON After tracing the history of Route 40 over generations, this program discusses how in the early 1960s the roadway between…