New Title Images of America Now Available at the Society

The new title, Images of America - Cecil County, has arrived and copies may now be purchased at the Society bookstore. Stop by and get your copy of Milt's excellent work soon or order it online. The links below will take you to the advertisement for the title and our online order form.

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Advance Copy of Images of America - Cecil County Has Arrived

We’ve had the opportunity to see a copy of the new title, Images of America – Cecil County, by the editor of our journal Milt Diggins. People who have glanced at this advance copy have offered many favorable comments about this volume, which is filled with images of people, places, and events. We expect it to arrive in our gift shop in the next week or so and we’ll put a notice up on the blog when it arrives. If you are seeking an enjoyable window to Cecil’s past, this is a title you will want to purchase.

Members buying the book from the Society receive a discount. This outstanding works adds greatly to the body of leisure and research literature about our county and we congratulate Milt on this fine accomplishment.

We will have a book signing at the Society on Saturday, July 12 from 1 to 3 p.m., but the book will be available in our gift shop as soon as the copies arrive. Click here to go the Society's advertisement for the book.

You may purchase the book online or by visiting the Society. To go to the online order form click here.

Online Membership Payment System Now Available

The Society now takes online payments for membership through Paypal. If you are not enrolled in that online processing system, you may still use your credit card on the secure site.

Drumming legend Bernard “Pretty” Purdie Brings It Home

No one needed to call for a drum roll at Edge Entertainment on Bridge Street in Elkton Saturday evening for the R & B luminary, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie. A host of talented percussionist from Cecil County Schools, as well as others, took care of that as they laid down some solid grooves of their own and warmed up the crowd for the 65-year-old. By the time the legendary hometown musician who has played with practically all the heavy hitters, including Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown, took the stage, this group of fine young musicians had everyone grooving to the rhythm.

When he took center stage, he flashed his trade mark grin as he started charming the crowd. After a few remarks he began pounding out the Purdie Shuffle, his signature technique. It was great to see the delight on the face of the highly respected musician who has played in giant concerts and performed in recording sessions for the major labels, as he performed for an appreciative hometown audience on the "welcome home tour."

In a part of the program called Bernard “Up Close and Personal,” he talked about his formative years in Elkton. He had musical talent at an early age and Mr. Leonard Haywood, his music teacher at George Washington Carver School, took an interest in helping him. Over time, Mr. Haywood, who played in the Clyde Bessick’s Orchestra, started taking the teen with him on gigs. Sometimes when the teacher needed a nap, Bernard joined the orchestra for the second-half of the show. In 1960, he moved to New York and his career really took off after that. As a delightful evening came to a close, "the worlds most recorded drummer" was surrounded by people seeking autographs, a chance for some conversation, and a handshake.

Over the past couple of years Ed Dennis, a writer, has been in touch with the Society as he researched and wrote a book about the performer. That book will be out soon and about one-third of it has to do with his life in Elkton, Bernard said. The Society is excited about this forthcoming biography and we eagerly look forward to its release.

At the show we ran into Rob Churnside, a local folk singer, who has written some great pieces about local personalities. He mentioned that he’s just written a song about Elkton’s famous musician and he showed us the lyrics. We’ll look forward to hearing that tune sometime in the near future.

It was a pleasure to see Bernard Pretty Purdie at this show and we thank Bobby D and Rhythmland Drum Center on Main Street in Elkton for making this coming home show possible.

Saying So Long to the Mayor of Main Street

Wednesday evening, as gusty spring winds swept Elkton, I attended Tony Trotta’s viewing at Hicks Funeral Home. Born four years before young men from Cecil County marched off to fight in World War I, the popular 95-year-old passed away Monday. Later that night as I drove past his place on Main Street, the shop was dark except for two light bulbs softly illuminating a mirror, the chair in the big window where he sat waving at passersby was empty, the red and white barber pole wasn't revolving, and the closed sign informed everyone that the barber would not be in again. As I gazed out my car window on this unseasonably cool late May evening a few sprinkles feel on the quiet street that had bustled with activity for much of Tony’s life, and my mind wondered over nearly a century’s worth of town history.

Tony started cutting hair at this location during the dark days of the Great Depression, when he first came to work for his future father-in-law, Anthony Williams. In time, the 23-year old married the owner’s daughter, Jessie, and took over the business. It was the place to get your hair cut in the county seat and the Elkton shop owner had a regular clientele of judges, lawyers, courthouse regulars, businessmen and everyday people. As the decades passed quickly by in this old-fashioned shop, his customers grew old with him and retirees beginning spending hours hanging out, swapping stories, and playing the banjo. Often strangers walking down the street back in the 1970s and '80s were startled as they looked into the window of the shop to see two or three people playing guitars or plucking a banjo.

At age 90 he was still working six days a week, but as he grew older he gradually cut back, while the retirees started slowly disappearing as many of them passed away. But you would still see him sitting in his window waving to passers-by while people stopped in for a quick chat. Even in his ninth decade you would see him around town, out for a stroll with his dog, enjoying a meal at a restaurant, or sitting on one of the park benches. The last time we talked, probably a month or so ago, his mind was as sharp as ever, never forgetting a name or elements of events from a long time ago.

I always enjoyed my chance meetings with the 95-year-old and his daughter, Patty, for those visits were filled with decades of local history. His stories were about Elkton’s heyday, the marriage racket, World War II, big fires on Main Street, lively small town personalities, a bustling downtown, and much more. In fact anytime someone wanted information on Elkton’s 20th century history, we’d send them down to see Tony. Afer all he was born when Howard Taft was in the White House. If they were early enough (he opened at 5:00 a.m.), they would find him in his window. They always came back pleased with the keen insights, as well as the hospitality he provided. Through that very same window since 1935, in a quaint shop that didn't change, Tony watched Main Street change and history march along, as young men went off to war, couples came here for quick marriages, and the era of shopping centers and Internet retailing fueled the decline of main streets across the nation.

They laid Tony to rest today and as I pass by those three empty old-time chairs and the shop with the sign saying closed, I know the barber will never be in again at 118 E. Main Street. Although I’ll miss the chance to pop in for a few minutes to talk with him or to simply wave as I rush by, my knowledge of the 20th century is much greater for having had the privilege to hear so many of Tony's wonderful recollections.

The Mayor of Main Street has passed away. His friendly greetings, conversation and keen memories provided us with connections to the town's past. He will be missed.

Make Online Contributions and Purchases at Society

No longer do you need a stamp and an envelope to forward money to the Society for we are now offering patrons the option of making payments online. This is done safely and securely through PayPal and even if you don't have an account with that company, you may use a credit card. We've started off with a donate button on the homepage, but over the next several weeks we'll add additional buttons for membership, photo-services, and our store.

County Once Again Proposes Entire Elimination of Budget for Society

The Historical Society of Cecil County was disappointed to hear that the Board of County Commissioners has recommended complete elimination of the Society’s small funding line item of $5,000 in the proposed budget. While this is a minuscule allocation for the county, it is an important one for our organization, a group that provides economical services to the commissioners.

Our volunteers work hard for that small amount. In fact, the value of the services we provide to government is far greater than the amount the county provides for support. Since last year when the commissioners first proposed eliminating our funding, we have maintained a tabulation of the work we do at the request of local government. Our records show that we have provided over $16,000 in direct work for governmental bodies.

A few examples illustrate this value proposition and demonstrate how we save the county money.

• When the commissioners needed photographs to decorate their new office building, they turned to us. Our volunteers attended meetings, met with county officials to plan the work, scanned and printed the images, and delivered them to the new facility. Most likely we were the only volunteers attending the meetings.
• When the commissioners decided they wanted to change the county seal, they turned to us for a research report providing insight on this aspect of their legislated and cultural history. Our volunteers provided an in-depth, professional report at no cost to county government.
• While the commissioners prepared to move their offices out of downtown Elkton, they turned to us for information on the history of their facilities. Our volunteers were pleased to spend many hours researching this request and preparing a professional report for all stakeholders.
• When the Board of Education needed insight on integration in Cecil, we responded to the request.
• When the Board of Education needed information on the George Washington Carver School for the rededication of that facility, we researched the subject.
• When the county released an interactive emergency preparedness DVD, they turned to us to aid in the production of a 10-minute segment examining the history of major emergencies and the development of disaster management in Cecil. We were pleased to aid this important project by preparing a script and making our photographs and research resources available.
• As the archives for county government records, we carefully preserve tax records, road books, minutes, poor house documents, marriage certificates, and much more from the colonial period until early in the 20th century. (We received that appointment after we rescued neglected colonial-era county road books that were dumped in the basement of an old 1950s fallout shelter building and were in danger of being lost or damaged.)
  
  These are but a few examples of our value proposition for Cecil County Government for we frequently provide services to county departments, providing them with insights that would cost much more if the government hired consultants or had staff use our resources to accomplish the tasks. Too, we help developers, realtors, homeowners, businesses and non-profits with research related to their interactions with local government. Our volunteers, working at no cost to the government or anyone else, constantly seek to make a positive contribution to Cecil, its image, and its history.
  
  This comes at a time when we are working to strengthen the 76-year-old institution. As a result of our renewed commitment we have been busy transforming the organization from a well-resourced research library and museum into an institution offering a broader array of history related programming. To deliver and expand these services, we raised over $45,000 from sources other than the county budget. Our membership of nearly 1,000 is growing, making us the largest membership organization in Cecil and we are the only county-wide heritage group.
  
  We hope the Board of Commissioners appreciate our role as Cecil’s heritage keepers but in particular we trust the Board values the savings that occur as a result of the professional work done by our volunteers at the request of local government. The Society asks the county to recommit to the nominal allocation, which was has been fixed at the same level for over 10-years, when it was cut in half. In a budget that exceeds $271-million, isn’t our effort worth the allocation?