By Susan Soderberg of the Germantown Historical Society
It was just before the election in 1920 and several men were gathered informally at the Waters General Store in Germantown discussing the pros and cons of the various candidates. When it came up that a local citizen, John Bolton, was refusing to vote, one of the men, Guy Vernon Thompson, volunteered to try to persuade him to do his civic duty.
The presentation spans a cross-section of automobile history across the State, from the earliest cars and paving of The National Road to post-war leisure travel and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
You’re invited to Explore Rockville’s long and rich history through a self-guided outdoor tour and scavenger hunt that will walk you through sites and stories in Rockville through the decades. Learn about Rockville from its beginnings to the 20th century, and visit parks and public art along the way, in this event by Peerless Rockville.
Per the event listing: Tour stops are a SURPRISE! The 10+ stops about Rockville’s unique sites, stories, and art are located across the city – you’re invited to explore places you’ve never been and sites you pass by all the time unaware. This tour features highlights from our three previous Explore Rockville events plus a few new stops.
Montgomery County’s first AAPI Heritage Project is examining the history of AAPI county residents as early as the 1900s By Karen Yee, published on MontgomeryPlanning’s Department Blog
Of the 86,000 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s repository of historic structures, sites, buildings, districts and objects that are deemed significant to American history, less than 8% relate to Asian Americans and other underrepresented communities. In Montgomery County, where 15% of residents are Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), there is only one locally designated resource associated with AAPI heritage, the Pao-Chi and Yu Ming Pien House. Even this house was only recently recognized—it is located within the Potomac Overlook Historic District, designated in April 2022. In order to address this disparity, Montgomery Planning’s Historic Preservation Office applied for and was awarded a non-capital grant by the Maryland Historical Trust in 2021 to identify historical and cultural resources associated with AAPI communities in Montgomery County.
‘I Have Started for Canaan: Telling the Sugarland Story” will be available for viewing through May 16. No registration is required.
The panel also will describe ongoing preservation efforts and speculate about some of the intriguing historical questions that remain to be explored about Sugarland.
By Susan Soderberg of the Germantown Historical Society
There is a street with a strange name off Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown — Kinster Drive. Just what or who was Kinster and why is there a street named for him?
As The Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame (MCSHF) continues to grow and evolve, the organization is now seeking new board members to help them achieve their goals. MCSHF’s annual […]
Garrett Park is a small, incorporated town in Montgomery County located in a sylvan setting next to Rock Creek Park. Garrett Park was incorporated in 1898 and has an active town government and resident-directed organizations. The town is laid out as an English village with winding, tree-lined streets and a variety of housing types. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and as an Arboretum (established in 1977), has a Arboretum Committee to manage the health and variety of trees. In 1962, by referendum Garrett Park became the first Nuclear Free Zone in the United States. Below you’ll see a brief history of the town leading up to 1898 By Paul Edlund, former mayor of Garrett Park (1990-1996), via the official website of the Town of Garrett Park
By the time of its incorporation as a Town in 1898, Garrett Park was a busy small town with a population of over a hundred and containing more than 30 buildings. Much of life centered around the trains and the station, the railroad being the only public transportation in the early years. The trains to and from Washington were numerous, as many as nine a day into the city, with train service on Saturdays and Sundays.
Uptons, a discount department store that started in Georgia in 1985 and grew to 75 stores across the east coast by the mid 90s, opened a Montgomery County location in the Kentlands where The Colonnade development currently stands.
In addition to riding the carousel, families are welcome to enjoy many other FREE activities throughout the Park, including live music & performances, kids’ arts & crafts, open artist studios & galleries, and lots more (see below)! Plus, the star of the show: carousel rides!
With the 130th annual Laytonsville Community Parade returning to Laytonsville on Saturday, May 14 “Better Together for 130 Years” after a couple years off due to Covid-related concerns, we wanted to share some history on the town. Information and Pictures courtesy of the Laytonsville Historical Center:
Laytonsville has stood as a crossroad to the history of Maryland for over two centuries. The intersection of the northern district of the town provides a route to the major metropolitan areas of the state– Damascus and Frederick County, to the east to Baltimore, to the south toward Washington, D.C., and to the west the Potomac River. Although in January 1998 Laytonsville is still a cozy town, its small size, 614 acres and a population of 295, belies its long and interesting history.