Window on Cecil County's Past

E. Rosemary Culley, 76, a trail blazing public servant, passed away Friday Afternoon.  During her life time she accomplished many things while also leading the way for women in emergency services.

Growing up in a Perryville Fire Company family she naturally continued that dedication into adulthood.  The early decades, the 1950s and 1960s, were occupied in the traditional way as a member of the ladies auxiliary.  Three times during that period she served as the president of Singerly Fire Company’s Auxiliary.

When Cecil established a central dispatch system in October 1961, she took a job with the county, joining the first group of five “operators” hired to take emergency calls.  She rose through the ranks of the Civil Defense Agency, which today is the Department of Emergency Services.   For years, she was the chief dispatcher, supervising a staff of “operators” working the telephone lines and radios around-the-clock.  In 1985, Rosemary became the third director of the agency, providing leadership in an organization that was rapidly professionalizing and expanding, its’ responsiblities growing far beyond a cold war mission.  After a 35-year career in emergency management she retired in 1997, becoming more active in Singerly and the “County Firemen’s Association” with added volunteer responsibilities.

Though she never dwelled on it, she broke barriers for women.  Rosemary and three other women became the fire female fire company members in 1975.  Completing an intensive EMT course, this group learned the ropes and passed a demanding examination.  Soon they were answering ambulance calls alongside male colleagues.  She never considered it a big deal but in later years, other young women joining the service had a female emergency responder for a role model.  That wasn’t available to those 1970s trail-blazers.

During her career she handled some of the biggest disasters in county history.  One dark December night in 1963, working all alone at fire headquarters, the phones, all of them, suddenly started jingling off the hook.  A large jet passenger plane, with 81 people on board, had exploded in mid-air over Elkton and gone down in flames in a cornfield at the edge of town.  All across Cecil station-house radios snapped urgently to life as the calm, professional voice of Dispatcher Culley broke the Sunday evening silence with the most of urgent of alerts.

Headquarters was pulsating with information coming in and going out as alarmed voices crackled over the radio asking for a general alarm, all available ambulances in the region, and more police as Rosie steadily coordinated the response to the terrible catastrophe, the most serious disaster in Cecil’s history.  As quickly as possible additional Civil Defense workers made their way through the heavy traffic to help the dispatcher single-handedly juggling it all, as bolts of lightning punctuated the Maryland darkness.

There were many other big disasters on her 35-year watch.  Hurricane Agnes devastated Port Deposit and the Susquehanna.  A gas explosion in Perryville demolished buildings downtown, claiming one life.  Following a massive train wreck with flames boiling up into the sky as hazardous material tanker cars exploded, a rapid evacuation of western Elkton was speedily carried out.  Three Mile Island, shipping accidents on the C & D Canal,  massive pile-ups on the Interstate, blizzards and tornadoes were some of the others.

Rosemary Culley, a pioneer in Cecil County Emergency Services, rose through the ranks, starting as a volunteer in the Ladies Auxiliary some 60 years ago and ending as an executive, the Director of Emergency Management.  Along the way she broke barriers and served as a role model for emergency responders.  Rosemary Culley will be missed and she will be remembered for a lifetime of public service to Cecil County and its citizens.

Press Release — Office of Senator Ben Cardin

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today announced a U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) grant for slightly more than $2 million to complete the western 1.8 miles of Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Trail.  The funding will be used to complete the final Maryland portion of the 17-mile trail linking Chesapeake City, Maryland to Delaware City, Delaware.

“Completion of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Trail has been one of my top priorities,” said. Senator Cardin, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.  “The C&D Trail is a recreational treasure and this $2 million in federal funds ensures the completion of the Trail, which will attract tourists who want to enjoy the experience of hiking and biking between Chesapeake City, Maryland and Delaware City, Delaware.”

“The C&D Canal is a pathway to our history and a pathway to enjoying nature and recreation,” said Senator Mikulski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related agencies. “I’m so proud to fight for Maryland in the Senate. These federal dollars will bring jobs to the area and help grow the local tourism economy. Improving this trail will help draw new visitors to our state’s national treasures and preserve them for generations to come.”

“I join Senator Cardin in congratulating Chesapeake City on receiving this grant. The C&O Trail extension will provide economic, tourism and recreational benefits to Chesapeake City,” said Maryland Secretary of Planning Richard Eberhart Hall. “This project and others like it advance Governor O’Malley’s goal to restore the health of Chesapeake Bay by investing in our existing towns and encouraging sustainable communities. The trail project will make Chesapeake City more accessible to many visitors and help them enjoy its unique history and heritage.”

The C&D Trail is a planned 17-mile bicycle and pedestrian pathway between Maryland and Delaware that runs along the north bank of the C&D Canal. The Trail will have restroom facilities and signage and provide visitors with direct access to the ferry in Chesapeake City.

The sold-out “Footsteps in History Walking Tour,” a living history interpretation of the Upper Chesapeake’s War of 1812 history, continues to receive lots of positive feedback.  Patrons on the popular stroll into the past have offered many positive comments.  Some were introduced to a new chapter in Cecil’s past, while for others the theatrical approach captivated them.  And a good number have talked about how pleased they were to be introduced to a beautiful Cecil County town and historic district and it’s tourism destination spots.

Since next year marks the 200th anniversary of the British attack on Cecil and Harford counties, the event partners are discussing arrangements to offer the program regularly next year.  We’ll keep reader informed.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ralph Eshelman, a War of 1812 scholar and consulting historian for the National Park Service, shared some additional photos from Sunday evenings walk that found over 100 people prowling Charlestown Streets.  We thought you might want to see a few of these.

Charlestown, August 12, 2012  — On a beautiful August evening on the Chesapeake Bay a walking tour, stepped off from the Wellwood Club to stroll through the past.  For over an hour the crowd that exceeded 100-people roamed old colonial streets, listening to characters from the War of 1812 dramatically share thrilling tales about when the enemy was on our shores.

Those strong voices from long ago, echoing through the growing 21st century twilight on the Northeast River, had tales about attackers forcefully occupying places in Cecil and Harford counties.  Here and there, the crowd paused to meet these time travelers who eagerly shared the accounts of fright, intrigue, and brave defense against overwhelming odds.  Muskets blasted out, cannons roared, flames erupted and women and children fled to safety in the first-hand accounts of these old timers.  Escorting the group from spot-to-spot in the attractive historic district, Historian Mike Dixon, delved into the stories a little deeper, from a modern perspective.

It was a fascinating and fun way to learn the history of this era, while roaming around a quaint community.  As patrons headed back into the Wellwood Cub to relax for a while, people from all over came up to the performers to let them know how much they’d enjoyed the unique evening.  Some added that this was the first time they’d been to Charlestown.  It also brought officials connected with the War of 1812 Bicentennnial, at the state and national level, to Cecil County.

Several partners produced the event.  Those were the Historical Society, Colonial Charlestown, the Heritage Troupe, Cecil County Tourism, the Town of Charlestown, and the Wellwood Club.  Money raised by this program supports two nonprofits, the Historical Society and Colonial Charlestown.

As the popular event sold out, look for more of these opportunities as Cecil County begins to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of this conflict.

Charlestown, August 9, 2012 — Since we are three days away from the Footsteps in History Walking Tour, the event partners were attending to last-minute preparations on this hot August evening.  Strolling the quaint streets of Charlestown, volunteer historical interpreters practiced their parts and attended to final details for the first time event that shares stories of the War of 1812 on the Upper Chesapeake.

Come this Sunday at 7 p.m. a crowd will depart from the Wellwood Club for a leisurely trip along the attractive waterfront and streets in the carefully preserved historic district.  As evening descends on the Chesapeake, individual who resided here 200-years-ago are going to step from the shadows to dramatically tell the audience about the thrill and fright of the time when the county was on the war’s frontline.  In between the skits, Historian Mike Dixon will delve into the narrative, explaining the details and connecting local events to the larger story.  Once summer darkness grips the old municipality, lanterns will help chase away the shadows as costumed performers prowl the pathways and escort everyone back to the Wellwood Club.

Be sure not to miss this fun and informative tour.  Click here for more information.  The volunteer sponsored walk is a partnership with the Historical Society, Colonial Charlestown, The town, Cecil County Tourism and the Wellwood Club.

If you’re looking for a used fire engine, we might have found the right thing for you.  On this hot summer day, as we headed down to Chestertown, a shiny red pumper sitting at the four corners in Cecilton caught our attention. It had a sign letting passersby know that it was for sale.  It looks like a fine, powerful piece of equipment so check it out in you’re in the marketing for a unit.

The fall catalog containing courses at Cecil College is out and it contains a large selection of credit and non-credit history, genealogy, and humanities courses.  One of the newest programs is the History of the Civil War by Eric Mease, the Rising Sun Herald reported.  It’s a timely offering for 2012 so check out this week’s edition for the full story.

The August 2, 2012 issue of the Cecil Guardian carried an excellent piece written by Drewe Phinny on the War of 1812 walking tour taking place in Charlestown on August 12, 2012.  On that day, people will hear fascinating stories of the area’s experience during the conflict.  While the walk draws on tales from all over Cecil, its situated in the attractive colonial setting of Charlestown’s historic district.

We’re going to hear thrilling tales of the time the enemy came to our rivers, our shores and our towns, creating some frightening and thrilling times as the local militia hastily responded to the call to defend the county.  Living history interpreters will dramatically present these first hand accounts of such an alarming time.  In between, Historian Mike Dixon will delve more deeply into the local accounts, while also connecting the area with what was happening on the Chesapeake and in the nation.  Once the sky begins to darken, lanterns will be on hand to light the way as we continuing meeting characters from the past and make our way through old colonial streets.

Check out this week’s guardian for the full story.  Thanks Drewe and Cecil Guardian.

The August 2, 2012 issue of the Cecil Guardian carried an excellent piece written by Drewe Phinny on the War of 1812 walking tour taking place in Charlestown on August 12, 2012.  On that day, we’ll share fascinating stories of the area’s experience during the conflict.

While the walk draws on tales from all over Cecil, its situated in the attractive colonial setting of Charlestown’s historic district.   We’re going to hear thrilling tales of the time the enemy came to our rivers, our shores and our towns, creating some frightening and thrilling times as the local militia responded to the call to defend the county.  Living history interpreters will dramatically present these first hand accounts of such an alarming time.  In between, Historian Mike Dixon will delve more deeply into the stories and connect the area’s experience with what was happening on the Chesapeake and in the nation.  Once the sky begins to darken, lanterns will be on hand to light the way as we continuing meeting characters from the past and make our way through old colonial streets.

Check out this week’s guardian for the full story.  Thanks Drewe and Cecil Guardian.

The Historical Society of Cecil County has dozens of collections that are valuable to genealogists and local history researchers.  One of those that greatly helps those delving into the past is the Holt Collection.  Consisting of a six-volume unpublished history and twelve archival storage boxes of supporting materials, it has many notebooks with newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photos, booklets, and correspondence.

The author of the manuscript was J. Frank Holt, who’d been born about 1893 on a farm near Union Church.  He moved to Seattle, WA in 1935 and became a co-founder of the Arden Farms Company.  When the growing business acquired a number of dairies in California, he moved to Los Angeles, serving as the president of the enterprise from 1951 until his retirement in 1963.  He died on September 2, 1964, at the age of 71 in Glendale, CA.

In the midst of the Great Depression, the successful businessman decided he wanted to publish an updated history of Cecil County.  As it had been fifty years since George Johnston produced the last comprehensive title many changes had transformed the area.  It was going to be a detailed look at the area, with lots of supporting source materials as Mr. Holt had collected his data for decades and enlisted the aid of a genealogist back in the county.

But the nearly complete manuscript was never finished.  A few years after Mr. Holt passed away, his son, Joseph Holt of Van Nuys, California, who’d served in the U.S. House of Representatives, donated the many cartons of material to the Society in the late 1960s.

There is a wealth of material to be found in these pages and the abundance of source materials he collected.  While it traces local history in Cecil from the earliest days to the 1940s, it has great strength for those researching the last decades of the 19^th century and the first half of the 20^th century, a period in the writer’s life.   It also broadens the earlier works on Cecil, providing a modern perspective to their interpretations and adding subjects that were unexamined by earlier writers.  As an example, Johnston’s History of Cecil County published in 1880 doesn’t include a chapter on the Civil War or the critical dilemmas before or after those bitter, divisive years.  It also contains a considerable amount of information on old families in Cecil.  There is also a considerable amount of material relating to World War II.