Window on Cecil County's Past

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…

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…

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…

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 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  Consisting of a six-volume unpublished history and twelve archival storage boxes of supporting materials, it has many notebooks with newspaper clippings,…

While we’re sharing photos of Charlestown, here are a few more.  The attractive, well-preserved, colonial-era historic district, creates an ideal setting as we delve into the past, strolling around to meet characters from an important era in our history.  During the War of 1812 British sailing ships-of-the-line were plying the waters of the Northeast River and…

In preparing for a trip back into time to explore the War of 1812 on the Upper Chesapeake, we’ve spent time in Charlestown. The quaint little pre-Revolutionary War village on the Northeast River, the county’s oldest municipality, is an ideal place for strolling around with a camera in hand while working with a number of partners to map…

As the region gears up to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the British attack on the Upper Chesapeake some old-timers that have been around Cecil since the early 1800s are going to be roaming around Charlestown on August 12.  Meandering streets and gathering in small clusters in the beautiful river town, these centuries’ old residents,…

The first Monday in May was always a burdensome one for Charlestown property owners.  On that day in spring, citizens traditionally came forward to pay the annual tax levy.  But in 1813 there was a worrisome feeling in the county’s oldest municipality that had nothing to do with forking over a little hard-earned cash for…

An old Elkton house of worship, the Providence United Methodist Church, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.