Perry Point, Dec., 14, 2012 — The old 18th century mansion-house at Perry Point was aglow with holiday spirit Friday evening. Located on the attractive, waterfront Veterans Administration campus. the hospital was hosting a holiday open house.
Drawing visitors in from the December darkness, flickering light from the luminaries showed the pathway to the grand front entrance. As guests approached the entranceway, they were greeted by a period attired guide, and once inside people learned about the unique story of Perry Point and the centuries old property. Live Christmas music filled the chambers, while over in one room, Dan Coates, the President of the Archaeological Society of the Chesapeake talked about the Civil War era on the little Peninsula. During that conflict, the Federal Government used the spacious grounds as a camp and soldiers occupied the house. While touring the finely decorated home light refreshments were served.
It was built about 1750, according to the Veterans Administration. “During the Civil War, the United States Government took over Perry Point for the first time, using it as a training station for cavalry mules. The officers in charge of the project used the Mansion House for their headquarters, sharing it for a time with the Stump family. When the situation became too strained for comfort, John Stump II moved his family to Harford County to live with his sister. Upon their return, they found the Mansion House badly abused and the farm sadly neglected.”
If you missed the event Friday evening, it’s open again tonight (Dec. 15th, 2012), as the holiday opening continues from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Elisabeth Wright, a researcher at the Society, searches through back copies of the Cecil Whig on one of the Society’s aging microfilm readers.
By Bruce Leith
The Historical Society of Cecil County is kicking off a new fundraiser which will help make the past more accessible. The Society has accumulated a vast microfilm collection containing most of the newspapers that have been printed in Cecil County since the 19th Century. Besides complete holdings of the Cecil Whig, this resource includes weeklies from such bygone titles as the Cecil Democrat, the Cecil Star, the Midland Journal, the Appeal, Cecil County News, the Perryville Record, the Rising Sun Journal, and the Elkton Press just to name a few.
But technology has improved as film and readers, research tools from an earlier era, are slowly being phased out. The technology now exists to digitize all of the serials so they can be read on a computer. To do this, the Society has received a quote of about $80 a roll to convert the film to a digital format.
To successfully create the e-products, the keepers of Cecil’s heritage have kicked off a new campaign called “Save our Newspapers – Save our History.” Individuals and businesses can donate funds for a single roll (which encompass issues for one or two years) or they can contribute a set amount to cover the entire run of the paper. The cost runs from $80 to do the Elkton Courier to $12,700 to donate to the entire series of the Cecil Democrat. For each digitized roll, the sponsor will be recognized as the underwriter preserving the valuable editions.
“This is a great way for businesses in the community to show support and also to receive credit every time the paper is accessed. It is also a great way to memorialize a loved one who may have passed away as well as a great gift for someone special,” said Bruce Leith who is coordinating the program. All donations are fully tax deductible as the Society is a registered 501c3. To get more information about the program, to make a pledge, or to see what newspapers are available contact the Historical Society either by email at newspaper@cecilhistory.org or stop in at 135 E. Main Street in Elkton.
Singerly Fire Company crews work on recovery the next morning. Rooke firefighter Henry Schaffer is on the right and Chief Spec Slaughter is on the left.
Many in Cecil sighed with relief as 1963, an eventful year full of ups and downs, came to an end. As people reflected on those events of nearly fifty years ago, they recalled the opening of the modern expressway, President John F. Kennedy’s visit, and the unbelievable news a few days later. An assassin’s bullet had struck the youthful president down in Dallas. So as the county grieved and the calendar turned on that unforgettable November they surely thought it couldn’t get any worse.
They were wrong for on a terrible December night Pan-American World Airways Flight 214 exploded, plunging into a field at the edge of Elkton. On that cold, rainy Sunday, as lightning periodically illuminated the cornfield eighty-one people perished when the big plane broke apart in flight and debris rained down on mostly open land. Hours later, as rescuers started the grim task of combing the wreckage zone, a county firefighter suddenly collapsed and died.
This horrifying disaster, the worst in Cecil County history, is something that is seared into the collective memory of the community and friends and relatives of victims. People involved in this tragedy will never forget the unusual December thunderstorm and how the fiery blast in the stormy sky suddenly illuminated the town, momentarily turning December darkness into daylight. Fear, anxiety, and concern swept across the unnerved community as sirens filled the night air with emergency units rushing toward Delancy Road to provide aid to the injured. It was soon obvious to first responders that the accident wasn’t survivable.
Next year on Sunday, Dec 8th, 2013, the Historical Society of Cecil County will hold a remembrance program, as it will be fifty years since that tragedy changed so many lives. To help with the program our volunteers have been busy creating a remembrance archive to add to our holdings. A major part of this involves interviewing people, and we recently taped Chief Thomas N. McIntire, Jr (retired). The Elkton police chief and assistant fire chief vividly recalled answering the alarm, as he drove the first fire engine out toward the state line. Riding in the command seat Chief Spec Slaughter had his hands full direting the mobilization of the massive, county-wide emergency response that included units from Delaware. We have also interviewed Lt. Don Hash (MSP retired), the first police officer to arrive on the scene and will continue with recordings throughout 2013.
The remembrance program will take place at the Historical Society on Sunday, Afternoon, Dec. 8th, 2013. The Rev. Hubert Jicha and retired school superintendent Henry Schaffer will facilitate the program. Henry, a 16-year-old at the time of the crash, was one of the first responders. The afternoon will include the sharing of memories, outtakes from the oral history collection and displays of material from our Cecil County history and genealogy library. We have newspapers, the emergency radio communication tape created as Rosemary Culley dispatched the emergency, many photographs, and television news broadcasts.
Chief McIntire twice met with the pilot’s son, Chris Knuth. His father George F. Knuth piloted the airliner circling in a holding pattern. waiting for clearance to land in Philadelphia, while a storm front passed over the Delaware Valley. Chris first called the Society back in 1996, saying he wanted to visit the area so we were pleased to help him while he was here. At the time, the Society arranged for Chris to meet with the chief and Rosemary Culley, the dispatcher. He met with this duo once again in 2006 as we helped a British video firm produce a documentary about the subject.
We are still working on plans but watch our newsletter, The Inkwell, and our blog for details as we put together this remembrance. We will keep readers informed as details develop.
Chief McIntire (retired), center and Chris Knuth, right, son of the Pan American pilot look over the scene of the crash on Delancy Road while documentarians record the scene.
A 1920 Pennsylvania State Highway marker for the Mason-Dixon Line.
Many people around Cecil County have heard about the Mason-Dixon Line, but few know much about its history. So as 2013 marks the 250th anniversary of the start of one of America’s most famous boundaries, the Historical Society will present a slide-illustrated Mason-Dixon Line talk.
To settle royal land grants for the proprietors of Maryland and Pennsylvania, two skilled English surveyors started measuring out the boundaries that had involved bitter quarreling and bloodshed. Four years later, the survey was done, but the line’s story was far from over as popular culture had it take on far different symbolism in the 19th century.
This program explores the story of the line, which runs through our land and our history, along with the perceptions that have developed around the boundary. Presented by historian Mike Dixon, this lively talk focuses on the line’s history throughout the centuries. It includes many dramatic, largely untold stories about these times.
This program is part of the Society’s winter speakers series. Each winter the Society bring fresh, new programs and applied, how-to lectures to Cecil County.
TIME: January 5, 2013, at 2:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street., Elkton, MD
COST: Free
The Old Post Road (Baltimore Pike) at the Mason Dixon LIne between Elkton and Iron Hill Delaware
Singerly Volunteer Fire Company, of Elkton MD, will present their twenty-sixth annual “Paper Americana Show” on Saturday January 26, 2013, from 10 AM to 4 PM.
The show will feature over thirty dealers from several states who are offering for sale, antique books, postcards, newspapers, art prints, advertising & regional collectibles, photographs, and general ephemera.
The Singerly Fire Hall is located at 300 Newark Avenue Elkton, MD, near the intersection of Routes 213 and 279. From I-95 take Exit# 109 (Rt. 279 Newark, DE/ Elkton, MD) interchange toward Elkton approx. 3 miles on right.
Admission is $3.00 per person ($2.00 with this ad) – children under 12 admitted free of charge. Refreshments will be available by the Singerly Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary. For additional information contact ayersj@zoominternet.net or call 410-398-7735 or 410-398-7300 during show hours.
Elkton, Saturday. Nov. 24, 2012 — Low, gray clouds filled the sky over Elkton’s Main Street on this late November day. This nippy scene, on an old pike that has seen the passage of centuries of frosty seasons, served as a reminder that “winter’s coming on” and we should anticipate a cyclical spell of freezing temperatures, cold rain, falling snow and howling winds in Cecil County during the winter of 2013.
Elkton, Dec. 1, 2012 — On this busy Saturday in December, one crammed with plenty of special holiday events, things were hopping at the Historical Society of Cecil County as a number of activities were underway. Our research volunteers, Darlene McCall and Beth Boulden-Moore, aided about a half-dozen patrons looking for information on auto dealerships, land records, and genealogy.
When it appeared that things were winding down for our history detectives in the library, a Civil War Soldier showed up to talk to another crowd assembled in the gallery. It was Private James Elbert of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), and he talked about the burdens for African-American soldiers during the Civil War. The 24-year old Polktown farmer enlisted with C Company of the 8th United States Colored Troops in September 1863. After leaving his home just outside Delaware City, he trained at Camp William Penn and fought in many battles during the conflict.
The attentive audience listening to this hour-long program felt as if they’d been transported back through time as the old soldier followed orders from his sergeant-major to carry out a mission. His narrative included comments about the fears, the courage, and the extraordinary achievement of the soldiers.
After the performance, a group gathered around Private Elbert peppering the military man with lots of questions about his amazing tales. This outstanding dramatic portrayal was presented by Willis Phelps, Jr. It’s an excellent program and we thank Mr. Phelps for sharing a powerful performance about the USCT with the crowd. Mr. Phelps works as a historical interpreter at Fort Delaware and presents his programs in many venues including colleges and universities. Presented for the first time in Cecil County, this program is part of the Society’s annual speaker’s series.
As the nation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Cecil Community College is offering a continuing education course that examines the conflict from a Cecil County perspective. Taught by Eric Mease, a scholar who focuses on studying the contributions of local African-Americans during those troubled years, the course is available this spring. It starts on April 3, 2013.
Here is the course description: “Cecil County holds a unique geographical and political position as the only Maryland County that has the Mason Dixon line as both its northern and eastern border which left the county politically divided. Learn what the newspapers were saying, what soldiers were writing about it, and the African American contribution to the Union war effort.” Click here for additional information.
Elkton Town Hall, Nov. 14, 2012 – Home Partnership, Inc., was back before the commissioners to submit a new concept plan for a 50-unit elderly housing project on the old jail property on North Street. The revised proposal addresses feedback that was given to the developer by the town’s historic architectural review committee.
In a split decision, the board responsible for protecting historic resources rejected a plan last July that called for demolishing most of the old jail while saving the front facade. “We’ve actually preserved the entire jail facility, which addresses one of the major concerns the committee had,” Mr. Hodges, the company representative remarked.
“This is an important project because of how it will impact the town’s revitalization plans,” the developer noted as he asked for a resolution of support from the commissioners for the affordable housing nonprofit. The town administrator was instructed to draft the documents for consideration at an upcoming board meeting.
Commissioner Jablonski also noted the value of the project for downtown. “I love the project. It’s beautiful. They are keeping the historic jail. It’s going to be great for downtown, especially because there is a waiting list at the senior apartments we have now of about 25 people so it’s needed. I think it’s a great project.”
Valley Forge Special Beer was available from John M. Sentman Co., Inc. From the Cecil Star in 1936.
Back in 1933, Cecil County was in the grips of the darkest days of the Great Depression. In those uncertain times, as a new president rushed to launch programs to alleviate unemployment, hunger, foreclosures, and the collapse of banks, there was one bright spot and it centered on prohibition.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt decided it was time to bring about the end of prohibition, the “noble experiment” that banned the sale of alcoholic beverages. That April the death knell of prohibition sounded as beer sales became legal for the first time in some 13 years. On December 5 prohibition completely passed away as the 21st amendment was ratified and all types of alcohol sales became legal. “I think this would be a good time for a beer,” he remarked as he signed the amendment to the Volstead Act, which allowed bartenders to push suds across the bar to eager customers.
In Maryland the legislature took up the business of creating regulations for dispensing the golden suds, working late into the night during 10 days of a special session. After attaching over 300 amendments to the bill, it sailed through both houses. Many people celebrated as the foaming beverages flowed freely on April 14th in Cecil.
The Cecil County Commissioners were named as the Liquor Control Board. When their clerk opened the office for business the day after being handed this responsibility, the local officials had their hand’s full considering applications. Businesses that closed doors or reoriented hospitality services to tea and coffee rooms after Congress proclaimed the dry-era, were anxious to pick up where they left off. The cost of a license ranged from about $25 to $60 depending on the classification.
In days 49 people appeared before the liquor control board. Three were held up because of complaints, but in most dispensaries patrons celebrated. In Rising Sun, Thomas Riale’s pool room and Martin Keplinger’s Rising Sun Hotel opened to serve customers. Along the heavily traveled Route 1, leading to the Susquehanna River, the Blue and White Lunch Room, the Lafayette Inn, and Dicks Place joined in too. Others outlets were scattered around the county.
With many people raising a cold one to Roosevelt’s effort to alleviate the suffering, the people had another reason to celebrate in December. At the end of that miserable, miserable year, the passage of the 21st amendment to the Constitution brought an end to prohibition.
But on a spring day in Cecil County legal beer had returned. Soon harder liquors would be available.
John M. Sentman Co., Inc advertises one of its products, the “famous Manayunk Beer” in 1936. The ad was placed in the Cecil Star in the mid-1930s.
An ad for Arrow Beer distributed by Empire Supply Co. From the Havre de Grace Record in the mid-1930s
For more on Prohibition & Temperance in Cecil County see
Perry Point, Dec., 14, 2012 — The old 18th century mansion-house at Perry Point was aglow with holiday spirit Friday evening. Located on the attractive, waterfront Veterans Administration campus. the hospital was hosting a holiday open house.
