Social historian Mike Dixon will present an engaging presentation on the evolution of crime, punishment and police work in the region. This engaging talk will examine old county jails, headline-grabbing criminal escapades of long ago, discontinued methods of punishment, and unheralded peace officers. Registration is required. Date: 3/24/2014 at 6:30 p.m Library: Chesapeake City Branch…
Recalling an Elkton Landmark, the Howard Hotel
There was lots of inspiring talk about old Elkton during the middle third of the 20th century at the Historical Society of Cecil County this afternoon. Remembering those lively, youthful days was Evelyn V. (Vaggi) Scott, the 80-year-old daughter of George D and Mary G. Vaggi, who purchased the Howard Hotel, a long-established downtown business…
Genealogical Research Guide for Cecil County
The Genealogical Research Guide for Cecil County, Maryland (revised edition) by Darlene McDowell McCall is an informative out-of-print title packed with guidance and information for anyone starting on genealogy in the county. Last updated in 1997, it served as a good starting point for anyone seeking to discover records and sources. The last edition of…
Bootleggers’ Ball and Talk on Temperance and Prohibition in Cecil County April 5th
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Port Deposit EMS Prepares to Mark 50 Years of Service
This year, the Water Witch Fire Company of Port Deposit marks an important milestone in the department’s history, a half-century of EMS service to the community. It was in the autumn of 1964 that the Company purchased its first ambulance, a 1957 Oldsmobile from the Union Fire Company of Oxford. With that important enhancement, Port Deposit EMS…
To Drink or Not Drink: Program Examines Colorful Days of Prohibition, Speakeasies, Bootleggers and Bathtub Gin
The Historical Society of Cecil County wraps up the winter 2013-14 speakers’ series with a particularly lively event as the group taps into a fascinating period when Americans gave up the legal right to drink intoxicating beverages. Taking on this watershed event in the roaring ‘20s, “Pass the Rum: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition,”…
Severe Thunderstorm Moving In on Rev. Duke’s Log House
While we’ve been occupied with the long winter of 2013-14 and these many snowy days, it was just last summer that we saw a number of severe thunderstorms pass over Elkton. One July day in 2013, as the National Weather Service issued a tornado alert for Cecil County, threatening, dark clouds hovered over Rev. Duke’s Log House while a…
Archeological Society of the Northern Chesapeake to Present the War of 1812 Battle of Caulk’s Field on March 12
Program: “Archaeology of the War of 1812-Battle of Caulk’s Field.” Dr. Julie Schablitsky, Maryland State Highways Administration, Chief Archaeologist. Abstract/Preview: Under a moon lit night on August 31, 1814, British Sir Captain Peter Parker engaged American Lieutenant Colonel Philip Reed in battle on an open field in Kent County, Maryland. After an hour of…
Conveyances, Metes & Bounds, Deeds, Mortgages and Much More Discussed at Old House Research Workshop
Thirty people interested in researching old houses and land records stopped by the Historical Society of Cecil County this afternoon to hear Wendy Webb and Darlene McCall carefully explain how to dig into such things. The two professional title searchers shared their special skills and insights related to combing through deeds, mortgages, tax records, real…
William Singerly Brought Prosperity To Cecil
As you travel around northeastern Cecil County, you notice the name all over the place. On the road heading north from the county seat (Route 213), almost making a straight line for Pennsylvania, signs let you know that you’re rolling along on Singerly Road. When the shriek of an Elkton fire engine or ambulance punctuates…