Victorian Tea on Sept. 8th Cancelled

The Victorian Tea on September 8th is cancelled.

Book Signing for Haunted Maryland on Sept. 8

On Saturday, Sept. 8, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Society will host the first book signing and public event associated with the release of Haunted Maryland: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Old Line State, by local author Ed Okonowicz. This latest volume of regional folklore by the award-winning author and folklorist was released in August by Stackpole Books of Mechanicsburg, PA., and it includes legends, superstitions, history and strange tales associated with Maryland’s historic heritage. Since before the Revolution, through the Civil War era and into modern times, Maryland has been the historic center of the nation. In this informative and entertaining book, learn about the famous people and other Old Line State residents with eerie tales to tell.

According to Okonowicz, “A number of local, Cecil County stories, are included in the new book, but every county of the state is represented. I’m sure readers will find a wealth of fascinating lore associated with the state’s significant historical heritage and, once again, the link between legends and history is apparent in nearly every entertaining and eerie tale.” His new book, Annapolis GHOSTS: History, Mystery, Legends and Lore, also will be on sale and be part of the discussion.

Ed will present a talk at 11 a.m. about the research he conducted and his experiences writing the book. After that, he will be available to sign copies of the book, which are being offered as a fundraiser through the HSCC. Haunted Maryland lists for $9.95 and Annapolis Ghosts for $11.95. There is a discount for members.

KI Lecture Cancelled - Wed, Aug 22

The lecture on canning on Delmarva is cancelled for Wednesday, August 22. All others continue as planned.

KI Lecture Series Kicks Off

The Key Ingredients lecture series kicked off Wednesday evening with a fascinating lecture called "Before the Age of Acme" by Dr. Constance Cooper, the manuscript librarian at the Historical Society of Delaware. Dr. Cooper outlined what it was like to shop for food in the era before supermarkets and convenience stores replaced corner stores and she provided the audience with a fun look back at the history of food shopping. Once the slide-illustrated talk was over, the audience had plenty of questions for her about how food shopping, preparation, and service habits have changed over the centuries.You won’t want to miss the other upcoming talks in this series, which all take place at 7:00 p.m. on the designated date at the Society, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton:

• Wednesday Aug 22 at 7:00 p.m. Ed Kee presents a lecture on "Saving Our Harvest," the story of the Mid-Atlantic's canning and freezing industry
• Monday, August 27 -- 'Building Houses out of Chicken Legs – Black Women, Food & Power” is the subject by Dr. Psyche Williams Forson. Using a receipe of scholarly analysis, personal interviews, film advertisments, cookbooks and literature, Williams-Forsythe examines the role of the chicken in African American Life, paying special attention to the connection between chickens and African-American Women. From slavery to the present, families have been fed with chickens raised by these women, who have made their livings cooking and serving in houses, resturants, on the roadside, at the harbor and in churches.
• Wednesday, Sept. 5 -- Dr. Cooper returns for a talk on the "The Delmarva Peach Industry."
• Wednesday, Sept. 12 -- A talk on Growing Heirloom Vegetables by Heather Morrisey, a history and how to guide for growing heirloom vegetables.
  

Key Ingredients: America by Food, has been made possible by the Maryland Humanities Council. Key Ingredients is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Federation of State Humanities Councils. These lectures are also underwitten by a grant from the Maryland Humanities Council.

A Night on the Town - Key Ingredients Exhibit Opening Video Blog

We've posted a videocast of the Key Ingredients Exhibit Opening, an evening when the shops, galleries, and restaurants of downtown Elkton filled with patrons as folks came to the county seat to celebrate the arrival of the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit. Conducted locally in cooperation with the Arts Council, the exhibit was made possible by the Maryland Humanities Council. In addition to the larger file, there's a smaller flash visual for those with slower connections. Click here to go to the media page. When the video screen comes up, hit "loop all" to star

Congratulations to Photo Contest Winners

The Society congratulates the winner of the photo contest. First place was won by an entry submitted by Laurene K. Poole; 2nd place by Rich McNeil; and 3rd place by Amanda Butler.

A Night on the Town

On a very comfortable August evening, a great crowd turned out to help the Society welcome the Smithsonian Key Ingredients Exhibit to town. People filled the Society, as great music flowed, and shop owners and restaurants stayed open in the business district to welcome visitors downtown. If you didn't make it this evening, you missed a wonderful opening, but the exhibit and programming will continue through Sept. We'll blog a little more on this in the days ahead, but we were so excited with the pleasant evening, the heart of the old town filling with strollers enjoying the county seats ambiance and entertainment, that we wanted to get something up on the blog quickly.

Generosity of the late Albert Moore Benefits Society

The Historical Society was one of many benefactors of the estate of Albert V. Moore who passed away on December 5, 2005, at the age of 92. Mr. Moore was born in Providence in 1913. As a young man he worked for the Providence Paper Mill and then at the William duPont estate at Fair Hill before eventually retiring from the University of Delaware. Cecil’s history was important to him and having lived through much of the 20th century he knew a great deal about the area’s past. The bequest of this friend of the Society and long-time member is greatly appreciated for it will enable us to do more vital work as the county’s heritage keepers, something that was significant to Mr. Moore. In a largely volunteer organization that raises most of its money through donations from members and fundraising efforts by volunteers, Mr. Moore’s nearly $8,000 bequest allows us to accomplish tasks that would not have been possible if Mr. Moore had not remembered the organization in his will. In this photo, he is shown with his wife Ruth, who passed away away a few years earlier.

Key Ingredients Exhibit Opens Friday Evening

“Key Ingredients: America by Food" a traveling Smithsonian exhibit that is making a tour across the nation, opens this Friday evening in Elkton. The show and associated programs, which are being sponsored locally by the Historical Society of Cecil County and the Arts Council, explores the connections between Americans and the foods they produce, prepare, preserve and present at the table.

The opening reception runs from 4pm to 7pm at 135 E. Main Street in Elkton, home of the Historical Society. In addition to the Smithsonian exhibit highlighting the evolution of American cuisine from food gathering by Native Americans to today’s home cooking techniques, the story is also told through a Society curated exhibit containing county photographs, illustrations, artifacts and an interactive computer station. The reception features refreshments and live music by Soul Oh.

As Cecil digs into this exhibit, area restaurants and merchants are joining in with a taste loop in Elkton. Nearly twelve downtown businesses will stay open and at each location patrons will be offered beer and food. There is a nominal charge at each place (approximately $2 to $4). The taste loop kicks off at 135 E. Main Street, where a $2 cup is purchased. A map detailing the business locations that are open for the evening will also be available.

Food service enterprises participating in this exciting evening are: Bentleys, Elkton Diner, the Howard House, the Grist Mill, Judy’s Java, Main Street Café, Union Hospital Café, and the Wellwood Club

Key Ingredients: America by Food, has been made possible in Cecil County by the Maryland Humanities Council. Key Ingredients is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Hearst Foundation.

For a full schedule of events for the remainder of the exhibit, which runs through September 22, visit the Society’s web site at http://www.cchistory.org/news/ingredeints.htm.

Final Call for Photo Contest Entries

The Society is pleased to invite all photographers, including amateur and expert (and any level in between), to participate in an open photography show, “From Cultivation to Culinary Delights: Interpretive Photographs of Food in Cecil County.” The photographer is free to interpret food in Cecil County in any form – agriculture, harvesting, cooking, business, and industry (such as grocery stores, restaurants) – through photography. The photographs will be displayed at the Elkton Alliance, 101 East Main Street, from August 10 through September 22, 2007. The following rules apply for all entries: (1) the photographer may submit only one photograph for the show; (2) the photograph must be taken of an image located in Cecil County, MD; (3) the photographer must submit

two original prints of the one photograph [one print will be hung in the exhibit and one print will become part of the permanent collection of the Historical Society of Cecil County]; (4) the photographer may use any medium of photography, including digital enhancements to an existing photograph; (5) the photographer may write a short description of, or inspiration for their photograph (not required, but suggested); and (6) the photograph must be submitted not later than August 9, 2007 to the Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921. All entries will be judged and prizes will be awarded.

The photography show is co-sponsored by the Historical Society of Cecil County and the Cecil County Arts Council and is being held in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s “Key Ingredients: America by Food,” a traveling exhibition that examines regional food, at the Elkton Arts Center from August 10 through September 22, 2007.

The first prize is $300 cash and the second prize is $100 gift certificate to Bentley's Restaurant. The third prize is a joint membership to the sponsoring organizations. The prizes are underwritten by Jodlbauer's Furniture Elkton.