For longer than anyone alive remembers, Valentine’s Day in Elkton has been particularly hectic down on Main Street as couples arrive here for quick marriages. Still, while cupid’s holiday is an unusually busy one, there was once a hum and bustle to the matrimonial business in the old town, day in and day out, when the wedding industry thrived in Cecil County.
It started just before World War I when northern states passed more restrictive marriage laws requiring waits of two or three days after a license was issued. Once Delaware joined the growing trend in 1913, it made Elkton, the northeasternmost county in Maryland, the spot for a quick ceremony. And since it was the closest to the urban centers of the northeast, the “honeymoon express” (passenger trains) arrived in town many times each day, bringing young, eager couples in a hurry to get married without delay.
The local cabbies anxiously scanned the coaches, eyeing the arriving crowd for potential brides and grooms. Wanting to grab the trade before the competition did, the jitney drivers offered to expedite the couple through the licensing process at the Clerk of the Court’s Office and help with all the arrangements. But these veteran navigators of Elkton streets, roads, alleys, and the halls of local government wanted to make sure the wedding went off without a hitch as the taxi company’s marrying parson performed the hasty ceremony.
In its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, it was the elopement capital of the East Coast as cupid’s couples swamped the marriage parlors. The parsons were doing “one marriage every 15 minutes,” which wasn’t “bad for a town of something like 3,000 people” the News American reported in 1920, as the once quiet town a few miles from Pennsylvania and Delaware became America’s Gretna Green. In 1936, the county cranked out 11,791 marriage licenses in an area where about 250 ceremonies would have otherwise been anticipated.
To accommodate the heavy trade the taxi operators set up marrying parsons along the main streets since competition for brides and grooms was intense during the mills heyday.
Not much was required to get hitched in Elkton in those days. Twelve minutes and a few dollars were all you needed, the Baltimore newspaper reported. Although even the 12 minutes weren’t altogether necessary, the dollars were the reporter observed.
The State of Maryland imposed a 48-hour waiting period in 1938. But people still continue to come here to be married, though the volume is far less. Today the Little Wedding Chapel on Main Street is Elkton’s sole remaining chapel.
2021 Update: The Little Wedding Chapel in Elkton closed in 2017.
Between the marriage capital of the East Coast, the racetracik in Havre de Grace and scant enforcement by the locals there of Prohibiton, Route 7 and the PRR must have had a booming business betwee the two.
John, what depression they must’ve said, what with all that activity going on.
I can remember my great uncle George Borland having a cab across from my fathers Ford dealership there on North Street.
I also remember asking my father (Warren Boulden Jr ) why these young couples came into his office for him to notorise a paper ? He would only charge them a dollar for the notary. Pat Rbertson the founder of the the 700 Club and Regent University in Virginia ran off to Elkton to get married.
I miss the simplicity of Elkton now that in my early days I ran from. One of my fathers best friends was Tommy McIntyre the chief of police and with my mother working for social services at the court house we could not get away with much.
I miss the parades when all my cousins and friend would come to the Ford Dealership to watch. We would pull the office chairs out to the side walk for the older people to sit on.
I never forgot the time I went to the movies with my older sister Lynne who didn’t want me to tag along with her friends. So during the scary movie she she grabbed me and said the monster was going to come out of the screen and get me. I was so scared that I swallowed the change that I had in my hand when I put my hand to my mouth in fear.
Then I was so scared that I would die from swallowing the change I ran out of the theater and ran to the Ford dealership. My father just laughed and told me to eat a peace of bread and sit on the toilet! It never came out!
Those were the good old days.
Does anyone have pictures of the Ford dealership
Diane, there are photos of the Ford Dealership on the Cecil County HIstory on FB timeline. http://www.facebook.com/cecilcountyhistory. Also we’ll see if we can’t pull some together for you and put them in an album.
We do. Call 321-276-5738
We do. Call 321-276-5738
Where do I access the records of all the marriages performed during these years in Elkton?
Gary, a couple of ways: 1 — FamilySearch has the index online with free search capability. Take a look at this link of Cecil County resources and look for the links for marriages. There are several and the links will take you to free databases.
But also there are a bunch of other helpful links https://dixonhistory.com/cecil-county-research.html
Also the Historical Society of Cecil County has the returns (forms returned by the ministers). They’re avialabe at the Historical Society, but aren’t online. If you locate someone of interest in the index, they may be able to locate the form. Dot, a volunteer there is organizing them. I happened to be talking to her Monday and she mentioned she has about 20 to 25 percent done.