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…
Historic Union Bethel AME Church Recognized by the National Park Service
CECILTON — April 22, 2024—The National Park Service announced Monday that Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church has been officially designated a National Network to Freedom site. This prestigious recognition celebrates the church’s significant connections to the Underground Railroad, symbolizing a beacon of hope and refuge for countless individuals seeking freedom and justice during…
James Bell, a Wealthy Conowingo Landowner
A wealthy industrialist and investor, James Bell, moved to Cecil County sometime around 1857 and established his winter residence here. He wanted to escape the severe winters of the north, and, according to the Midland Journal newspaper, “Conowingo struck his fancy.” There he purchased property immediately above the village, which is now known as Bell…
Bell Manor at Conowingo
Built around the the1860s, Bell Manor is a fine property on a high hill overlooking the Susquehanna and the old Village of Conowingo. The center of the large tract is the Bell Mansion, which the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland now own. This historic estate has seen many uses over the generations. James C. Bell,…
The Elkton & Middletown Railroad
The Elkton & Middletown Railroad didn’t go far, and it didn’t go fast. But after Sid Bledsoe shared a 1960 photo showing a boxcar on the track, we decided to check out the old right-of-way to see if there were any surviving artifacts from the short line. Originally discussed in the 1870s, the plan was…
From Providence Corner to Kenmore
KENMORE – In 1977, the Singerly Fire Company opened a fire station at Singerly and Providence roads, and in the early planning, the Company referred to it as the Providence Station. That caused a majority of the residents in the area to petition the county commissioners, asking that the area at the corner be known…
Toll for the Undertaker at the Susquehanna River Bridge
When a funeral procession from Wilmington, Delaware, crossed over the Perryville and Havre de Grace Bridge in early spring 1923, the new owners, the Maryland State Roads Commission, charged $4.45 for the hearse and five automobiles to cross the span. On the return of the hearse and cars, the toll taker collected another $3.95 from…