MoCo

Black History: African-Americans in MoCo Before the Civil War

By MCS Staff

The following comes from PLACES from the PAST: The Tradition of Gardez Bien in Montgomery County, Maryland by Clare Lise Kelly (M-NCPPC):

Though local tobacco plantations were small in scale compared to the large estates of the Deep South, they relied nonetheless on labor of enslaved people. In 1790, enslaved people were one-third the entire population in Montgomery County. The number of slaves exceeded that in Frederick County to the north (12%), but was not as large as its southern neighbor, Prince George’s County (52%). There were five times more slaves than free Blacks here in the 1840s-50s. The travesty of one person owning another and brutal treatment of enslaved people were realities of the county’s first 150 years.

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MoCo History: Montgomery County’s Early Water Mills

By MCS Staff

We previously took a look at Clopper’s Mill, which was burned down by an arsonist in 1947- leaving ruins that are still visible off of Clopper Road in Germantown today. Seneca Creek was one of the main sources of power for the first 150 years of settlement in Montgomery County. Montgomery County has 44 mills

Below, we’ve compiled information from three sources to provide you with more information on the history of water mills in Montgomery County, specifically 19 mills that were found along Seneca Creek.

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Places in Montgomery County You Will Still be Required to Wear a Mask

By Patrick Herron

Beginning today, masks are no longer required to be worn inside of gyms, restaurants, stores, and other areas.  Below is a list of places that, for the time being,  will still require masks.

Public Schools: The Maryland State Board of Education has a statewide indoor mask requirement for public schools and is meeting today (February 22nd) to discuss future plans for the mask requirement.

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Gaithersburg: Assault in Front of Lakeforest Mall Food Court Monday Morning

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police and the Gaithersburg Police Department are investigating an aggravated assault that occurred at 10:52am Monday morning outside of the food court at Lakeforest Mall (701 Russell Ave) in Gaithersburg.

An adult male has been transported to an area hospital following the assault, according to the Gaithersburg Police Department.

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Black History in MoCo: Josiah Henson

By MCS Staff

Last April, Montgomery Parks opened the Josiah Henson Museum and Park, a 3.34-acre park located at 11420 Old Georgetown Road in the Luxmanor Community of North Bethesda. The museum and park is dedicated to telling the story of resilience and perseverance in overcoming slavery, based on the detailed words and experiences of Josiah Henson – enslaved in Montgomery County for much of his life.

The Josiah Henson Museum and Park tells the inspirational life story of Reverend Josiah Henson, who was born into slavery yet defied the odds to become an influential author, abolitionist, minister, public speaker, and a world-renowned figure. One of Henson’s many accomplishments was his 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, which inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s landmark anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

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MoCo History: What Is That Building in the Woods on Clopper Road in Germantown? It’s Clopper’s Mill

By MCS Staff
Postcard, Montgomery County Historical Society, no date

If you’ve ever driven on Clopper Rd near Waring Station Rd in Germantown, you’ve likely seen the ruins of a building in the woods. That building is Clopper’s Mill, named for Francis C. Clopper, also the road’s namesake. Per the The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:

Francis C. Clopper operated a mill on Great Seneca Creek. He expanded the existing stone mill in 1834 with bricks made at his Woodlands estate. The original mill dated from 1795, and a mill had been on site as early as the 1770s. Clopper’s Mill, now in ruins, stands near Clopper and Waring Station Roads.

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Montgomery County: Indoor Mask Requirement Ends Tonight at 11:59pm

By MCS Staff

Last week the Montgomery County Council, acting as the Board of Health, announced it will not be introducing a new Board of Health regulation to extend the indoor mask requirement. This allows the current Board of Health regulation to terminate tonight (Monday, February 21st) at 11:59pm.

What does this mean?

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MCPS: Capacity Restrictions for Spectators Removed This Tuesday for Athletic Events

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Public School Athletics have announced that effective February 22, there will be no restrictions on spectator capacity related to COVID-19.

We are excited to welcome spectators back to our events at full capacity. Tickets will still be only available through GoFan.

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