After the Civil War retail trade boomed in the United States and every community of almost any size had a lively business district where a range of retailers competed for business. To help promote commerce, merchants passed out colorful trade cards to potential customers. These attractively illustrated, brightly colored pieces of advertising were similar to today’s business card. By the 1880s the items and heavy paper-stock were a major advertising method for merchants and they were popular. Collectors of Cecil County ephemera are able to find a number of these eye-catching printed pieces. Here were two that were issued in Elkton. Many more were distributed throughout the county.
Ball’s Oak Hall Clothing House, a trade card issued in Elkton, MD.A trade card from Ward and Davis, the “Elkton Shore Store.” Source: Private Collection
To honor the memory of those on Flight 214, JoAnn & Alan Gardner, volunteers at the Historical Society of Cecil County, developed this memorial presentation. It was to be shown on the 50th anniversary of the crash at the Remembrance Program at Singerly Fire Station, but a sudden snow storm prevented many people from attending the program. Since many people were unable to attend as travel conditions were dangerous, we are sharing the program on the Net.
Although we are still waiting for autumn to officially end in Elkton it seems as if Old Man Winter has sailed in for an early visit, getting in some practice with a few good blasts of ice and snow. For the third time in a week, frozen precipitation fell this afternoon.
Most people were out getting ready for Christmas on this damp, frigid Saturday. But I decided to check out a quiet spots in the old colonial town to see if the early arrival of the season enhanced the view at a historic place. At Elk Landing, where the Big and Little Elk creeks meet the river, the ground was snow-covered and the scene was tranquil. These centuries old homes have survived blizzards, howling winds, ice storms, and the blasts of frigid temperatures for centuries. On the snow-covered ground, the relics of an earlier era presented an attractive scene as autumn draws to a close.
The stone house at Elk Landing on a late autumn Saturday.The Hollingsworth HouseElk Landing, a old colonial road.
A surprise late autumn snow storm disrupted parts of Sunday’s Remembrance Program. But since over 100 family members made it to the fire station the occasion continued, although the commemorative tribute at Delancy Road was cancelled.
Earlier this week, committee volunteers took the flowers, wreaths, and notes out to the crash site for the families unable to visit the memorial monument. The fresh flowers, roses, and evergreens stood out nicely on the small snow-covered strip of frozen land.
Many community and family members were unable to make the trip to the program due to the road conditions. Families trying to get across the Delaware Memorial Bridge phoned to say it was closed and similar reports came in about conditions elsewhere.
One of our objectives was to create a Flight 214 Archives so we taped many of the activities. As we were anticipating an additional 50 family members and a large community turnout we will share portions of the recordings online, but it is going to take a few weeks to process the material.
One tradition for kicking off the Christmas Season in Cecil County was the annual lighting of the “Holly Tree by the tracks.” The Baltimore & Ohio held its first public ceremony in 1948 when thousands of people gathered to ring in the season as lights from thousands of bulbs on the evergreen softly illuminated the Jackson, MD hillside. For many years the company dispatched a special train from Mount Royal Station for the occasion. After 1971, the B & O Holly Tree was dark for a time until a group of volunteers started making sure the tree festively blazed for the holiday season.
The magic of the 1954 lighting ceremony was captured on a 33 1/3 long-playing record. It included carols by the B & O Glee Club and the B & O Women’s Music Choir. That old vinyl, a long unheard broadcast, has sat silently on a shelf, but recently the audio was digitized so readers could enjoy the snap, crackle and pop of a vinyl recording from a long time ago.
Musical selections directed by Dr. James Allan Dash, a narration by the master of ceremonies Walter Linthicum, gasps of delight and loud applause, and much were captured on the record. So you may enjoy a portion of that festive occasion that took place over a half-century ago, we are posting side one of the vinyl audio here on the blog. Click here to go to sound’s page and click the start button.(note: it may take a few seconds for the MP3 file to start, so be patient.)
Despite the dangerous conditions on area roadways, about 100 family members were able to make their way to the fire station on Newark Avenue. After the formal program, which went on as planned, the station was filled with conversation for a long time as departing families talked to each other, firefighters, and paramedics.
Thank you Singerly for hosting this part of the weekend series of events as Cecil County remembered Pan Am Flight 214.
Singerly Firefighters pay their respects to the families. L to R — Assistant Chief Phil Scott, Chief Fred Hill, Firefighter Catherine Farrell.
Elkton firefighters cleared the entrance way for the arriving guests as a heavy blast of snow hit the area.
The Rev. Roth, the chaplain for the Harford/Cecil Firemen’s Association, waits to remember North East Volunteer Firefighter Steward W. Godwin. Mr. Godwin fell in the line of duty that night.
Singerly’s squirt was prepared to escort the families to the crash site, but the heavy snow made that trip unsafe. Photo Credit: Sharon Mobley
Lt. Don Hash, MSP (retired) talks to the audience this afternoon about being the first emergency responder to arrive on the scene.
An early, wintry blast of ice and snow hit Cecil County just before noon this Sunday, a couple of hours before the Flight 214 Remembrance Program started. The intensity of the storm caught weather forecasters off guard and by afternoon heavy snow was falling and at 7:45 p.m. Mt. Holly Weather reported that nearly 8-inches of snow had accumulated in Elkton.
The heavy snowfall caused numerous accidents on treacherous roadways and traffic was stuck on the two railroad overpasses in the center of Elkton by noon. But the event went on as over 120 family members had traveled from all across the nation. Thus the hosts, the Singerly Fire Company and Historical Society of Cecil County, went ahead with the schedule as many of the family members, having traveled long distances, were already in the Elkton area.
At the remembrance program this afternoon: Photo Credit: Dave Scarbrough
Late this afternoon the Singerly Fire Company issued the following statement: “We would like to thank everyone who participated in the Pan Am Flight 214 Remembrance ceremonies this weekend. Despite the inclement weather, everything went well and the remembrance ceremony was all that we hoped it would be. To those family members who are traveling tonight and tomorrow, we wish you a safe trip home and hope that you will keep in touch with us.”
But the dangerous traveling conditions caused many local people to miss the program. So we are sharing one of the video clips from this afternoon. This is 88-year-old Chief Thomas N. McIntire, Jr., talking about answering the alarm that stormy December night 50 years ago this evening. At the time Chief McIntire was the Elkton Police Chief and the Assistant Fire Chief with Singerly. In the segment, he recalled that unforgettable scene a half-century ago. In the next week or so the fire company will stream some other materials related to the event.
Activities continue this Sunday for the “Community Remembrance” as Cecil County pauses to reflect on a tragic event a half-century ago when Pan AM World Airways Flight 214 crashed at the edge of Elkton. It was Dec. 8, 1963, that the big jet broke apart in fight and crashed at the edge of town.
The community remembrance, hosted by the Singerly Fire Company and the Historical Society of Cecil County, takes place at 2:00 p.m. at the Fire Station at 300 Newark Avenue in Elkton. Everyone is invited to attend.
Yesterday the Society and Singerly greeted over 130 family members from all over the nation, as we met for the first time with relatives of passengers on the flight and heard many share stories at the “Listening Station.” It was a chance for the families to get to know the volunteers working on the remembrance, the leadership of emergency service agencies, and each other before today’s larger public event. Well into the evening hours the Society’s headquarters was buzzing with activity as a large appreciative crowd packed the building and mingled before heading out to restaurants around the area.
Earlier in the day, the Community Listening Station was open and oral historians recorded the stories of family members. Thanks to all the volunteers who have been working on this for months as the Cecil County got ready to pause and reflect on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013.
Acting Elkton Police Chief Matthew Donnelly talks to the Knuth family during the reception for family members.
On a stormy Sunday night 50 years ago, an explosion over Elkton, Md., created a fireball so bright it caused street lamps in the rural town to shut off.
Residents who had been readying for bed ran into the streets, scared and confused. Times were tense: The president had been assassinated in Dallas two weeks earlier, and the nation was little more than a year removed from the Cuban Missile Crisis that had brought the Cold War world to the edge of nuclear war.
As the Historical Society of Cecil County and the Singerly Fire Company prepare to pause and mark 50 years since the crash of Pan American World Airways Flight 214 at the edge of Elkton, NBC 10 News was in town today to discuss preparations for the “Remembrance Program.” The program takes places at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday Dec 8th at the Singerly Fire Station on Newark Avenue.
Tim Furlong, the reporter, interviewed retired Supt. of Cecil County Public Schools Henry Shaffer about plans for the special time of reflection. As a rookie 16-year-old firefighter with the Singerly Fire Company he was also on the first responding fire department unit to reach the scene. In addition, the reporter interviewed family members.
The purpose of the program is to honor the memory of those who lost their lives that tragic day and to remember a generation of first responders who answered an unimaginable call that changed so many lives in a split-second.
