After families departed from Elkton following the December 8, 2013, “Remembrance Program,” Historical Society genealogist Billie Todd started curating the “Fight 214 Archives,” which is becoming a permanent collection at Cecil County’s History and Genealogy Library. It will hold materials created over that long, snowy weekend as nearly 150 friends and relatives traveled to Elkton to pause and reflect on the passage of 50 years since the Pan American jet crashed at the edge of town.
When the Society outlined its objectives for this event two years ago, the final goal was the establishment of the remembrance archives as the County’s heritage keepers felt it was their obligation to preserve these memories so the sad day is never forgotten.
So our resident genealogist is now working on this last step. A lot of materials were shared or created that weekend. Those include notes, personal observations, formal programs and remarks, video recordings, photographs, television news recordings, emails, and newspaper clippings. Billie is carefully processing all of it, the paper and digital content, to make sure those memories are permanently saved.
My grandfather was the fire chief at the time… Edgar Slaughter..
Sharon we remember Chief Slaughter. He commanded the response to some of Maryland’s largest disasters during his time. Here’s a little piece we wrote about the chief a few years ago. https://cecilcountyhistory.com/chief-slaughter-led-singerly-through-a-period-of-growth-and-commanded-major-incidents/