Female Spies of the American Revolution by Beth Boulden Moore Female Spies of the American Revolution While Cecil County didn’t have any famous female spies (that we know of!) the county certainly benefited from their work. During the Revolutionary War, both the British and the Continental Armies used spies. Women were often able to access [...]
On our Facebook page we have been profiling Cecil County patriots. For the most part, colonial Cecil Countians were in support of the Patriot cause. There were, however, a few exceptions. Here are some Cecil County residents who were not in favor of the Patriot Cause. Robert Alexander - Probably the best known loyalist, Alexander [...]
Colonel Nathaniel and Margaret Jane (Jenny) Peale Ramsey Nathaniel Ramsey was born in Lancaster, PA. He moved to Charlestown, Maryland in 1767 to practice law. He married Margaret Jane Peale in 1771. Margaret Jane Peale was the sister of Charles Willson Peale, the famed portrait artist who captured the likenesses of many crucial historical figures. [...]
Two important Elkton organizations began in the 1880s. The Elkton Cornet Band began in the 1880s. It was formed by local blacksmiths John, Rube, and Jess Dunbar. Around the same time, the Singerly Fire Company was organized. Each group had difficulty putting on a worthy show when marching alone. Their lack of men and equipment [...]
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the historical society has been researching Revolutionary War soldiers from Cecil County. Follow along with us on our Facebook page and learn about the bravery of our fellow Cecil Countians! Some disclaimers: We will be presenting these short, short bios in alphabetical order. [...]
During the American Revolution, Maryland earned the nickname “The Old Line State” - but how? How did Maryland earn this name? In August 1776, a group of soldiers—the Maryland 400—helped hold back the British Army at the Battle of Brooklyn, also known as the Battle of Long Island, allowing the rest of the Americans to [...]
Head of Elk: Our County Seat Since 1786 Cecil County was founded in 1674, and for almost 20 years the colonial county did not have a courthouse. In 1692, Jamestown on the Sassafras River was chosen. No courthouse was built and in 1719 the courthouse was moved to Courthouse Point on the Elk River. A [...]
After attending the historic baseball national championship on September 20 and 21, we thought we would share the information we found while researching “local boys who made good”. We are presenting these men in chronological order, beginning with Alva “Al” Burris. Five of these men are presented here and the four most recent will be [...]
After Cecil County’s county seat had been at Jamestown on the Sassafras River and at Courthouse Point on the Elk River, the citizens decided it was time to move the seat of justice. At the November 1781 session of the court, it was decided to hold an election to choose the new county seat. At [...]
As the county became more populated, residents spread out in Cecil County. The public needed a more centrally located spot for its courthouse. The land at Courthouse Point was chosen for this reason, along with its accessibility by water. In August of 1717, land owner Colonel Ephraim Augustine Herman was “allowed 300 pounds of tobacco [...]
The first courthouses of Colonial Maryland, including Cecil County, met in the homes of private citizens and in public houses. After Cecil County was founded in 1674, it took almost 20 years for the county to build its first courthouse. According to the Maryland State Archives, the first building was said to have been built [...]
In a recent donation to the Historical Society of Cecil County, we received a medal from the “Cecil County Girls’ Winter Carnival 1931”. On the front of the medal was a female, dressed in knee-length pants throwing a ball. No information about this medal was included with the donation, so research was needed! A Google [...]
Last week, our blog post was about the digital resources that the historical society has available here in our research library. All of our digital records are only accessible in person on our computers. When you find a record or some other item you wish to save, all you need to do is save it to the [...]
Have you ever wondered what other resources, besides books, are available to researchers at the historical society? Whether you are researching family history, or locations in Cecil County, or events in Cecil County, the historical society is here with many resources available. All of our digital records are only accessible in person on our computers. [...]
“Decoration Day” in 1896 As we get ready to celebrate Memorial Day here in Cecil County, in 1896 the country was getting ready to celebrate “Decoration Day”. According to History.com, after the Civil War, “By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating [...]
During this last week of National Poetry Month, this week’s post is about a well-known minister and his poetry, The Reverend William Duke This biography and poem are from The Poets and Poetry of Cecil County, Maryland Collected and Edited by George Johnston (Author of The History of Cecil County) Rev. William Duke The Rev. William [...]
The Cecil Whig, Cecil County’s only newspaper, has been published since 1841. Since then, it’s been a source of local news, sports, and entertainment. What most people don’t know is that in its early days, the Whig also published poetry in each issue up until the late 1800s. Some of the poems published were from [...]
FANNIE MAE SALTER 1882 - 1966 Fannie Mae was born in 1882 in Mathews County, Virginia. She married Clarence Walter “Harry” Salter. They had 3 children. The Salters moved to Turkey Point in 1922 so Clarence could assume his duties as the new keeper. Three years later in February 1925, Clarence died from complications following [...]
Georgiana Brumfield 1849 - 1934 The third female lightkeeper was Georgiana S. Brumfield (nee Crouch), John and Rebecca Crouch’s daughter. She was born to parents John and Rebecca Crouch in 1849 in Cecil County. Georgiana moved to Turkey Point Lighthouse at the age of 16 with her parents when her father first took over as [...]
Rebecca Crouch 1825 - 1895 Rebecca Louisa Sherwood Crouch was born November 17, 1825 in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1840, she married John M. Crouch of Cecil County, MD. John Crouch is listed as the constable for the 5th District in Cecil County, Maryland in 1853. From 1865 to 1873 Crouch was appointed Principal Lighthouse Keeper [...]
