Showing posts with label History Carroll Co. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History Carroll Co. Show all posts

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Potters Field 1850s to 1960s. The cemetery for the Carroll County Almshouse


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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Kevin Dayhoff Westminster Patch: Carroll County Celebrates its Own History on the Fourth of July

Carroll County Celebrates its Own History on the Fourth of July

The real meaning of the Fourth in Carroll is steeped in history.

http://westminster.patch.com/articles/carroll-county-celebrates-its-own-history-on-the-fourth-of-july
By Kevin E. Dayhoff | Email the author | 12:33am
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Today, the 4th of July is accepted in modern history as the annual holiday commemorating the formal adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia.
However, the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August 1776.  The holiday was first observed in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, at which time the Declaration of Independence was read aloud, city bells rang, and bands played.
On July 9, 1777, The Pennsylvania Gazette wrote, “[…] Friday, the 4th of July inst. being the Anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America, was celebrated in this city with demonstrations of joy and festivity.
“[…]  The evening was closed with the ringing of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks (which began and concluded with thirteen rockets) on the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated.  Every thing was conducted with the greatest order and decorum, and the face of joy and gladness was universal.”
Independence Day – the 4th of July was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.
Nevertheless, in many respects, the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 “had a profound impact on the lives of the settlers who lived the area that was to become Carroll County,” observed local historian Jay Graybeal in an article he wrote for the Historical Society of Carroll County many years ago...  http://westminster.patch.com/articles/carroll-county-celebrates-its-own-history-on-the-fourth-of-july

http://westminster.patch.com/articles/carroll-county-celebrates-its-own-history-on-the-fourth-of-july#c

Labels: Annual July 4th, Dayhoff Media Westminster Patch, History, History Carroll Co, Media Patch

Carroll County celebrates the flag Drawing by Kevin Dayhoff May 3, 2006 Westminster Patch http://t.co/oztj  http://twitpic.com/5i4st9

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2011/06/kevin-dayhoff-westminster-patch-carroll.html


Kevin Dayhoff Westminster Patch: Carroll County Celebrates its Own History on the Fourth of July
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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

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

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 174th 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

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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

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
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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/
*****
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
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