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…
The Enduring Mystery of an 1891 Cecil County Murder
One of the darkest, cold cases in Cecil County history unfolded on a tranquil April night in 1891. The scene was a rural home along the road from Rising Sun to Conowingo, where intruders shattered the silence while J. Granville Richards and his family peacefully slept. In the calm of that spring night, a noise…
My Last Byline: Dot Clark Recalls Journey as a Reporter
By Dot Clark (June 2023) Memories are like lightning bugs – flickering into your mind when you least expect them. A muddy field, an approaching tropical storm, or a train derailment can bring them sharply back when you least expect them. But first, you need some background on how I found my way to the…
Covering Breaking News: Pan Am Flight 214 Crash
When Pan American Flight 214 Crashed in Elkton, news media outlets rushed to get a flash out on the story first. In line with demonstrating the effectiveness of the AP at covering rapidly unfolding events, the global wire service had a weekly newsletter where editors spotlighted AP breaking news coverage, and it focused on the…
Nuclear Attack Command Center Originally was the Scout Building
The plain concrete block building in the rear of the old county jail on North Street in Elkton was built in the middle of World War II. Elkton needed a building to serve as a center for Boy Scout activities, so troop leaders looked around and located some unused county land just off North Street….