An old Civil War chaplain’s diary that has been gathering dust for 150-years and was periodically brought out for some research has been getting an enormous amount of attention lately. This past Monday evening U of DE honors society history students, faculty and staff were pouring over fading pages from another age, scrutinizing those aging entries line by line. Here are some…
Sold Out War of 1812 Walking Tour Returns to Charlestown in May
As the region celebrates the 200th anniversary of the British attack on the Upper Chesapeake during the War of 1812 some old-timers that have been around for centuries are going to roam around Charlestown, once again. While they meander streets and gather in small clusters in the beautiful river town, these centuries’ old residents will…
War of 1812 Celebration at Elk Landing Includes Living History Programs & Candle Light Tours
Historic Elk Landing Press Release —– On April 29th, 1813, a British naval unit attached and burned the wharfs at Frenchtown and two nearby packet boats. They then went to the plantation of Frisby Henderson seeking directions to Elkton, the county seat. Their purpose, to burn it to the ground as American forces had done…
The First Alarm: Singerly Oil Painting Shows Elkton Firefighters Answering the Call in 1892
For its centennial celebration in 1992, the Singerly Fire Company commissioned an oil painting that showed the company racing out of the North Street station on a cold winter evening in 1892 to answer its first alarm. A team of galloping horses pulled the Amoskeag Steamer past the old courthouse as an early evening February…
Old Elkton Log House Looks Fine on an Early April Morning
An old structure that has seen the passage of over 200 springs was looking fine on this chilly morning in early April. The Rev. William Duke built the log house in Elkton about 1799. Here he conducted a school for boys and held the first Anglican services in town. In the early 1970s plans for…
SHA Archaeologist’s Blog About War of 1812 Shares Reports on Fort Hollingsworth at Elk Landing
Maryland State Highway Administration’s Archaeologists have joined in on the commemoration of the bicentennial of the war of 1812 by publishing a blog that shares information on the latest excavations and findings about that conflict. In addition to sharing details of sites along Maryland highways, they have guest articles by archaeologists who are working on…
Exhibit Examining the Civil War in Your Backyard Opens April 6th
As the nation observes the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, the Historical Society of Cecil County has mounted an informative local exhibit that examines that terrible conflict through the lens of local history. This attractive, temporary arrangement by curator Lisa Dolor opens on Saturday, April 6th at 2:00 p.m. at the Cecil County History and…
Waiting for Spring on the C & D Canal
Chesapeake City, March 27, 2013 — While the calendar says we’ve entered a new season, we are waiting for that tentative nudge from spring. And while we wait for those warming days things are quiet at the old C & D Canal Basin in Chesapeake City. But it won’t be long before this lone work boat has lots of company.
A Snowy Spring Monday in Cecil County
On this snowy, Monday in early spring, large, gentle flakes have been falling to the ground for most of the day. As this relic of winter accumulated a few inches on grassy surfaces but not on the roads, the day provided a perfect opportunity to snap some photos of historic Cecil County sites covered probably one last time with a white blanket that reminds…
Historical Society Aids Columbia University Professor Writing Book About John Randel, Jr., the Chief Engineer of the C & D Canal
John Randel, Jr., (1787-1865), a surveyor and engineer completed a full survey of Manhattan Island and took part in a number of important engineering projects during his lifetime. Renowned for his inventiveness, the C & D Canal Company hired him to oversee the building of the C & D Canal in 1823 but dismissed him…