USA > Maryland > Cecil County > History of Cecil County, Maryland, and the early settlements around the head of Chesapeake Bay and on the Delaware River, with sketches of some of the old families of Cecil County > Part 38
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The Methodists worshiped in this house in common with the Presbyterians, until 1822, when the Presbyterians organized a congregation in Charlestown, and the subject of building a meeting-house of their own, began to be agitated by the Methodists, and the town commissioners having ex- pressed a willingnesss to appropriate two hundred dollars for that purpose, an act of the Legislature authorizing them to do so was obtained. But for some reason, probably the want of means, the enterprise lagged until 1825, when the trustees, who were Joseph Benjamin, Thomas Richardson, Joshua Bennett, Robert Thompson, John Turner, John Wilson, and John Tomlinson, purchased a lot from John White, upon which the first meeting-house was erected the same year.
The Hopewell M. E. church came into existence about the time of the organization of the Goshen society. The first house of worship, which was a log building, was prob- ably built in 1810, upon a half acre of land which Davis Reed donated to the trustees in that year. The trustees were James Thompson, George Nelson, Richard Rutter, Joseph Coulson and John Brooks, all of West Nottingham Hundred.
The Asbury church was the outgrowth of the churches that surrounded it. The Methodists of the neighborhood in which it is located, worshiped for some years previous to the erection of the first church of that name, in Jackson's school-house, which stood not far from where the church was built. In 1825, James Jackson, Robert Jackson, Rachel
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Jackson, Nancy Bell, Mary Armstrong, William Davidson, John N. Y. Ryan and Elizabeth Ryan, the heirs at law of Mary Carnahan, conveyed, for the nominal sum of five dol- lars, a lot containing half an acre of land to James Gal- braith, in trust for the use, interest and purpose of build- ing a church or house of worship, for the accommodation of the Methodist society. These facts seem to indicate very plainly that the Methodists of that neighborhood had not organized as a church at that time. Mr. Galbraith held this land until 1829, when he deeded it to John Jackson, William Patterson, Amos Eaton, William Dennison, Francis Segar, William Dennison (of William,) and Edward Jackson, in trust for the original purpose, from which it seems prob- able that the first meeting-house was built about that time.
The other Methodist Episcopal churches in this county are the outgrowth of those, the early history of which has just been given, and however interesting it might be to trace their history, it is not within the scope of this work, and for that reason will be left for an historian of the future.
The Methodist Protestant church was introduced into this county shortly after the organization of the first con- ference of that denomination in Baltimore, in 1829. The first church in this county, called "Shelemiah," was built at Bayview, about 1830. The first church building was used nearly fifty years and until 1879, when a spacious and handsome structure was erected in its stead.
Meetings were held in the New Leeds church, which was afterwards purchased by this denomination, about the time that the church at Bayview was founded.
The Methodist Protestants, now have a number of churches in the county, one of which is at Rowlandville, another be- tween Bayview and Charlestown, one in the eighth district, Moores chapel in the fourth district, and also a church at Warwick.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Miscellaneous information-Newspapers-Fisheries-('hrome-Granite quarries-Iron-Iron Works-Paper mills-Free schools-Population.
HAVING traced the history of the county in the preceding chapters as well as the limited data extent would permit, to a period within the recollection of persons of middle age, this chapter will be devoted to a few miscellaneous subjects, which are of so much importance that they cannot be passed by unnoticed.
Prominent amongst these matters are the newspapers, fisheries, manufactures, mineral productions, free schools, etc., the history of all of which can be impartially written at this time. This cannot be said of some other subjects quite as closely connected with the history of the county as those just mentioned. Amongst the latter are to be found the history of the various political parties that have claimed the allegiance of the people during the last half century, and the action of the people during the late civil war. For the reason before intimated, the task of writing that part of the history of the county embraced in the subjects last before enumerated, will be left for another person, or at least deferred until a period in the future, when the lapse of time will have rendered the task less onerous, and more likely to be impartially performed.
Though the people of this county were the equals in in- telligence and education of those of any other part of the State, and gave a generous support to institutions of learn- ing, as has already been shown, and though the people of the State, from a very early period in its history, had enjoyed the advantages to be derived from the printing-press, it was
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not until after the lapse of nearly a century and a-half after the erection of the county that they could enjoy the privi- lege of reading a newspaper published within its limits.
The first newspaper published in this county appeared in June, 1823. It was called The Elkton Press, and was pub- lished weekly by Andrews & McCord, at two dollars a year. It was twenty-one by twenty-seven inches, and had for its motto, "Obedience to the people's choice," which indicated in some degree its character, for it was neutral in politics at first, and seems to have been devoted to the interests of the people so far as its limited size and circulation permitted. John McCord, the founder of this paper, came to Elkton from Lancaster City. He was a printer by trade, and was assisted in the editorial department of the paper by Samuel Stanbaugh, who afterwards became a prominent politician, and received the appointment of Indian agent or trader under ex-President Andrew Jackson. Some time prior to October, 1828, this paper passed into the possession of J. S. Green and Robert Carter. Mr. Carter had established the manufacture of paper in this county in 1816, on the site of the Cecil paper-mill, now owned and operated by his son, I. D. Carter, Esq., and the first proprietors of The Press having become indebted to him for paper, he took an interest in The Press to secure the debt. During the existence of this firm Mr. Green edited The Press.
On the 18th of October, 1828, the firm of Green & Carter dissolved, Mr. Green retiring, and Mr. Carter forming a business connection with Charles F. Cloud. The duration of this firm is not known, but the paper had changed hands prior to March 7th, 1829, it being published at that time opposite the Court-house, on Gay street, by C. F. Cloud and J. W. Conkey, who subsequently removed the office to the old brick building, two doors east of the court-house. The continuance of the existence of this firm, like some of those which preceded it, cannot now be definitely ascertained ; but the paper was published by George W. Veazey in
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September, 1832. During the latter part of the time this paper was in charge of Messrs. Andrews & McCord, it was run in the interest of the Democratic party, and in 1824, judging from certain communications and extracts from other papers, which are found in its columns, seems to have favored the election of General Jackson to the Presidency. In 1832, when it was published by George W. Veazey, it hoisted the name of Henry Clay for that position.
The Elkton Press seems to have had a sickly existence from the time of its birth, and never to have improved. Its death was probably hastened by the birth of The Cecil Republican and Farmers' and Mechanics' Advertiser, a weekly journal which was started in Elkton on May 12th, 1832, by Richard P. Bayly. The size of this paper was twenty-one by thirty inches. It was published for a while "in the brick building nearly opposite to the court-house, lately occupied by W. H. Calvert as a hat manufactory " at two dollars per year. Mr. Bayly, the proprietor of this paper, continued to publish it as late as February, 1834, but it ceased to exist prior to August, of that year, at which time The Central Courant was the only paper published in the county. This paper was started in Port Deposit by L. A. Wilmer in March, 1833 ; it was twenty-one by twenty-eight and one-half inches in size at first, but was subsequently reduced to fifteen and one-half by twenty-one and one-half inches, affording a very limited amount of space for the elucidation of the multifarious subjects to which it was devoted. The sub- scription was two dollars at first, but was reduced one-half when the size of the paper was changed.
Mr. Wilmer came from Baltimore to Elkton previous to the founding of The Courant and worked as a printer on The Elkton Press. After the death of The Courant, he re- moved from Port Deposit to Philadelphia and connected himself with The Saturday Evening Post, a literary paper of much celebrity at that time. Mr. Wilmer was an anti-Jack- son man, but his paper, which was neutral, seems to have
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been too diminutive to have produced much effect upon the politics of the county, even if he had tried to do so. It was published as late as November, 1834; how much longer has not been ascertained. Mr. Wilmer was a very eccentric man and would sometimes dress himself in winter clothing in the warmest summer weather, when he wished to take a walk to the Far Creek of an evening.
The Cecil Gazette and Farmers' and Mechanics' Advertiser was started in September, 1834, by a Democratic Convention which raised the money by subscription to purchase the press and type for the new journal. It was published and edited by Henry Bosee, though the press and type were held in trust for those who had contributed to their purchase, by a number of trustees of whom Colonel William Mackey and Henry D. Miller, both of the fourth district, were a part. The paper was twenty-four by thirty-two inches in size and was published weekly in Elkton, at two dollars per year. In the issue of August 20th, 1836, it is stated that the paper had been purchased by Amor T. Forwood, who upon that day assumed its editorship. It continued to be published in his name for a few months, when it again fell into the hands of Mr. Bosee, in whose name it was published until February, 1841.
The next journal that claims our attention was called the Cecil Whig and Port Deposit Weekly Courier. It was founded by Lynde Elliott at Port Deposit in July, 1835 ; was twenty- one by thirty-two inches, and was published every Saturday, at two dollars per year, or three dollars if not paid in ad- vance. It was devoted to the interest of the Whig party, but did not prove to be a success, and consequently did not live a great while; how long has not been ascertained, but it probably gave place to the Elkton Courier, a strong Whig paper, which was founded by Charles F. Cloud, in August, 1836. It was a weekly journal, twenty-two by thirty-one inches, subscription, two dollars per year. It was devoted to politics, literature, agriculture, the mechanics arts and gen-
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eral intelligence. Its office was on Gay street, in the Hol- low, opposite Bow street; subsequently it was opposite the residence of Hon. Alexander Evans, and for awhile on the northeast corner of North and High streets. In a literary point of view it was far in advance of many of its prede- cessors, and for a time was edited by George R. Howard and also by Francis A. Ellis. During the time of the existence of The Courier, party spirit was both high and bitter, and sometimes culminated in personal rencounters in the streets, which were often productive of black eyes and bloody noses. At this time and for some years before, the Whig party was in a minority in the county, and receiving no share of the official patronage either from the national or local govern- ment, had hard work to sustain a county organ. In conse- quenee of this The Whig party was without one for some time after the demise of the Elkton Courier, and on the 6th of August, 1839, George Keating commenced in Port Deposit the publication of The Port Deposit Rock and Gecil County Gom- mercial Advertiser. The size of this paper was twenty-six by thirty inches ; it was published every Tuesday morning at two dollars per year, and was strongly Whig in politics. This paper, like most of its predecessors, had but a brief ex- istence. It was published as late as January, 1840; how much longer has not been ascertained.
Mr. Keating was a strong "anti-Jackson" man, and being very pugnacious, was always ready for a fight. After the failure of The Rock, he removed to Baltimore, but subse- quently came to Havre-de Grace, where he published sev- eral papers, none of which were successful, in consequence of which he is said to have died in the Harford County almshouse in the early part of the war of the rebellion.
The brief existence of most of the carly journals of the county may be accounted for by the unsettled condition of its politics, which were in a chaotic or transition state for some years subsequent to 1824 ; from that time until 1836 the Whig and Democratic parties were in course of formation,
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and, as has sometimes since been the case, many of the people knew not to which party they belonged. Hence, the support accorded to the journals of that day was small, as well as precarious.
The Whig party being without an organ after the demise of the Port Deposit Rock, some of its leading members, pro- fiting by the example of their opponents seven years before, concluded to start a new paper, and the wherewithal to pur- chase the press and type was raised by subscription among the members of the party, and those at the head of the new enterprise purchased the press and the type of the Port Deposit Rock, which they shipped on board of a small sailing vessel and brought to Elkton. The name of the new paper, the first number of which appeared on the 7th of August, 1841, was The Cecil Whig. Its first editor was the late Palmer C. Ricketts, under whose management it continued until the time of his death,* which occurred on the Sth of March, 1860. The old log-cabin which was erected in the Hollow during the cam- paign of 1840 was used as the first office of The Whig. In 1855, the paper having been enlarged the year before, its office was moved to the building on North street, now used by George W. Cruikshank, for a law office. It is not within the scope of this work to give an extended account of the early history of The Whig, nor to discuss the condition of the political parties that were contemporaneous with it, while it was under the management of its founder. It suf- fices to say that Mr. Ricketts was but twenty-three years of age when he assumed the responsible position of editor. The state of society and politics was somewhat different then from what it is now, but party spirit was none the less vindictive. In consequence of this, the bickerings and feuds which had existed among the local politicians of the Whig and Democratic parties culminated in the death of
* Except from April to August, 1852, during which time he edited the Baltimore Daily News, and The Whig was edited by William J. Jones, Esq.
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Amor T. Forwood, a prominent democrat, in the fall of 1843. Mr. Forwood's death was the result of a long and bitter per- sonal controversy between him and Mr. Ricketts, which led him to make an assault upon that gentleman, who, in self- defense, shot him with a pistol. Mr. Ricketts was tried at the October term of court in 1843, and acquitted. It being proved to the satisfaction of the jury that he acted in self- defense.
Mr. Ricketts belonged to one of the oldest families in the county, the founder of which it is believed resided in Sassa- fras Neck, and was a Quaker; he was much censured by his political opponents for the death of Mr. Forwood, but he lived long enough to win the respect and esteem of many of those who were once his bitterest enemies. He died respected by all, and deeply regretted by a very large portion of the com- munity in which he lived.
The Cecil Gazette was neither popular nor prosperous under the management of Mr. Bosee, and in February, 1840, it was purchased by Thomas M. Coleman, who changed its name to The Cecil Democrat and Farmers' Journal and continued to publish it until the spring of 1848. When Mr. Bosee sold the Gazette he retained the press and type which, as before stated, were held in trust for those who furnished the money to purchase them. This led to a replevin suit, instituted by William Mackey and Henry D. Miller, who appear to have been the only surviving trustees. On the 9th of May, 1842, the sheriff served the writ and delivered the property, consisting of the press and type, to the plain- tiffs, they giving bond for the value of the property if the suit went against them. In consequence of the death of Mr. Forwood and the failure of the defendant to employ other counsel, this cause resulted in a non-suit in the April term, 1844. Subsequently, at the October term of court, 1845, Mr. Bosee brought suits against the representatives of Messrs. Mackey and Miller, who had died in the meantime, and also against their sureties on the bond. These suits were
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continued until April term, 1847, when one of them at the instance of Bosee was removed to Kent County, the parties agreeing to settle the others in accordance with the judg- ment in the removed case. The cases that were not re- moved are at this time upon the docket of Cecil County court, the other one never having been tried in Kent.
In 1848 Thomas M. Coleman started a paper in Elkton, called the Temperance Banner, which he continued to publish for two years, when he removed it to Baltimore, where he published it two years longer, and discontinued it probably for the want of patronage. Mr. Coleman then removed to Philadelphia and became reporter for the Daily Register, but subsequently connected himself with the Public Ledger, of which he has been city editor for a number of years.
Henry Vanderford purchased The Cecil Democrat and Farmers' Journal from Mr. Coleman in 1848, and published it under that name until June 1st, 1850, when the Farmers' Journal was dropped from the title, and the paper has ever since been published under the name of The Cecil Democrat.
In 1865 Mr. Vanderford disposed of the paper to Messrs. Constable & Stump.
Mr. Vanderford, who is a practical printer and a man of fine literary ability, had been connected with several jour- nals before he came to Elkton ; he afterwards established the Middletown Transcript, and subsequently purchased the Democratic Advocate at Westminster, Maryland, now owned and edited by his sons.
Messrs. Constable & Stump continued to publish The Democrat until September, 1865, when Mr. Constable. sold his interest to George W. Cruikshank, the present proprietor, and the paper was published by Cruikshank & Co., until October of that year, when Mr. Stump sold his interest to John T. McCrery, and the name of the firm was changed to Cruikshank & McCrery. Mr. Cruikshank purchased Mr. McCrery's interest in June, 1866, and continued to publish the paper until February, 1873, when Dr. R. C. Mackall
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purchased a half interest in it, which he retained until Jan- uary 1st, 1876, since which it has been published by its present proprietor.
During the campaign of 1855, when Know-nothingism was rampant in the State of Maryland, the late Charles H. Haines and William J. Jones published a small campaign paper, called the Union Reformer, which was printed at the office of The Whig. It was devoted to the interest of the Know-nothing party, and was published anonymously for a time, owing to which the postmaster refused to transmit it through the mails; but this difficulty was soon obviated by placing the name of the imaginary firm of Smith & Co. at the head of its columns. After The Whig became fully committed to the Know-nothing party, the Union Reformer was discon- tinued.
Early in the fall of 1856 John B. Rowan commenced the publication of a small weekly campaign paper, called the Jackson Picket Guard. It was devoted to the interest of the Democratic party, and advocated the election of James Buchanan to the presidency. It was edited with consider- able ability, and was printed at the office of The Cecil Democrat.
After the death of Mr. Ricketts, the Cecil Whig passed into the editorial management of James S. Crawford, who.edited it for a period of eleven months, prior to April, 1861, when it was purchased by Edwin E. Ewing, who in 1876 disposed of it to its present owner, Henry R. Torbert, Esq. The Chesapeake Chesapike, or the fighting fish of the Chesapeake Bay, was founded in Chesapeake city, in 1876, by Harry Moss who came to the Centennial International Exhibition as correspondent of the Vicksbury Herald. It was purchased by Dr. D. H. B. Brower, in the winter of 1878. Dr. Brower changed its name to the Chesapeake Record and continued to publish it until December, 1879, when he removed to North East and started the North East Record, which is now published in that town by his son William G. Brower. The
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Rising Sun Journal was founded by W. H. Pennington & Bro., in 1879. It is a lively little sheet and gives evidence of attaining a good old age.
The latest journalistie venture in this county, is the Cecil County News, which was started in Elkton in September, 1880, by Dr. James H. Frazer, and which though yet in its infancy gives promise of a vigorous manhood.
The fisheries of this county have long been one of its most important sources of wealth. There can be no doubt that the Indian tribes that Captain Smith found residing at the head of the bay, when he explored it, were attracted there, as their ancestors had no doubt been, from time immemo- rial, by the large quantities of fish they found in the waters of the bay and its tributaries, and the facilities that the numerous branches of the streams emptying into it afforded for the easy capture of the members of the finny tribe.
The reader will recollect that when the warlike Susque- hannoeks made the treaty with the English on Severn River, in 1652, they reserved the country between the North East and Susquehanna rivers. Their reason for doing so, was no doubt, to secure the right of way to the rich fishing grounds at the head of the bay, and along the northern side of the Nort East River. In those days and until their passage was prevented by the erection of mill-dams, the migratory fish were accustomed to ascend the streams as far as they found a sufficient depth of water to enable them to swim.
The seines used a century ago were made of hemp or flax twine, which was spun on the old-fashioned spinning wheels then in use. They were generally not more than twenty or thirty yards long. Owing to the abundance of shad and herring a century ago, the demand for them could easily be supplied by seines of moderate length. Longer seines were not used until early in the present century, when the in- ereased population and facilities for transportation produced a greater demand for fish than could be supplied by the short seines formerly in use.
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During the Revolutionary war efforts were made by the provincial government, with what success has not been as- certained, to supply the troops of the Maryland line with smoked shad and herring, as part of their rations, which in- dicates that the fishing business was one of importance at that time.
The invention of the cotton-gin and the introduction of improved machinery for spinning cotton in the early part of the present century, gave a great impetus to the fishing business, which reached the highest degree of success dur- ing the decade between the years 1820 and 1830. During this period, as well as before and afterwards, many of the residents of Lancaster and Chester counties were in the habit of annually visiting the fisheries along the Susque- hanna and North East rivers, during the fishing season, to obtain their supply of fish which they took home and salted away for use during the intervening time between one fishing season and the next. The Dutch farmers of Lan- caster County came in their large Conestoga wagons, many of them for long distances, along miserable roads, through a rough and hilly country. They brought their own provisions and food for their teams with them and frequently would be absent from home for a week. Most of them, and indeed nearly everybody else who went to the " fishen," were in the habit of imbibing more freely of ardent spirits than was consistent with perfect sobriety. People who would have scorned the thought of being drunk at any other time or place, were in the habit of having a spree when they went to the " fishen." The well-to-do Dutchmen were by no means the only class that visited the fisheries. They were also visited by the poorer classes, who hailed the first run of herring with delight, and who, if they had no better or swifter means of conveyance, would go in ox-carts for long distances to share in the annual piscatory harvest.
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