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,…
Mease Presents Cecil College Course Examining County’s Role During Civil War
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…
Plan for old jail moves ahead as new proposal saves 1870’s structure
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…
Beer Is Back They Shouted as They Raised a Glass to Prohibition’s Death Knell
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…
George Reynolds Honored For Digging the Past
ELKTON, November 21. 2012 — At the 81st annual meeting of the Historical Society of Cecil County, a packed house was on hand as Cecil’s heritage keepers presented George Reynolds with the Ernest A. Howard Award. This prestigious honor is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the preservation of the county’s historic…
Observance at North East United Methodist Church to remember devastating blaze from a century ago
The North East United Methodist Church was destroyed by a massive fire in May of 1911, the blaze threatening to engulf the entire town. In the middle of the night, the pastor was awakened by crackling and a glow and when he looked out his window he noticed flames spreading through a nearby dwelling. North…
Bullfrog, A Lost Cecil County Village
In several areas of the county, there are places that were once thriving little hamlets but are now barely wide spots in the road. They might have a house or two, or perhaps a business to distract the modern traveler, while in their heyday they thrived. Once their reason for prosperity vanished, the passage of time slowly eroded…
Historical Society’s Winter Speakers Series Continues With Vietnam Mailbag, a USCT Living History Program and More
The speaker’s series for the 2012-13 seasons continues at the Historical Society of Cecil County with original programs designed to have popular appeal, introduce new research, or provide practical, how-to instruction. The talks take place on the first Saturday of each month at 2;00 p.m. at the Cecil County History and Genealogy Library at 135…
Elkton Police Oral History Project Gets Underway
A few weeks ago, with the encouragement of Willis May, we stated working on the Elkton Police Oral History Project with a large group of retired Elkton Police Officers. The purpose is to carefully document the story of the force in the 1960s and 1970s. As the preliminaries move along, we have spent a little…
Elkton Police Officers Get Together — Share Stories of Nearly a Half-Century
This afternoon, at the Elkton Diner, a group of retired Elkton police officers got together for an informal, long overdue reunion. Amidst smiles, waves, handshakes, and tales of long ago, the sense of camaraderie was obvious as they reminisced about the passage of nearly fifty years. And just as if it were yesterday, the professional…