Originally published in the Cecil Whig
Another under utilized, but highly valuable research tool at the Historical Society of Cecil County is the Elkton Town Council Minute books. These bound documents reveal the activities of the Elkton Town government between 1867 and 1952. Like the Naturalization books discussed last week, the Elkton Town Minutes books are in varying degrees of condition from perfectly fine, to crumbling around the edges. However, their content reveals a wealth of information about the town and its people.
For example, for the genealogist, each regular town council meeting listed that month’s expenses including the work, who did it, and the compensation. So, during the late 19th century a Civil War researcher might peruse the minutes and find that one Pervin Wilson worked for the town of Elkton hauling street materials such as stone, gravel, and brick. The minutes also note that Mr. Wilson was paid between one and $5 per job. Private Cyrus “Pervin” Wilson, an Elkton native, was a member of Company “H” of the 28th Regiment United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. This type of material about Private Wilson’s civilian life, rounds out his story and tells us something about the life of an African American entrepreneur living and working in Cecil County.
The Elkton Town minutes also open up a world from the past that we can only vaguely recognize. That world includes elections, compensation for work done, town purchases, and even controversy. For example, if we open the volume including the months of June and July of 1929, just months prior to the stock market crash and the Great Depression, we’ll note a snapshot of local activity including the election of Taylor McKenney as council president with 473 votes, besting 2 competitors. Re-elected on June 5th, 1929 was Police Chief George Potts who was paid a salary of $60 per week while his “Special Officers” were paid $25 and $7 per week respectively. As a comparison, the town truck driver and his helper were each paid $42 per week. This at a time when the town’s check book showed a balance of $4500 and a new tax rate of 85 cents per $100 valuation. Times have changed!
Meanwhile, the hot button item in Elkton that summer of 1929 centered around the Atlantic Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) proposal to lay new conduit pipes to carry its wires under several town streets. Objections were raised saying it would be “a great mistake to tear up the hard streets,” and “it would be next to impossible to restore them to their present condition.” As a result, Elkton Town Council suggested $2000 in compensation for possible damage.
Negotiations continued over the course of 3 special town meetings during which council proposed compensation of $1500 for work to be done on Howard, South, and High Streets as well as Bell Lane and $2500 compensation for work on Delaware Avenue, Main Street, and Locust Street to High. AT&T rejected that proposal too.
Finally, on July 10th a compromise was reached when AT&T agreed to repair any and all streets disrupted by this conduit work at its own expense. In addition, AT&T would post a $20,000 bond “against public liability as well as property damage,” and pay a street inspector $7 per day to make sure all repair work was done to the town’s expectations.
Proving that it could multi task, although it wasn’t called that then, Town Council also purchased a 1 ½ ton Chevy truck and cab for $701 from Elkton Auto Sales Corporation with the choice of 3 dump bodies at a cost ranging from $175 and $185 each. Lettering was included in the price.
Elkton Town Council did not shy away from addressing constituent complaints. On October 2, 1929, Council was informed of “excessive blowing of locomotive whistles,” within the town. As a result, “a recommendation was made that no whistles be blown between Bridge Street and North Street.” And just to show it meant business, council passed an order “that the Pennsylvania Rail Road be notified that corrective measures must be taken immediately, or the Board would take legal steps to force an abatement of this nuisance.”
For more information on the Elkton Town minutes and any other resource available through the Historical Society of Cecil County, please contact us through our web site at www.cecilhistory.org