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…
Snow Days of Yesteryear: Horse Pulled Plow Struggles to Clear Elkton’s Main Street
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. …
New Arcadia Title Tells History of Perryville Through Photographs
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…
Library Hosts Lecture on Cecil County African Americans in the Civil War
Celebrate black history month and join us as Eric Mease presents a program on the lives of Cecil County African-Americans who served with the Union forces during the Civil War. Over 130 served their county in segregated black regiments. Find out what life was like for them and the struggles they faced and successes they achieved in this…
The Civil War in Our Backyard – Programs at the Library in February
Commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War through unique programs and learning opportunities at your library this year! Through May 2012, all Cecil County Public Library branches will feature events and activities centered around the greatest conflict in our nation’s history. From reenactments to special programs on the role of women…
Video Documentarian Examines the Work of Cecil County Waterman
The life of a Waterman, a video documentary examining the work of Cecil Countians commercially fishing the Chesapeake, recently came to our attention. It was completed by Megan Moore, a Cecil College student, for a class project. Thanks Megan for sharing this excellent work. Hopefully we’ll see more of these creative products, as other videographers document how life is changing so quickly in the 21st century in Cecil…
Sylmar Takes Its Name From Two States
Sylmar draws its name from its location on the state border, taking the second syllable of Pennsylvania and first syllable of Maryland. Its growth came about after the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad built a line through the area in the mid-1860s. In 1877, the company erected a depot and freight house at the spot, calling…
The Four Corners in Cecilton in the Late 1930s
Amid the Great Depression, photographers working on several federal projects traveled the country capturing images of historic buildings, public works projects, and landscape vistas. While canvassing Cecil County, one of those cameramen snapped this tranquil scene at the four corners in Cecilton in the late 1930s. This was the hub of the farming community of…
Waiting for the Snow to Fly
Low, gray clouds filled the sky over this old farm on Blue Ball Road outside of Childs on this early winter day. The appearance of this nippy scene, at a place that has seen the passage of many frosty seasons, served as a reminder that a cyclical spell of freezing temperatures, cold rain, falling snow…
The Civil War In Our Backyard
Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War through unique programs and learning opportunities this year the Cecil County Public Library! From September 2011 through May 2012, all CCPL branches will feature events and activities centered around the greatest conflict in our nation’s history. From reenactments to special programs on the role of women…