Originally published in the Cecil Whig
It’s January, 1960. Ike began his last year in the White House. The presidential election between Kennedy and Nixon was 10 months away. Francis Gary Powers was still an unknown Air Force high altitude pilot, 4 months away from his fateful flight over the then Soviet Union. A new 50 star flag, representing Hawaii, won’t be unfurled for another 6 months. The Beatles first public performance is still 7 months away and Chubby Checker’s “Twist” won’t hit number one for another 8 months. Still, there was a lot going on in Cecil County, Maryland the first week of 1960.
A review of both the Cecil Whig and the Cecil Democrat for the first week in January reveal that the A&P grocery store is selling chuck roast for 39 cents per pound, jumbo shrimp for 89 cents per pound, two dozen eggs for 89 cents, and a one pound tin of coffee for 75 cents. Used cars are on sale at Rand Chevrolet in Elkton. A slightly used 1957 Chevy, complete with a V8 engine, white wall tires, , radio, heater, and a continental rear spare tire for just $1695! A one way Trailways bus ticket from Elkton to New York cost $4.55, while a ticket to Boston cost $10.95. The Elkton Diner and Bus Cafeteria on route 40 served as the bus terminal in 1960.
The Elk Theatre was showing “The FBI Story” starring James Steward and Vera Miles. Over at the Sun, “The Mating Game” starring Debbie Reynolds and Tony Randall was showing along with “The First Man into Space.” No stars listed there. And the North East Theatre showed Andy Griffith’s “Onion Head” and Gigantis, The Fire Monster” in their air conditioned auditorium.
Not sure what was popular on Television in Cecil County the first week in January, but Art Linkletter’s “House Party” was about to become a whole lot more popular as former Perryville resident, Charles Rutledge was scheduled to appear on the show that Friday. Rutledge was known for his “25 cases of antiques, most of which is ancient washday equipment and other household devices.”
Even in 1960 folks were worried about their health. An article in the Democrat quoted Dr. Harold B. Plummer, the president of the heart association of the Upper Eastern Shore, about heart health. He noted “that the women of the nation can play an important role in safeguarding the health and hearts of their husbands.” Dr. Plummer pointed “out that the breadwinner is more vulnerable to heart diseases” and offered 7 New Year’s resolutions “to help their husbands to a happy and healthy 1960.” Among the resolutions: see a doctor if symptoms of heart disease occur, serve healthy food, get plenty of rest, and “do all within my power to let him enjoy peace of mind and to help him avoid tensions and anxieties.” To be fair, Dr. Plummer also applies “all of these rules to (women), maintaining the good health and good spirits that are so vital in my job as wife and mother.”
Speaking of health, the first baby born in Cecil County in 1960 was Frank John Wiggins, Jr, the son of Frank senior and Peggy Wiggins of Elkton. Maybe someday the Wiggins would live in a housing development announced by Gordy Enterprises, Inc., of New Castle, Delaware. Called “Elk Hills Park” the 1000 unit suburban complex was to be located “near Normira, about one-half mile south-east of (Elkton) to the left of Delaware Avenue extended, known as Old Route 7.”
Over in Port Deposit, members of the Tome Memorial Methodist Church were celebrating the 175th anniversary of the organization of the Methodist Church in America. The celebration at Tome was mirrored at other Methodist churches in the region.
Historic locations of another nature were in the news that first January in 1960, including a project to restore the Mason-Dixon markers in preparation for their 200th anniversary in 1963. According to the article in the Democrat, a survey in 1950 revealed “many (of the markers) had deteriorated, especially the original five-mile ‘crown stones’ carved in England with Penn and Calvert arms on either side.”
A boundary of a different sort, the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was due to officially receive a new span later in January when the new Summit Bridge would open with much fanfare. Featured speaker would be Lt. General E.C. Itschner, chief of engineers, U.S. Army. Also scheduled to attend the dedication of the 450 foot, $7.5 million structure were both Delaware U.S. Senators: John Williams and J. Allen Frear, Jr., along with Governor (and future Senator) J. Caleb Boggs.
Meanwhile, the Democrat reported that there was “evidence of a ‘get tough’ policy toward violations by ships in the (canal)… when a British steamship was fined $750 for dumping scrap lumber in the Chesapeake Bay end of the waterway.”
Water, in this case, sewage water, was on the minds of the Elkton town council as “bids totaling just a shade over $1 million for Elkton’s sewage treatment plant and intercepting sewer system were opened.” James Julian Construction offered the low bid of just over $100,000 for the intercepting sewer system and Baylor Construction Corporation offered the low bid for the sewage treatment plant itself at just over $900,000.
On a much more serious note, the Cecil Whig reported on the first traffic fatalities of 1960. A New York couple was killed on January 2nd when they walked in front of a car driven by a man from Canada along route 40, about a mile west of Elkton. Rain and slippery road conditions contributed to the cause of the double fatality accident.
Finally, the Whig ignited what would become a month long feud with its competitor, the Democrat, when it ran an editorial titled “Teachers Pay.” In it the Whig editors noted that Maryland ranks sixth among the fifty states in teacher salaries. Pennsylvania ranked 16th and Delaware 8th. Quoting the National Education Association, the Whig reported “the average teacher’s classroom salary in all the 50 states and District of Columbia is $5,025 per year. Maryland’s average is $5,655.” The editorial concluded with the following observation, “in view of the above, consideration of an increase for teachers this year should be carefully studied. Increases based on merit and length of service for teachers should receive priority in any consideration.”
Three weeks later, as a part of a series of editorials on teacher salaries, the Democrat wrote, “sure, teachers should be dedicated public servants, willing to sacrifice for the ideal of teaching youngsters Latin, solid geometry, and physics. But we shouldn’t take advantage of their dedication and pay them less than we should just to keep our tax rates down.”
And so it went. And so it goes.
That’s a snapshot of what was happening in Cecil County, Maryland the first week in January, 1960. The Historical Society of Cecil County’s exhibit “A Change is Gonna Come” about all of the 1960s continues at the society through April. Of course you can also find information on the 1860s, 1760s, even the 1660s and everything in between at the Historical Society of Cecil County. See our web site at www.cecilhistory.org for more information.