Window on Cecil County's Past

 This past Friday, the Cecil Whig ran one of its “recognize this” photos showing an Elkton patrolman examining the shattered window of an automobile.  In those weekly installment of old images from decades ago, they ask people to share whatever they know about the image. This one was part of photojournalist Richard Frear’s coverage of the…

Elkton doubled the size of its firefighting force when an additional hand-pumper was purchased in Baltimore in 1859.  Although it was a used piece of apparatus, it was a major step forward as the Rodgers didn’t require a bucket brigade to supply the pump with water.  This suction engine, which the townspeople had purchased for…

The hydraulion, the county’s oldest piece of firefighting equipment came to Elkton about 1827, after townspeople purchased the unit in Philadelphia for $700.  The “Water Witch,” which was built for one of the volunteer companies in the city, served there for about nine years, before it was sold.  It was a new design, a combination unit with a hand-pumper and hose…

Elkton, January 27, 2012 —  This  afternoon over thirty dealers in old photographs, postcards, newspapers, advertising, books and other paper ephemera jammed the fire hall on Newark Avenue in Elkton.  As they busily arranged their offerings for the opening of the 25th annual show, we got a glimpse of some of the magazines, posters, and much more.   A number…

Press Release – Cecil County Public Library Don’t let your family history disintegrate!  Join us for a hands-on demonstration on how to preserve your family’s artifacts, postcards, and photographs.  information will be provide on supplies needed and methods for storing and displaying these pieces without damaging them.  (Bring one of your items to the workshop for advice about how…

While the Historical Society of Cecil County  is over 75-years-old, that doesn’t mean it isn’t keeping up with the times.  As early as 1995, the keeper of Cecil’s heritage climbed right on board with the digital age by launching one of the first local history web sites in the region.  It has continued to keep pace with the…

January 21, 2012 — On the first day for an accumulation of wintry precipitation this season, a reflective silence surrounds the old Cecil County Cemetery and Poorhouse as freshly fallen snow blankets the almshouse on a Saturday morning in January.  The Potters Field, the final resting place for paupers who couldn’t afford a burial, is located…

In this rapidly expanding world of online information, lots of helpful data is often just a few keystrokes away.  The amount is exploding exponentially as a number of for-profit digital publishers, such as Ancestry and GenealogyBank, have taken the lead in making vast amounts of material available instantly.  Beyond these excellent data aggregators, there are…

Except for an early brush with an unusual October snowstorm that blanketed parts of the northeast with up to 20” of snow, we haven’t seen much of the typical winter around Cecil County.  As for what the remainder of the season holds, the Delaware Climatologist notes that there’s a high probability of continued warmer weather. …

The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Perryville from local author Alan Fox. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by. From the early days—when Perryville was known as Lower Ferry and John Rodgers hosted George Washington and other Founding Fathers in his tavern…