In recognition of the 95th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the Cecilton Branch of the Cecil County Public Library is remembering this seminal event in American political history with a program that examines the courageous struggle to win voting rights. On the exact day the vote ratifying the 19th Amendment to the Constitution took place, the library will reflect on the courageous campaign of strong, politically-minded women.
In addition to considering the national campaign, the program by Historian Mike Dixon will put the spotlight on the largely unexamined Cecil County story, considering the time when Maryland was on the frontline.
Join the library for this free program on the perfect day to examine the struggle that spanned 72 years as we honor
The occupying army marches into Cecil County at Iron Hill. source: Baltimore Sun, Feb. 21, 1913.
Automobiles were frequently used in the modern Women’s Suffrage campaign. This photo is from a campaign in Montano. source: Montano Moments. Click here for more information http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/2012/11/election-day-special-woman-suffrage.html
Gone but no longer forgotten, Bel Air Police searching for family of fallen officer from 1920. Source: Baltimore Sun, July 8, 2015
While working on a lecture related to women’s suffrage in Maryland, I tripped across some records about a Bel Air police officer falling in the line of duty in 1920. The memory of this tragedy had been lost as time moved on, so I handed the information over to the Bel Air Police Department. A detective immediately got to work on documenting the incident.
To support the department’s investigation, I picked up those fading traces in the historical records. After finishing my fieldwork in Harford County, Annapolis and Baltimore, I provided a historical records report to the agency.
Recently, Bel Air completed its work and the officer’s ultimate sacrifice will no longer forgotten. He is going to be listed on the National Law Enforcement Memorial. Over the decades, I have found officers in Wilmington, Clayton, and Crisfield who fell the line of duty, but were never listed on memorials, nor remembered n their communities. In those places, a similar process generally happened.
A collaborative event between Wilmington University and the Wilmington Public Library celebrating the 95th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendement to the Constitution guaranteeing the right of women to vote in the United States will be presented August 4, 2015.
Mike Dixon, an adjunct history professor at the University will lead the discussion. The free program takes place Tuesday, August 4, at 6 PM at the Wilmington Public Library on Rodney Square.
The Delmarva region has many helpful research repositories for studying the past. Many are found in public libraries, and in that group there is the M. Virginia Webb Memorial Maryland Room at the Dorchester County Public Library (DCPL).
I have used this collection periodically over the years, and last week I needed to examine newspapers from the top of the 20th century. As I got stated I found that a major upgrade in special collections had been made since my last trip, which shouldn’t have surprised me as this fine institution has always provided excellent service.
DCPL had retired a cranky, decades old analog microfilm reader with a state-of-the-art computer workstation. The aging analog machine was in constant use by genealogists, local history researchers, and curious types, and while it got the job done, it was showing its age.
DCPL unveiled this new digital microfilm reader/scanner about two months earlier. It doesn’t look like the old ones most researchers have used somewhere. It consists of a computer, image management software, a small desktop scanner, and a large horizontal monitor, which allows you to see the full page.
In addition to reading and printing the microfilm, it allows for extensive image manipulation and the creation of PDFs and JPGS, which you may save to a flash drive. You may also enhance the image digitally, an important addition as most of us are familiar with the eye strain created by trying to read film that is too light or too dark.
This new unit makes the data collection process much easier, and it is a user-friendly machine. Without any instruction, I effortlessly used it and acquired the data I needed.
Beyond this upgrade, the Maryland Room is a strong resource with books and other materials. There are courthouse records, including land, probate, and court records. The newspapers include the full run of the Cambridge Daily Banner and other titles published in the county. There is much more, including city directories, pension applications, and more.
Thank you, Dorchester County Public Library, for providing such a strong heritage-oriented collection and for keeping up with the times. I see I have lots more work to do in Dorchester County.
