On a spring day in the middle of May, Wright’s A.M.E. Church, an old Elkton house of worship, looks good as storm clouds break and the sun begins to shine on the sanctuary. It has been a part of Elkton’s history since the early 1880s. It was dedicated in May 1882 by Bishop Layman and…
Archeological Society of Maryland Field School Opens at Elk Landing This Weekend
Press Release — Historic Elk Landing Foundation———————- One hundred and ninety nine years ago musket and cannon fire erupted from Fort Hollingsworth at the confluence of the Big and Little Elk Creeks. That skirmish between members of the Cecil Militia and British Marines and sailors kept Elkton from being burned. The invading British and the…
Rochambeau in Elkton
Seeking out colonial-era maps of Elk Landing local archaeologist, George Reynolds, stopped by this week. The Archaeological Society of Northeastern Maryland is sponsoring a summer field school at the Landing and George is preparing for the opening talk, as he conducted the first study on that historic parcel in the early 1980s. To flush out the…
Historical Society of Delaware Tour Explores C & D Canal History on June 16
Join the Delaware Historical Society for an afternoon cruise on the C & D Canal aboard the Miss Clare as popular historian Michael Dixon tells the story and history of transportation on this important link between the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. Following the one-hour voyage, we will visit the C & D Museum in Chesapeake…
The Samples Provide a Peek Into The Past — A Time When the Enemy Was On Our Shore During the War of 1812
For all the arresting folklore and history connected with Elkton’s past two brothers who lived here 200-years-ago provide one of our best sources for gleaning insights about the high drama that took place 0n the winding Elk River when a British raiding party attacked in 1813. The sons of Captain John Sample, a veteran of the war and the Battle of Baltimore, spent their boyhood years growing up…
Cecilton Elects First Town Board in 1864
The other day we fielded a call at the Historical Society asking us about information on some of the early mayors of Cecilton. Since those sorts of queries are routine for the Society’s researchers they got right to work digging through old newspapers and government documents to identify the first mayor of Cecilton. The town…
Elkton and Port Deposit Issued Paper Money During the Civil War
As that bloody conflict, the Civil War, smoldered in 1862, a serious shortage of coins for everyday commerce had Cecil County merchants shuffling around, trying to find ways to make change. You could blame penny pinchers, hoarders, or simply the scarcity of the war, but whatever the cause, there was a shortage of gold, silver,…
Clouds Break For Lunch Over Elkton
Around noon on this comfortable Tuesday, the sun broke through the clouds as people headed out for lunch on Main Street in Elkton. The break in the overcast sky allowed the sun to shine long enough for office workers from the courthouse and other places to enjoy the noon-hour and to create some streetscape photo opportunities on a route that’s been traveled since the…
Revisiting a Historic Moment As Colonial Spirit Hits Elkton for 200th Anniversary
The Mayor and Commissioners of Elkton practically turned back the clock during Elkton History Month in May 1987, an occasion for celebrating the Elkton Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of the town’s incorporation. Now, as the municipality prepares to mark its 225th birthday, we’ll post some of those twenty-five-year-old photos from days that were full of…
Elkton Prepares to Honor Its Roots For Its 225th Anniverary
Elkton is preparing to celebrate its 225th anniversary in a few weeks, according to signs that sprouted up around town. The municipality, Town Commissioner and Elkton Alliance Director Mary Jo Jablonski reported at a recent council meeting, was established on May 25, 1787. To mark this important milestone in the annals of the community, the…