At Wright’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, a standing-room only crowd gathered early this Monday morning to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. This was the 21st annual celebration, the Cecil County observance having been started by Commissioner Charles Givens and Robert Davis to honor the civil rights leader locally. Rousing music…
The Police Beat in Rising Sun in 1900
RISING SUN POLICE IN 1900 — In the hours before sunrise on a peaceful Sunday morning in December 1910, a barking dog disturbed the tranquility of Rising Sun. The incessant yapping, as the animal furiously yanking on its chain, roused Rising Sun’s Town Officer, Nathan Britton, who had been sleeping soundly at home. The bailiff,…
One of Elkton’s Old Congregations, Providence United Methodist Church
The brilliant blue sky that followed a light dusting of snow in Cecil County caused us to grab our camera and head out to grab a few images as the day highlighted the attractiveness of some of Elkton’s historic structures. These two photos show the Providence United Methodist Church, one of Elkton’s old congregations, the…
The Wheels of Justice: Elkton Police Mount Bicycle Patrol in 1900
To the consternation and dismay of crooks, felons, and troublemakers, the Elkton Town Council decided to provide its tiny police force with greater mobility in Nov. 1900. At a council meeting that month, the town purchased a bicycle for $10, allowing their lawman to pedal rapidly around the municipality. Once it arrived, Bailiff George Biddle,…
From HDGHistory: King of Kings: Engravings From Lost Voices
From HDGHistory By Adam Rybczynski Located a short distance from Havre de Grace is the Perry Point VA medical center. The primary function of the Perry Point VA is treatment of mental health. The hospital was created in 1919 and has evolved over the years to the significant role it now provides veterans. Living in…
Elkton Vintage Base Ball Club Announces 2011 Schedule
April 3 Eclipse BBC of Elkton at Athletic BBC of Philadelphia April 9 Diamond State BBC of Delaware at Eclipse BBC of Elkton April 10 Dauntless BBC of Havre de Grace at Cecil BBC of Chesapeake City April 10 Athletic BBC of Philadelphia at Cecil BBC of Chesapeake City April 17 Flemington %eshanock at Eclipse…
Valentines Weekend Program Explores Elkton’s Marriage History
If you are interested in learning about Elkton’s history as a place for quick marriages, the Historical Society of Cecil County is hosting a free lecture on Feb. 11. 2011, at 7:00 p.m. Stop in to hear historian Mike Dixon talk about when the marriage industry thrived in Elkton and the honeymoon express arrived in town everyday. …
Dr. Peter Stavrakis, a Pioneer of Emergency Medicine in Cecil County
As darkness settled on Elkton one Friday night in 1978, Union Hospital’s Emergency Department buzzed with activity. The attending doctor, Peter Stavrakis, efficiently directed care while nurses performed procedures, monitors beeped, and anxious families paced hallways. When the physician started examining a new arrival, the belligerent man struck him on the head with a metal…
Frederick Douglass Visited Port Deposit and Rising Sun in 1885
Just days before Cecil County residents celebrated the arrival of a New Year, welcoming in 1886, an aging social reformer, orator, and writer, traveled to Cecil County to lecture on “The Self-Made Man.” On his way to Rising Sun where the town’s literary society was sponsoring the program, the abolitionist leader, Frederick Douglass, who’d escaped…
Turkey Point Lighthouse
A circa 1910 postcard showing the Turkey Point Lighthouse.