This Blog
On this Cecil County History Blog, I will post articles on our county’s history, both old and modern, and the personal stories of our people, first and secondhand. Installments may include pieces on folkways, places, events, the built environment, people, and any aspect of our past that catches my attention. Additionally, I may periodically contemplate current happenings as I investigate the convergence of dynamics changing our corner of northeastern Maryland in the 21st century. History, after all, is a continuum, and understanding what happened in the past provides context for current developments.
The county’s history has fascinated me since the late 1960s when I started volunteering at the Historical Society of Cecil County as a teenager. For nearly a half-century now, all of my adult life, I’ve had a wonderful time discovering historical traces in photographs, oral histories, documents, and material culture. In addition to rummaging through old books, documents, and crumbling newspapers to investigate our past, I had the privilege of learning so much from many knowledgeable people during those rapidly passing decades. I hope to share some insights as I search for windows on Cecil County’s Past and post entries. I hope you will find them fascinating since the county has so many stories waiting to be told.
I’ve been blogging on local history since April 2007, so I have many articles in the blogosphere. To start this weblog, I will cross-post some of my columns from other sites here as I begin reflecting on yesterday in Cecil County with some original essays.
Thanks for reading this piece about my Cecil County History blog. Feel free to post comments. Also, here is a link to my professional blog, where I share news and reflections about the practice of history.
About Me
My name is Mike Dixon, and I am the publisher of this blog. I live in Cecil County with my family, and for nearly fifty years I have enjoyed studying the county’s past and chronicling historical insights on the area. I started volunteering at the Historical Society as a teenager in the late 1960s and continue volunteering with that organization. I hope you enjoy visiting and find the entries informative.
Hi Mike,
I am looking for more old photos of Holloway or Murphy’s Beach that was located right next door.
Can you help me?
Thank you,
Patty
Great Blog, you write very well. Let me give you a genealogy question from the Hastings side of my family. I am looking for information on Goldsborough Hastings who in the 1900 census is listed as being a Clergyman in Cecil County (perryville) . He was born about 1854 or 1856. In the census he shown with a wife Martha. Since he is from the Delmar area in some census information he is shown as being born in Maryland other census he shown as being born in Delaware. His father and mother are John and Hester Hastings. And of course Goldsborough is spelled in a wide variety of ways.
Patty:
Can you stop by the Society someday? We have a few more photos. Also have you looked at what we’ve posted online to see if any of those are of interest.
Here’s the address for that. On that page click on photos online.
http://www.cchistory.org/photos/index.html
Howard:
Let me see if I can come up with something on that for you. I check this week and get back with you.
Thanks for the work you do on Delmar Dustpan. I surf over regularly.
Mike:
Enjoyed your article on “An African-American Slave Recalls a British Attack on Frenchtown.”
After the holidays how about you and I getting together – finally!
Scott Sheads
Historian, Fort McHenry
Very cool blog. I’m currently looking for information on Leslie, just north of North East. Ive located what appear to be a very old Mill and some other buildings in the woods nearby.
Merry Christmas!
Brandon:
Thanks. There are some detailed older maps of that area, which should help you figure something out. I’ll scan one or two and put them up online so you can examine them in a few days.
Found your site linked as a ‘suggest’ at the bottom of one of my historical organization’s posts. Very good stuff; great minds think alike (and so do ours).
Erik
Thanks Erik. Just surfed over to the Beachwood Historical Alliance blog, facebook, etc.. You’re doing a great job with those (I assume you’re the blogger/webmaster). We’re starting to use FB to but are new to that.
Blogs are a great way to inexpensively distribute historical pieces and get a wide audience.
Keep up the great word in Beachwood. I send in a friends request to the group.
Mike
Yep, content creator numero uno right here.
I find more than a few established local historical society people prefer to keep their history locked in vaults so people have to come to them, which is less and less frequent, rather than going to where they are and immediately in their homes and on demand at any given moment. The internet does a great job for us.
You’re also doing great here. I look forward to learning some ideas and methods from the work on Cecil County, and invite you to write me should you ever be looking for ideas yourself, either for the main site or Facebook/etc.
Best,
Erik
For sure and it is something we’re familiar with down this way. The world of historical data kept behind locked behind those walls are over and nonprofits are going to have to adjust to keep up the delivery.
After looking over your excellent photos we make sure we cruise through the area next time we’re visiting Monmouth, Point Pleasant, etc. Attractive images there.
Dear Mr Dixon,
I read the tragic article about the crash of Pan Am Flight 214 in 1963.
I am currently conducting a research about how lightning brought down this airliner for a project.
I have also read the crash report, that you have kindly posted online, it states that the exact mechanism of the lighting strike on the reserve fuel tank was inconclusive.
I shall be most grateful if you can provide me with some further information and pictures regarding this crash.
Thank you for your time.
Udendra
Pleased to help. I will exchange emails with you later today. Also interested in hearing about your research.
My family spent about 15 summers at Crystal Beach Manor starting around 1957. I have always wondered about the history of the old Manor Inn which still stands and is a bar and restaurant . If anyone has any info, I would love to hear from you.
I just read and greatly enjoyed your article on the old jail in Maryland Life magazine. I’m an English teacher in Harford County, and I’ve collected a lot of Harford County ghost stories over the years. Every year (just for fun) I take a group of kids and adults out to supposedly haunted sites and share the history of the places. However, some of the kids who have been coming since the first year are making it difficult for me to keep from repeating stories. Do you have any more good ghost stories from around Elkton or the Rt. 40 corridor? Thanks, and I’m sure you’ve seen this, but just in case…http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%20Disk3/Rome%20NY%20%20Roman%20Citizen/Rom
Thanks, Adam
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%20Disk3/Rome%20NY%20%20Roman%20Citizen/Rome%20NY%20Roman%20Citizen%201895%20-%201895%20a%20Grayscale.pdf/Rome%20NY%20Roman%20Citizen%201895%20-%201895%20a%20Grayscale%20-%200044.pdf
correct link – sorry
Thanks Adam. There are a number of buildings over this way with really strong, reliable reports. I’ll get you some material on those.
I just wanted to let you know… I found your blog today and look forward to reading it! I love Cecil County history and historical photos!
Mary. Thanks so much. It’s an interesting place with lots of history. Appreciate the feedback.
Hey! I just would like to give an enormous thumbs up for the good posts you have here. I will be coming again to your blog for more soon.
My family lived in Cecil County 200 years ago, and I have been researching the War of 1812 timeperiod.
There was a uniformed volunteer rifle regiment called the “Cecil County Greens”. (I assume their uniforms were green.) I would really like to know more about them.
During this time, the schools of Cecil county taught surveying. What exactly were the schools in the area? Where was surveying taught?
I would be happy to provide the references that support the above questions.
J Hutch give me that reference if you have it and I’ll see what I can dig up.
Here is a biography that I found that says that Cecil County had a school that taught surveying:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Z-gUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA89
It would be interesting to find out more about it.
Please send me your email address if possible, I need to attach a PDF with information regarding the War of 1812 uniformed volunteer regiment.
J. Hutch thanks for that info. I’ll take a look at the link and see if I can find anything on this end.
Mike,
I just found your blog and it is great! I am a county resident and have been a Realtor in Cecil County for 29 years and have a few blog sites. With your permission I would like the opportunity to re-blog your post in your recognition respectfully. You have put a lot of time and work into this site and I know there are a lot of people that would enjoy your blog.
I hope to hear from you,
Keith
Keith, thanks. Please feel free to share the posts and include a link back to the original article.
Glad to have stumbled onto your blog. I’ve been curious about a beach that my mother used to bring us to back in the early 1970’s that was somewhere in Cecil county. All I can remember that it was a nice sandy beach with a picnic pavilion … and they played music (I can still remember them playing the song “Band on the Run” by Paul McCartney, so that probably narrows it down to possibly 1973?) I don’t specifically recall any boat piers or cottages at the location, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t there.
Holloway Beach or Crystal Beach maybe?
Charlestown Manor Beach is on edgewater ave and is still open, from the stories ive heard it sounds exactly the way you are describing it.
Rick, thanks for sharing your info.
Hello All,
I am contacting you to inform you about an event the Upper Bay Museum, North East, MD, is hosting a dinner benefit to honor their past founders and supporters Nick DeMond, Stewart DeMond, Gene Howell, and Allan Purner. As you may know, the museum has been preserving the life style of our local heritage since 1975. I was hoping you would be interested in writing an article about these men and their contributions to the community.
The Upper Bay Museum hosts, ” A Night on the Town” a fine dinner/auction/dance at the North East Banquet Hall (VFW) on May 19th to honor past founders and supporters Nick DeMond, Stewart DeMond, Gene Howell, and Allan Purner.
5:00 P.M Cocktail hour begins.
$20 ahead of time $30 at the door.
Questions? info@upperbaymuseum.org
Thank you for your time,
Nichole B. Gillis
Secretary of the Upper Bay Museum
Nichole, thanks for letting us know about the event. We’ve moved your mesasge to the front of the blog, so it’ll be seen more readily. Keep up the good work in preserving the heritage of the areas watermen and hunters. Anytime you have a press release please forward it, and we’ll get it up.
Mike,
I am not sure if you could help me find some info about the house i just bought. All i really know is the house is in the book “At The Head Of the Bay” If you could lead me in the right direction on were i should look for info that would be great thank you kate
kate, a few ideas for you. By-the-way, you should be able to find information. Google up the Maryland Historical Trust. They have PDFs of the more detailed files that supported the brief entries for the book. ONce you get to the Historical Trust page, looking for registry of historical properties and you will be able to look up the data behind your property. Also in a couple of months we are going to have a workshop on researching an old house. Try to make that. We’ll have an announcement on the blog about the date shortly.
Thank you for operating this site. My wife and I just moved to Cecil County a couple months ago and your site has really helped us appreciate it’s history. We do have a question related to our address: Doctor Jack Road. Do you know for whom this road was named? Forgive me if I overlooked an article which already covers this: we’re at a loss on its history. Thanks!
My pleasure Mike and I’m glad you and your wife are enjoying the Cecil County history posts. Cecil has a really rich history to be explored and appreciated and I try to share a little of it in these posts. The road was named after Dr. Jack, a physician in the area, some 100 years ago. Let me pull up some material on him this week and I’ll do a little post at some point. Thanks for reading the blog.
Also Mike you might enjoy the Delmarva History Facebook Group, an open page. As these platforms evolve, Facebook has made it much easier to share some types of materials, particularly photographs. So lots more photos of Cecil and the entire Delmarva region get posted there, since it is so easy to share images on that social media outlet. Here’s the link https://www.facebook.com/delmarvahistory?ref=hl
Mike, good to know! I would be very interested in what you find. Thanks!
Just checking – Did you have a chance to research info on Doctor Jack who has a road named after him in Port Deposit/Conowingo. I tried searching but wasn’t able to find anything.
Thank you!
Hi Mike, I am working on a paper for a college course and am focusing on the history of Elkton and in particular your view on the impact a community’s history and preserving it can have on a town’s culture. If you would be willing to answer a few questions for me via email that would be great! If you could tell me how to reach you I would appreciate it!
Jess, sure I’d be glad to help. Just email me at questions@cecilhistory.org or hit the email link on the website.
Love history, especially from my own county
History if the naming of Dr. Jack Road, Cecil County
Hello…My name is Anne Held Rivera and I am doing research on my parents history (of which I have very little). I did find in my mothers bible….that my parents were married in Elkton, Maryland on June 1952. How can I find more information on this?
Anne this article will give you a little history about Elkton’s role as a place for quick marriage. Thousands and thousands of young people came here to marry.
https://cecilcountyhistory.com/talk-explores-how-elkton-became-the-elopement-capital-of-the-east/
Anne also the Historical Society has copies of many of the marriage licenses. They are working to organize them as the collection is extensive. Here’s a Facebook post about the work Dorothy Schwemmer is doing to try to make them available. If you email the Society, she will try to help you. Be as specific as possible, especially with the dates and names as there are so many. https://www.facebook.com/pg/cecilcountyhistory/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2320161658248748
The email address is questions@cecilhistory.org
I’m a 8th grader at Tome School. I am working on a Nationnal History Day project. I am hoping to do a project on the Suffragettes in Cecil county.. I found an article titled “General Jones and the Suffragettes Occupy Cecil County.” Published March 20, 2015.
I am hoping that you might be able to help me find the sources that you used to writhe this article.
I am also hoping that you might point me in the right direction for other sources.
Most of the information came out of newspapers. The site that’s most helpful for that is http://www.newspapers.com as the Philadelphia and Wilmington papers gave it a great amount of coverage. But also check the Libary of Congress site for newspapers at http://www.chroniclingamericaloc.gov. They have the Cecil Whig for those years.
Mike, I have the Original 1941 Annual Report of Helen I.Smith, Home Demonstration Agent, Cecil County, Maryland. This item is the complete 155 page document, which includes newspaper clippings, patterns, sketches, photographs and documentation of all events assocated within that year.
I am looking to sell this, as I am not a native to the area and I believe someone else might better apprecate this document.
I was hoping you might have some thoughtson the topic. Thank you in advance.
Marble, what a great little thing to have. Does it have many photos? Is it more like a scarpbook or was it a published item? thanks for letting me know.
I spent summers in Crystal Beach Manor on the 60’s May I ask if you have photos of the arcade and snack shop?
Violet, I believe we do. I’ll check and post, if so.
Dear Mike: Enjoyed some of your research! Great stuff!
My family has an oral tradition that our Grandfather, Grover Miller from Baltimore, worked on the Conowingo Dam, as a young man.
All of his generation is unfortunately now gone, but we’d like to verify this.
Is there a source (I might have missed it in your research websites) that lists all the workers?
Many thanks for any leads…much appreciated…Mark Lidinsky
Mark, there isn’t a comprehensive list of the workers. But that sure would be interesting to have. YOu might want to search the newspapers as the names of the workers sometimes show up there. There’s http://www.chroniclingamerica.loc.gov the free LIbrary of Congress website, which is text searchable. And if you have an Enoch Pratt Library Card you are able to search the Baltmore Sun. I wish we had more oral histories from that era. Good luck with your research and thanks for following the blog.
Hello my name is, Kevin, I went to George Washington Carver n lived on Collins St. Is there any way I can get a copy of the houses that built on Collins St.
Also, who built G Washington Carver n why isn’t it a historic building that should have been preserved for students n kids in the area?
Kevin, are you looking for a photo of Collins Street. As for the School, that’s a good question. Have you beeing following what’s happening with Bishop Levi Coppin School in Cecilton. There’s a push on to save that one now as a developer had planned to demolish it.
Do you have any information on Cecilton especially in the black community,my name is Ranae Henry.
Mike, I have a box of The Upper Shoreman from 60’s and 70’s. Would you be interested? I’m clearing house. I might also have other volumes of Maryland history.
Susan, I’ll give you a call.
Thanks Susan.
i just stumbled on this site, My mother was born in Perry Point and as a child my grandparents lived in Rising Sun. My mom’s uncle by marrrage was Charles Ritchie he owned Ritchie Motors in Rising Sun. As a child I can remember going the Firemans Carnival that was held I believe behind Rising Sun High School. Lots of memories of Cecil County.
Thanks, David for visiting the site and sharing your memories.
Mike,
You’re quite welcome. If this is all your work, your doing an unbelievable job. I found your site when I was looking for info on Dr. Johnson. I was raised in Elkton, until the age of 17, when my parents moved to Newark in August 1963 so that I could attend the UD. My mother, Janet M. Johnson, had been the Vice-Principal of Elkton Junior High and later a guidance counselor at North East HS; while my dad, Theodore L. Johnson, worked at Maryland Cork. Elkton was indeed a wonderful place to grow up.
Thanks David, and thanks for sharing your memories.
Hello
I am Paula Alders from the Netherlands. I,m looking for my family.
Franscisus,,, J frans Muller sr.. age . 80
? His wife Patricia A Muller passed away 10 april 2018. His son Franciscus J Muller. Age 60 .
Frank sr has 2 brothers in The Netherlands. Tonny en Louis Muller. His dad was Hermann Muller en he lived in Vlissingen. I am de granddaughter of Hermann Muller.
Frans en Patricia lived afther his retirement in Chesapeake Bay.
Hopefully i can find my family.
Gr Paula
Hi, Mike!
I saw above you said you were friends with the owner. I was wondering if you would be able to help me get in contact with the owners of Crystal Beach? I grew up on the public beach and some of my best memories are on this beach. I recently started coming back making even more cherished memories with my son. I would like to support the beach and plan a beach clean up BBQ Labor Day weekend. As one of the best things about this beach is it’s small community and isn’t the busyness or traffic of the bigger beaches. However, I know that also means that’s lower funds. I would like to plan a beach clean up and swim day. Guests will be encouraged to fill one bag of trash and/or debri and supplied trash bags, gloves and a bottle of hand sanitizer. I would like to sell t shirts and donate 20% of the profit to the beach. Can you help?
Amanda, I don’t have a contact down there anymore. But let me ask around. You might want to call the Beach House, the restaurant, and check with them.
Mike. I just recently came across your blog article on the Cecil County Agricultural Fair. The postcard from 1893 is great! Where did you get it?
I am currently researching “outlaw (that is, not Jockey Club approved) racing” in Elkton during the period 1895-1898. My grandfather, James E. “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons (later a Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer of two Triple Crown winners), was a jockey, owner and trainer at the various outlaw tracks in Elkton during this period. My uncle, George Fitzsimmons, was born there in Elkton, in September of 1897, since my grandmother travelled with my grandfather wherever there was racing going on.
Have you looked into this at all?
Bill, I haven’t looked into that, but I’ve seen references to the racetracks when reading the old newspapers over the decades. YOu’re probably using the digitized newspapers as those will make your research a lot easier these days. I started acquiring local postcards and ephemera when I was a teen and just kept it up for a long, long time. Mostly I’ve eased off that in recent years as so much is digitally available from libraries and heritage groups. Before this, I’d think I’ll never see that image again if I don’t buy it. You subject is fascianting.
I have just had a story published online in The Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, entitled “My Grandfather, The Outlaw” dealing with the “outlaw racetracks” in Elkton, MD, and my grandfather’s start as a trainer on his way to training two Triple Crown winners in the 1930s.
Bill, is it available online? We would enjoy seeing it.
Mike,
Tim Smith here.
I accidentally “unfollowed” this blog while trying to clean up my WordPress page.
Can you re-instate me?
Thanks
Tim
Fixed Tim. Thanks for following the Cecil County History Blog.
I’m looking for photos of Schaefer’s Market from the 1960s or 1970s when Frank Bristow (the butcher) worked there. I have a photo of him that Lee Collins shot during Hurricane Hazel. Wonder if any other photos of the market itself are available.
Hello Mike,
I’ve been searching for an old photograph of the house that once stood on “Rockland Farm”. This is located off Frank Brown Road and is next to Mount Ararat Farm. The house that once stood there was built in the 1780’s by my 5th great grandfather, Philip Thomas. It was his daughter, Catherine who married George Davidson and they built the house at Mount Ararat.
The house at “Rockland” was subsequently owned by the Constable family and then by William Steele. Steele had a long gray beard and was a very distinguished gentleman and well-known in the county. He drove a horse and buggy even when everyone else was beginning to drive cars.
The house apparently survived until the 1950’s when it was torn down. It would be great if I could locate a photo of that house.
Thanks!
Phil, have you checked with the Historical Society to see if they have anything? They have thousands of county photographs. The email is cecilhistory@gmail.com
Mike: My family lived in the village at Perry Point from around 1956 until 1979–was looking for some pictures of the village from that era. We lived on Avenue A looking out over the Susquehanna. great memories.
I came across a wedding photo of Cecil Kirk and Alice Louise Davis June 11 1901. I would love to get this photo to a family member.
Any help is appreciated
Thanks Lisa
Lisa was it on the blog? If so, feel free to download it and use it. I think Sally had the original.