Showing posts with label History Carroll Co. Show all posts

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Kevin Dayhoff Eldersburg Patch: Juneteenth Independence Day and Slavery's History in Carroll County

Juneteenth Independence Day and Slavery's History in Carroll County

The holiday dates back to the end of the Civil War and celebrates freedom for more than 250,000 slaves.

By Kevin E. Dayhoff | Email the author | 4:12am

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June 19 is recognized by 38 states as a state holiday marking Juneteenth Independence Day--or Emancipation Day. Juneteenth is not a state holiday in Maryland.

The origin of the holiday dates back to the end of the Civil War and celebrates freedom being granted to more than 250,000 slaves.

It began when Union General Gordon Granger arrived with 2,000 federal troops in Galveston, Texas, on June 18, 1865. This was more than two months after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on the afternoon of April 9, 1865.

One of the foremost matters on the mind of Granger was to take possession of the rebel state of Texas and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862.

The proclamation carried an effective date of January 1, 1863; although in reality, in Texas and most of the states in rebellion, it had little impact on the enslaved population of the south--and freed few, if any, slaves.

Granger was determined to change that, at least in Texas. On June 19, 1865 he stood upon the balcony of the Ashton Villa and read the contents of “General Order No. 3,” which put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation throughout the state.

The result was a spontaneous community celebration that has been observed every year ever since.

In 1840, almost 30 years before the first Juneteenth celebration, the population of Carroll County was 17,421. ... http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/juneteenth-independence-day-and-slaverys-history-in-carroll-county#c

Annual Juneteenth, History, History Carroll Co., Diversity Civil Rights, Diversity, Diversity African-American, Dayhoff Media Eldersburg Patch,

LABELS: ANNUAL JUNETEENTH, DAYHOFF MEDIA ELDERSBURG PATCH,DIVERSITY, DIVERSITY AFRICAN-AMERICAN, DIVERSITY CIVIL RIGHTS,HISTORY, HISTORY CARROLL CO.

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http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/juneteenth-independence-day-and-slaverys-history-in-carroll-county#c

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http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/juneteenth-independence-day-and-slaverys-history-in-carroll-county#c

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Carroll County History Project Receives State Historic Preservation Award

Carroll County History Project

Receives State Historic Preservation Award

Carroll County History Project Special Announcement

April 13, 2011

Carroll County History Project
Receives State Historic Preservation Award

We are very proud to announce that the Carroll County History Project has been selected to receive the 2011 Maryland Preservation Award for Educational Excellence by the Maryland Historical Trust.

The Carroll County History Project is an initiative to preserve the history of Carroll County, Maryland by collecting the memories of local citizens and producing documentaries about the county and its communities to be permanently archived online at www.CarrollHistory.org.

The project was selected for recognition "because of the breadth and depth of the partnerships forged throughout the development and delivery of this program, and the innovative and meaningful ways in which [the Community Media Center and its partners] are capturing and sharing Carroll County's history."

The Community Media Center, a nonprofit organization that operates Carroll County's shared public, education and government television facility, and its partners the Historical Society of Carroll County, Carroll County Public Library, the Carroll County NAACP 7014, the Human Relations Commission of Carroll County, Carroll County Genealogical Society and the Carroll County Bureau of Aging and Disabilities will each be recognized for their role in the initiative. Since its inception in 2008, the History Project has collected nearly 500 video and audio interviews.

"We are incredibly proud that the History Project was selected for this award," said Marion Ware, Executive Director of the Community Media Center. "Without these memories, a large part of Carroll County's past would be lost. We are fortunate to have the technology and expertise, as well as the support of our partners, to preserve local history and make it accessible to everyone. It's also important to recognize the residents of Carroll County who are the heart and soul of this project. We look forward to expanding it in the future with additional documentaries and integrating its content into the curriculum for the County's primary and secondary school children."

The award will be presented on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 4:00 pm in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis.

The Maryland Historical Trust began its tradition of honoring outstanding preservation efforts throughout the state in 1975 with the creation of the Calvert Prize. In the ensuing years, five more award categories were created and 250 individuals and projects have been honored in all regions of the state. Individuals, non-profit and for-profit organizations or institutions, museums, and federal, state and local agencies are all eligible to receive MHT Preservation Awards.

The Community Media Center is a Public, Education, and Government Access Center and a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide the facilities, equipment, and technical support necessary to allow you to "Make Media That Matters" in your local community. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

We see media as a tool to encourage participation in the life of your community. This tool can be used to educate, inform, entertain, and document.

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Monday, February 07, 2011

Historic changes in Carroll County government are coming

Below, please find the file copy version of the Eagle Archive column for Sunday, August 22, 2010 by Kevin Dayhoff. Now that the new five-member board of commissioners has several months in office under their belts… a few folks have asked where it is that they may find this column… A portion of it was published on August 22, 2010 by Carroll Eagle DAYHOFF: Change is coming, but not as much as we've already seen http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/4631/change-coming-but-not-much-weve-already-seen/

Labels: Carroll Co Commissioners, History 1830s, History Carroll Co, History Carroll Co Jan 19 1837 http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2011/02/historic-changes-in-carroll-county.html also see: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2011/02/first-carroll-county-board-of.html

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The 2010 primary election on September 14 is fast approaching and with it, the next step in Carroll County’s great experiment in governance will come one-step closer.

Barrels of ink and antacid has been spilled on the discussions, hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth over the five-commissioner form of government that has had the county transfixed for over twelve-years.

The idea was first publicly floated several years before the failed attempt in a 1998 referendum. That initiative came after years of whispers of discontent in the hallways of power.

This is not the first time folks in Carroll County have changed our form of government – and chances are it will not be the last.

From 1659 to 1837, the eastern half of Carroll County was governed by Baltimore County. From 1695, Prince George's County governed the western portion of Carroll County until December 10, 1748 when Frederick County was formed.

In fact, when the property, "Whites Level," which later become part of Westminster, was first purchased in 1733, it was actually part of Prince George's County.

As early as 1785, citizens petitioned Maryland Gov. William Paca to form "Paca County" from parts of Frederick and Baltimore counties.

In the Nov. 25, 1813, issue of the "Engine of Freedom," a newspaper in "The Forks,” later known as Uniontown, wrote that a petition was being forwarded to the Maryland General Assembly to form "Union County," with the county seat in Uniontown. The effort failed

On March 2, 1833, a bill passed the General Assembly authorizing a vote on forming Carroll County in October 1833. The vote failed, 593 to 554; although it was later speculated that it failed because of voter irregularities in the Baltimore County portion.

Finally, a bill was introduced in 1835 and passed the General Assembly on March 25, 1836 to form Carroll County. This act was confirmed on Jan. 19, 1837. It only took about 50 years, but Carroll Countians had finally changed their government.

From 1837-51 the governing body of Carroll County was called the "Levy Court." It consisted of nine individuals; one from each of the nine existing election districts in Carroll at the time. They were appointed by the governor of Maryland.

The Maryland Constitution of 1851 changed the "Levy Court" to the "Commissioners of Tax" and from 1853 to 1891, there were three at-large commissioners elected to two-year terms. From 1893 to 1921 the county elected one commissioner every other year for a six-year term.

In 1926, the county fully transitioned to electing three commissioners for four-year terms. In 1968, voters in Carroll County rejected both charter government and code home rule. In 1984, code home rule was defeated. In 1992, charter government was defeated at the ballot box.

In 1998, voters rejected a referendum to increase the Board of Commissioners to five at-large members and rejected a charter form of government.

According to an old Baltimore Sun article by John Murphy on November 29, 1999, “In 1998, the proposal for five at-large commissioners carried four precincts: three in Eldersburg and one in Mount Airy, where some residents seek better representation in Westminster, the county seat. The five-commissioner proposal failed, 11,151-6,860.”

Undaunted, on Dec. 8, 1999, State Delegate Don Elliott brought the five-commissioner idea back up at a joint meeting of the county's state delegation and the commissioners.

On November 2nd, 2004 Carroll voters decided to approve a referendum to form a five-commissioner board elected by district rather than having three commissioners elected at large.

But wait, it took another four-years - until Monday, April 7, 2008, before the Maryland General Assembly approved Senate Bill 675 on Option 1 to draw the boundaries of the five commissioner districts among the eight municipalities, 36 election precincts and 14 election districts in the county.

I wonder if anyone will dare to venture a guess as to how long this latest experiment will last.

I wonder if anyone will dare to venture a guess as to how long this latest experiment will last?

When he not busy keeping track of who’s on first and what’s on second, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com

The first Carroll County Board of Commissioners met on Friday, January 27, 1837

The recent celebration of Carroll County’s 174^th birthday brings to mind several columns that I have written in the past about the early days of Carroll County…

For an article about the recent birthday celebration party put on by the Historical Society of Carroll County, go here: Name from the past helps mark Carroll County's 174th birthday Published January 23, 2011 by Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle: WESTMINSTER -- Author Helen Jean Burn introduced Carroll County historical figure Betsy Bonaparte to a crowd of more than 100 people on Jan. 20 during the celebration of the county's 174th birthday. At an event held at Holy Cross Hall in Westminster -- ... ... http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/5101/name-past-helps-mark-countys-174th-birthday/

The full-length version on my Explore Carroll Eagle Archive column, “DAYHOFF: Greetings to the new 'Levy Court,' a.k.a. the Board of County Commissioners,” http://tinyurl.com/285shup, published on December 5, 2010, may be found below…

EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/285shup

Posted 12/05/10 http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/4976/greetings-levy-court-aka-county-commissioners/ (Enlarge)

All that remains of the Thanksgiving turkey dinner are the leftovers, and many Carroll County residents have now turned their attention to Christmas -- and, oh, yes, the new Board of County Commissioners.

This year, there are no leftovers in the commissioners' office.

In November, the president may have pardoned a turkey for the Thanksgiving holidays, but in our county family the gobbler did not survive and neither did any of the incumbent commissioners.

At 2 p.m. Monday, Carroll County gets a Christmas present when the first five-member board will be sworn into office. Of the new faces -- Robin Frazier (1st District), Haven Shoemaker (2nd), Dave Roush (3rd), Richard Rothschild (4th) and Doug Howard (5th) -- only Frazier has served before… http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/4976/greetings-levy-court-aka-county-commissioners/

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/12/dayhoff-greetings-to-new-levy-court-aka.html 20101205 SCE Greetings to the new Levy Court sceked

20100822 longver sdsom historic changes in CC govt

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Wednesday, February 02, 2011

The first Carroll County Board of Commissioners met on Friday, January 27, 1837

by Kevin Dayhoff Posted February 2, 2011

The recent celebration of Carroll County’s 174^th birthday brings to mind several columns that I have written in the past about the early days of Carroll County…

EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/285shup

Posted 12/05/10 http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/4976/greetings-levy-court-aka-county-commissioners/ (Enlarge)

This year, there are no leftovers in the commissioners' office.

In November, the president may have pardoned a turkey for the Thanksgiving holidays, but in our county family the gobbler did not survive and neither did any of the incumbent commissioners.

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/12/dayhoff-greetings-to-new-levy-court-aka.html 20101205 SCE Greetings to the new Levy Court sceked

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DAYHOFF: The first board of commissioners

Eagle Archive By Kevin Dayhoff for publication: 12/05/10

All that remains of the Thanksgiving turkey dinner are the leftovers and many Carroll Countians have now turned their attention to Christmas – and, oh, yes, the new board of commissioners.

This year, there are no leftovers in the commissioners’ office. In November, the president may have pardoned a turkey for the Thanksgiving holidays, but in our county family the gobbler did not survive and neither did any of the incumbent county commissioners.

At 2 p.m. on Monday, Carroll County gets an early Christmas present when the first five-member board of commissioners will be sworn into office. Of the new faces - Robin Frazier (1st District), Haven Shoemaker (2nd), Dave Roush (3rd), Richard Rothschild (4th) and Doug Howard (5th) - only Frazier has served before.

Taxes, waste-to-energy, the airport, police protection, and the economy are some of the many leftovers the new commissioners will find on their plates.

One thing that will not be on the plates of our new county leadership is the Christmas tree in front of the Center Street office building. The Grinch-economy stole it and county spokesperson Vivian Laxton drew the short straw to explain that not only was the tree done away with but the county did not even have money to buy Christmas cookies...

It will be interesting to see how well our county government functions with five instead of three commissioners. Of course, when the first Carroll County board of commissioners met at the Union Meeting House on Church Street on Friday, January 27, 1837; there were not three – not five, but count them - nine county commissioners.

Long-range forecasts indicate that the weather on Monday is expected to be cold. In 1837, according to Nancy Warner’s history of Carroll County:

“The town (of Westminster,) of less than five hundred residents welcomed new county citizens and strangers alike, but the bitter cold and deep snow were inhospitable, changing the parade as planned … into an assembly in Union Church located in the Westminster Cemetery.”

From 1837 until 1853, the county commissioners were appointed to two-year terms by the governor. Today one of the reasons we celebrate Thanksgiving in Carroll County is that the commissioners are no longer selected that way. Thank God for small favors.

In 1837 the commissioners were called the “Levy Court” because the main function of the “commissioners of the tax” was to levy taxes for the construction and maintenance of the county’s roads.

It was not until the Maryland Constitution of 1851 was adopted on June 14, 1851, that the commissioners were elected. That date ought to be a county holiday. From 1853 to 1891 we elected three commissioners for a two-year term.

The first board of commissioners in 1837 included: William Shepherd, Sterling Galt, John Erb, Joshua C. Gist, Joseph Steele, Jacob Reese, John Lamotte, Nimrod Gardner, and Harry S. Brinkman.

When he is not looking for leftover turkey, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com

Labels: Carroll Co Commissioners, History 1830s, History Carroll Co, History Carroll Co Jan 19 1837

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2011/02/first-carroll-county-board-of.html

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

DAYHOFF: New Windsor fire company acted on burning desire to serve

Eagle Archive

By Kevin Dayhoff

I was in New Windsor recently and was reminded of the firehouse there that was dedicated in September 2005.

Certainly that $4.5 million, 27,000-square-foot facility, which replaced a previous firehouse dedicated in August 1955, came as a result of lots of hard work and followed on a history of that department that now dates more than 100 years.

According to an old newspaper account, "About 200 citizens interested in the organization of a fire department for New Windsor and community gathered in the Carlton Theater Tuesday evening (Jan. 20, 1948.) A new fire pumper will be purchased sometime in the near future."

Marcell Munshaur recounts in his history of the New Windsor Fire Department (available on the New Windsor Fire and Hose Company Facebook page) that fundraising efforts began in earnest as soon as the effort was announced.

http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/5097/new-windsor-fire-company-acted-burning-desire-serve

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Monday, January 17, 2011

Book on Quiltmaking provides insight into the history of a great American art form

Book on Quiltmaking provides insight into the history of a great American art form http://tinyurl.com/6464cfh

By Kevin Dayhoff

January 17, 2011 http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2011/01/book-on-quiltmaking-provides-insight.html

LABELS: ART LIBRARY AUTHORS, ART LIBRARY BOOKS, DAYHOFF WRITING ESSAYS,DAYHOFF WRITING ESSAYS ART ARTISTS, DAYHOFF WRITING ESSAYS HISTORY,HISTORY, HISTORY CARROLL CO, QUILTS

A Maryland Album: Quiltmaking Traditions ~1634-1934, published in 1995 by The Maryland Association for Family and Community Education. Written by Gloria Seaman Allen and Nancy Gibson:

“A Maryland Album Quiltmaking Traditions ~1634-1934” by Gloria Seaman Allen and Nancy Gibson is a definitive resource on the history of quilts, quilt design and quilting in historic Maryland for anyone who has even a passing interest in quilts, a great American art form.

The book is lavishly illustrated to help bring quilts and quilting to life. As a bonus, a review of the many quilt-design eras gives an historian or anyone interested in art history or the unique American art form of quiltmaking, great insights into American – and Maryland history.

According to information found in the cover flaps, “Some of the oldest and most collectible American quilts are from Maryland and are examined in this book, which is based on the findings of the Maryland Association for Family and Community Education quilt documentation project.”

The book, quilts and quilt making were the topic of a feature presentation, "Pieces of the Past: An Overview of Carroll County Quilts," by the author, Nancy Gibson, at the Historical Society of Carroll County Maryland on Jan. 19, 2010.

Thanks to the efforts of my wife and sister-in-law, Pastor Sarah Dorrance, whose church, Taylorsville United Methodist, (http://www.taylorsvilleumc.org/) is in the heart of the history and tradition of quiltmaking in Carroll County; I now have a copy of Gibson’s book.

Gibson, whose past credentials include 20-years as the textile curator for the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington, helped the 125 attendees at the presentation interpret the language of quilts that evening.

On January 24, 2010, I wrote in a column in the Carroll Eagle (www.explorecarroll.com,) “Carroll County's 173rd birthday celebrates a patchwork quilt of history,” “Some of the oldest, historic, and most collectible American quilts, dating as far back as 1803, examined for the project by Gibson in the 1990s are from right here in Carroll County.

“Several are in the collection of the Historical Society of Carroll County, which has sponsored the annual county birthday celebration for many years, according to Dave Roush, chair of the society's board of trustees, (and now a member of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners.)”

Further information from the flap reveals, “The oldest quilt examined in the project (– in “A Maryland Album: Quiltmaking Traditions ~1634-1934,” -) was made by the daughter of a Pennsylvania-German immigrant in 1803. During the 1800s an explosion of creativity occurred in Baltimore that led to the development of the beautiful and highly decorated Baltimore Album quilts.”

This explosion of creativity was also found in Carroll County which has a rich tradition and history of art and artisans in the county, especially practical art forms, be it cabinetmakers, culinary artists, painters, writers, singers – and quilters.

The book flap’s introduction goes on to explain, “Quilts adorned with eagles and pieced chintz quilts have also been identified with Maryland. Throughout the state’s history, Maryland quilts have reflected both the major design trends of American decorative arts as well as the diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds of the makers.”

Any study of art and history in the Maryland and Carroll County would be remiss if it did not include a comprehensive study of the design and history of quilts.

“Examining wills, newspapers, and the quilts themselves, the authors trace the history of Quiltmaking in Maryland during a three-hundred-year period, from the seventeenth century to Maryland’s tercentenary in 1934.

When possible, they spoke with descendents of the quiltmakers in order to gain deeper insight into the artists’ motives and inspirations. Interwoven with more than seventy-five quilts seen here, the enlightening and accessible text chronicles the rich and diverse history of Maryland.”

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See also my columns on Nancy Gibson and quilting in Carroll County:

Historic 1857 quilt inspired by the politics and faith of its era by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/4jsaybn Published February 7, 2010 by Carroll Eagle http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/3929/dayhoff/

... Past: An Overview of Carroll County Quilts," at the Historical Society of Carroll ... Jay Graybeal wrote about another lecture on quilts at the historical society, which took ... ;Eagles are popular designs on Maryland quilts in the early 19th century," ... ...

Carroll County's 173rd birthday celebrates a patchwork quilt of history by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/4akc774 Published January 24, 2010 by Carroll Eagle http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/3882/dayhoff/

... help attendees interpret the language of quilts that evening. Her past credentials include ... of our English and German background. Quilts were often the collaborative product of ... is not interpreting the language of quilts ... ...

Gibson is currently a principal with “Gibson Communication,” since 1995. Find her online store at http://WWW.vandm.com/gabrielgibson, her blog at http://WWW.TheAntiquer.blogspot.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gabriel-Gibson-Decorative-Arts/67445667311.

Join the Historical Society of Carroll County for its annual celebration of the founding of Carroll County . This year's guest speaker, Helen Jean Burn, examines the life of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte. Wednesday, January 19, 2011... http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2011/01/carroll-countys-174th-birthday.html. For more info: Historical Society of Carroll County 410-848-6494 http://hscc.carr.org/ or read Caroline Hailey article in the Carroll County Times, “County to celebrate 174th birthday Wednesday”

Book on Quiltmaking provides insight into the history of a great American art form http://tinyurl.com/6464cfh By Kevin Dayhoff

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[19950000 Gibson A Maryland Album Quiltmaking Traditions] [19950000 Gibson A MD Album Quiltmaking Trads]

Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

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