Just before Christmas, I paused for a few minutes in the quiet Union Bethel Cemetery in Cecilton. A chilling December breeze gently swept over this old burial ground, and as I gazed at monuments for soldiers, ministers, teachers, mothers, fathers, working people, and children, one particularly caught my attention. It was a regulation tombstone issued…
The Lost Histories of Long Abandoned Properties Examined in January 4th Lecture
As a new year gets underway, the Historical Society of Cecil County’s winter speakers series continues on January 4, 2014, when Emily Kilby talks about “Reconstructing 100 Ruins.” Several years ago the retired magazine editor’s curiosity was aroused by clusters of crumbling stone ruins and walls in the Fair Hill Nature Resources Management Area. What…
On the Longest Night of the Year, Lights on the Conowingo Dam Glow in Gathering Darkness.
As the day slipped quickly away and twilight settled on Cecil County on this busy last weekend before Christmas, the lights of the Conowingo Dam flickered to life. In contrast to the frenzied day of last-minute shopping in downtowns and malls, the scene on the Susquehanna was quiet and settled this Saturday evening at this…
Water Witch Fire Station 7 Sparkled With Holiday Lights on the Weekend Before Christmas
Port Deposit, Dec. 21, 2013 — Soon after twilight on this weekend before Christmas, the firefighters at Cecil County’s oldest company, Water Witch, had Station 7 sparkling with holiday lights.
Attractive Trade Cards Advertised Cecil County Products in the Late 19th Century
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…
PowerPoint: Pan Am Flight 214 Memorial Presentation
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…
Centuries Old Houses Wait on Winter at the top of the Elk River
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…
Flowers, Notes and Wreaths Placed at Crash Site
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…
The Holly Tree by the Tracks, A Maryland Christmas Tradition
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…
Singerly Remembers the Family Members of Flight 214
Sunday, as a surprise late autumn snowstorm caused major traffic difficulties in the area, the Singerly Fire Company of Elkton remembered those who lost their lives on the evening of December 8, 1963. Despite the dangerous conditions on area roadways, about 100 family members were able to make their way to the fire station on Newark Avenue….