Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems

Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems - www.kevindayhoff.com Address: PO Box 124, Westminster MD 21158 410-259-6403 kevindayhoff@gmail.com Runner, writer, artist, fire & police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist & artist: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, technology, music, culture, opera... National & International politics www.kevindayhoff.net For community: www.kevindayhoff.org For art, technology, writing, & travel: www.kevindayhoff.com

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

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Historical Society of Carroll Co to celebrate Carroll County’s 175 birthday Jan. 19

The Historical Society of Carroll County Invites You to the County's 175th Birthday on January 19, 2012 at 7:00p.m. Holy Cross Hall at the Church of the Ascension - Westminster

Holy Cross Hall in the Church of the Ascension will be the site of the annual Carroll County birthday party on January 19 at 7:00 p.m. Enjoy cake and punch with fellow Carroll Countians as we celebrate the 175th anniversary of the County's founding in 1837.

"Meet Dr. Beanes."

Through a first-person living history presentation by Paul E. Plamann, a senior staff member at Fort McHenry National Monument, we will discover a lesser known, but very important, figure in the story behind the 1814 British attack on Baltimore and the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

After the Battle of Bladensburg in August 1814, as the British forces were withdrawing from Upper Marlboro, two drunken stragglers were arrested by Dr. William Beanes, and thrown into jail.

One escaped, caught up to his unit and reported what had happened. A detachment of British soldiers returned to Upper Marlboro to free the imprisoned soldier and to arrest Dr. Beanes.

In order to obtain the release of Dr. Beanes, the townspeople of Upper Marlboro enlisted the help of Francis Scott Key of Georgetown.

Beanes, Key and an American army colonel (Skinner) were taken into custody by the British and detained eight miles off-shore from the shelling of Ft. McHenry. "By dawn's early light," they saw the American flag still flying over Ft. McHenry which led to Key's penning what became our national anthem.

Location:

The Church of the Ascension - Holy Cross Hall
23 N. Court St. Westminster, MD 21157
Free parking is available in the lot on Ralph Street. Free admission.
For more information, call the HSCC at 410-848-6494


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Sunday, June 19, 2011

Kevin Dayhoff Eldersburg Patch: Juneteenth Independence Day and Slavery's History in Carroll County




Juneteenth Independence Day and Slavery's History in Carroll County

The holiday dates back to the end of the Civil War and celebrates freedom for more than 250,000 slaves.
&nbps;0 Comments
June 19 is recognized by 38 states as a state holiday marking Juneteenth Independence Day--or Emancipation Day.  Juneteenth is not a state holiday in Maryland.
The origin of the holiday dates back to the end of the Civil War and celebrates freedom being granted to more than 250,000 slaves.
It began when Union General Gordon Granger arrived with 2,000 federal troops in Galveston, Texas, on June 18, 1865. This was more than two months after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on the afternoon of April 9, 1865.
One of the foremost matters on the mind of Granger was to take possession of the rebel state of Texas and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862.
The proclamation carried an effective date of January 1, 1863; although in reality, in Texas and most of the states in rebellion, it had little impact on the enslaved population of the south--and freed few, if any, slaves.
Granger was determined to change that, at least in Texas.  On June 19, 1865 he stood upon the balcony of the Ashton Villa and read the contents of “General Order No. 3,” which put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation throughout the state.
The result was a spontaneous community celebration that has been observed every year ever since.
In 1840, almost 30 years before the first Juneteenth celebration, the population of Carroll County was 17,421. ...  http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/juneteenth-independence-day-and-slaverys-history-in-carroll-county#c

Annual Juneteenth, History, History Carroll Co., Diversity Civil Rights, Diversity, Diversity African-American, Dayhoff Media Eldersburg Patch, 


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http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/juneteenth-independence-day-and-slaverys-history-in-carroll-county#c

Friday, June 06, 2008

20080606 D-Day, Carroll County, and the famed 29th Division


D-Day, Carroll County, and the famed 29th Division

(c) By Kevin Dayhoff

29th Div shoulder patch: Nicknamed "Blue and Gray,” the division's motto is "29, Let's Go!" The shoulder patch is a half-blue, half-gray Chinese taijitu; this patch was approved December 14, 1917 and was designed by Maj. James A. Ulio.

Writer’s note: Excerpts of this column appeared in my column in The Sunday Carroll Eagle on June 1st, 2008

Today is the anniversary of “D-Day.” It was at 6:30 in the morning on June 6, 1944 that Allied forces began the campaign to retake Europe from Nazi Germany.

The D-Day campaign began with what historians consider to be one of the largest single-day military operations in history. Over 130,000 troops landed on five beaches along 50 miles of Normandy coast between the Cotentin Peninsula and the Orne River with the support of approximately 196,000 Allied navy personnel.

The amphibious landings portion of D-Day was given the codename “Operation Overlord.” It was divided into five operational zones which were identified by the codenames Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword, and Utah.

American troops landed on the two western beaches, Utah and Omaha. British and Canadians landed at Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches.

Many Carroll countians fought with the 29th Division, who along with V Corps and the 1st Infantry Division made up the total of 34,250 troops, 3,300 vehicles, who landed at “Omaha Beach.” They were backed-up with naval support provided by two battleships, three cruisers, 12 destroyers and 105 other ships.

The Omaha operation was subdivided into ten sectors, which were named, from west to east: Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog Green, Dog White, Dog Red, Easy Green, Easy Red, Fox Green, and Fox Red.

The 29th Division’s responsibilities were the Able, Baker, Charlie, and Dog Green sectors the western half of the five-mile long beach on the northern coast of France, which stretched from Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to Vierville-sur-Mer.

According to numerous historical accounts, assessments of the defenses located in the Omaha field of operation were incorrect and for a number of reasons, nothing went as planned at the Omaha beach landing and the results were disastrous.

One account of the events indicate that Company A of the 116th Regimental Combat Team comprised of approximately 240 soldiers had 50 percent casualties within 15 minutes of landing at Dog Green and were almost hopelessly pinned down at the water’s edge.

Several hours later the assessment of the operation was so dire that the First Army commander, Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley actually considered withdrawing the soldiers off the beachhead.

Valor and heroic action on the part of the Carroll countians who fought that day prevailed. The beach that stretched before them was at the most, 200 yards wide but was mined, and fenced with multiple lines of barbed wire, among many other deadly obstacles.

At the other end were steep banks from anywhere from 100 to 170 foot tall, upon which the German defenders manned machine gun nests which dominated the beachhead with interlocking fields of fire.

The 29th Division went on to see 242 days of combat as they progressed from Normandy, crossed the Elle River, engaged in combat from hedgerow to hedgerow to overtake St. Lo, fought across the Rhineland and into Central Europe.

As a result, two soldiers in the 29th Division were awarded the Medal of Honor, 44 were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, one Distinguished Service Medal, 854 Silver Stars, 17 Legion of Merit, 24 Soldier’s Medal and 6,308 Bronze Stars.

After the war, the 29th Division finally returned home on January 4, 1946.

One column certainly does not do justice to the storied history of the 29th Division. More of the origins and history of the 29th Division can be addressed in later columns. Meanwhile, we’d like to hear from veterans who served in the 29th Division. If you or someone you know served; please be in touch so that we may include your stories in later columns…

Carroll County can be proud of our native sons who were among the 29th Division -and all the men and women who served our country during World War II, in the face of horrendous circumstances. They served so that we could remain free and enjoy our quality of life. We owe them a debt we can never repay.

*****

20080606 D-Day, Carroll County, and the famed 29th Division

Sunday, March 23, 2008

20080316 The Carroll Sunday Eagle: Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety by Kevin Dayhoff

Last Sunday’s, March 16th, 2008 Sunday Carroll Eagle column was:

Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety

03/16/08 by Kevin Dayhoff EAGLE ARCHIVE (806 words)

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=885695&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

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Many people have been commenting about how early Easter is this year. In fact, the last time Easter was as early as March 23 was 1913.

(I think they had wooden jelly beans back then.)

But a later Easter doesn't ensure good weather for Holy Week. I wonder how many readers remember the Palm Sunday blizzard of 1942. It was the fifth worse snowstorm in Carroll County history, as folks were greeted by 22 inches of snow on March 29, 1942.

It also included an important "first," as noted in a newspaper article: "Our municipal authorities, for the first time, saw fit to clear the greater portion of Main Street, and some of the important cross streets.

"Whatever the cost, we would say it certainly was an important step. ... The work was done by Thomas, Bennett and Hunter, road contractors, using their large road graders. The removal was rapid and proved to be a most successful method."

That Sunday, just months after America entered World War II, was a time a great anxiety.

One newspaper editorial explained: "1942 will enter in the midst of the (most) destructive war the world has ever known. The picture is a dark one, filled with doubts, uncertainties, a year that will test the mettle of our citizens, our men in service, but there is no doubt that all will stand the test and unite in the defense of our country, our flag and our president."

During that Palm Sunday of 1942, peace on Earth was, unfortunately, not in the minds of all. One fear on the minds of local folks was, "What to do in the event of an air raid?"

At the end of 1941, the "Air Raid Warden for Carroll County," W. Warfield Babylon, published a full newspaper page with detailed instructions as to what to do if the enemy were to launch an air raid on Carroll County.

It was a different time and a different era.

How many of us can remember the "Civil Defense Shelters" scattered through the county? How many had air raid shelters in the basement of their homes?

The air raid instructions began with advice that, alas, could be useful even today:

"Above all, keep cool.

Don't lose your head.

Do not crowd the streets, avoid chaos, prevent disorder and havoc.

You can fool the enemy.

If planes come over, stay where you are.

Don't phone unnecessarily.

The chance you will be hit is small."

Of course, the anxieties of the 1940s have been replaced by the anxieties of 2008, including rapidly increasing prices for essentials, taxes and concerns about the economy.

Yet one challenge Carroll did not have in 1942 was debt. An historical reference to a Jan. 2, 1942 article in The Sun touted that the Board of County Commissioners "paid off $25,000 to make Carroll County debt-free.

"Carroll County was probably the only county in Maryland in 1942 that could claim such a distinction. With a tax rate of 90 cents on $100, Carroll had the lowest tax in the state with the exception of Queen Anne's County. Two-thirds of tax money collected from county residents went to fund schools."

***

Today, Palm Sunday is here and many of us can't wait for spring.

Christians celebrate today as "Passion Sunday" -- the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem to a path covered with palm branches. The crowds that greeted him also waved palm branches. (One can read all about it in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19.)

Palm Sunday can appear anywhere on the calendar from March 15 to April 18. If you're like me, you wonder why the dates vary from year to year.

It's because Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the "Paschal Full Moon." To make it even more a mystery, the Paschal Full Moon is not an astronomical event, but a date calculated by folks with a huge Excel spreadsheet in 325 AD.

Really.

Of course, I don't bother remembering when Palm Sunday and Easter occur on the calendar -- I just ask my wife. Women have mysterious powers that allow them to know these things.

Hope springs eternal

Heading back to 1942 again, Bob Hope hosted the 14th Academy Awards at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Best picture was, "How Green Was My Valley."

OK, movie buffs, for this week's Sunday Carroll Eagle coffee mug, what was the other famous movie from 1941, often heralded as perhaps the best film ever made -- yet it did not win the Academy Award for best picture? Here's a hint: In the spirit of spring, think of the word, "Rosebud."

Think you know? Send me an e-mail at kdayhoff@carr.org and we'll draw one winner from the magic hat.

Heck, I'll even fill the mug with jelly beans. (Not the wooden kind.)

When he's not dreaming of spring, Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kdayhoff AT carr.org.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff http://www.livejournal.com/

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams

NBH

*****

The Sunday Carroll Eagle: October 28, 2007 - On October 28th, 2007 the publication for which I write, The Westminster Eagle and The Eldersburg Eagle, (which is published by Patuxent Newspapers and owned by Baltimore Sun); took over the Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun.

“The Sunday Carroll Eagle ” is inserted into the newspaper for distribution in Carroll County. For more information, please contact:

Mr. Jim Joyner, Editor, The Westminster Eagle

121 East Main Street

Westminster, MD 21157

(410) 386-0334 ext. 5004

Jjoyner AT Patuxent DOT com

For more posts on “Soundtrack” click on: Sunday Carroll Eagle

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Sunday%20Carroll%20Eagle

20071028 The Sunday Carroll Eagle introduction

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/10/20071028-sunday-carroll-eagle.html

Also see: Monday, October 22, 2007: 20071021 Baltimore Sun: “To our readers”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/10/20071021-baltimore-sun-to-our-readers.html

Friday, March 09, 2007

20070308 Winchester Report: “A Sordid Saga.”



Winchester Report: “A Sordid Saga.”

“Union Mills reservoir and the pumpkin patch”

As appeared in my “Winchester Report” blog on the Westminster Eagle web site:

A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins

Note: see also, “20070307 A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins ” on “Soundtrack.”

By Kevin Dayhoff March 8th, 2007

Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in Carroll County will add another layer of protection to the site of the “pumpkin papers,” and this national treasure is not threatened.

Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch&...[Read full story]

_____

A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins

03/08/07

By Kevin Dayhoff

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Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in Carroll County will add another layer of protection to the site of the “pumpkin papers,” and this national treasure is not threatened.

Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch” farm just north of Westminster, in Carroll County Maryland has resurfaced in the news.

The Chambers’ Pipe Creek Farm was the scene of the “pumpkin papers” incident in which a former communist spy; Whittaker Chambers, defected to become a champion of the anti-communist cause at the beginnings of the cold war in 1948.

Mr. Chambers hid U.S. State Department documents in hollowed-out pumpkins on his Carroll County farm. Once he gave the documents to then- Congressman Richard Nixon, the entire issue of communists and communism in the United States gripped the nation for many years in what has become known as the “McCarthy era.”

The “pumpkin papers” named a local Baltimorean and Baltimore City High School and Johns Hopkins University graduate, Alger Hiss, as a communist spy.

The national, if not international story of intrigue, spies, and the beginnings of the cold war all took place in Carroll County with roles played by Carroll County and Baltimore citizens.

It is now almost 60 years later and intrigue and conspiracy continue to abound.

Since January, Carroll County officials have been plagued with persistent rumors and conspiracy theories, some of which have been published in local newspapers, that Carroll County wants to “seize” the old Chambers “pumpkin patch” farm. Good folks, good journalists and conspiratorialists alike have been “had” by this misinformation.

The misinformation seems to continue to grow legs and is about as far from the position of Carroll County officials as one could get. Carroll County is not trying to take the farm.

I attended what appears to be the genesis of the misinformation; the December 14th, 2006 “Public Hearing ~ Carroll County Water & Sewerage Master Plan.”

The public hearing was poorly attended except for a couple of gentleman who politely and eloquently expressed concern for their property which seemed to be involved in the proposed reservoir. Anyone can understand that. However, assurances were made by county officials that they were sensitive to the concerns of the citizens.

Somehow, from there, the alarm was quickly spread that the county was about to begin “seizing” land for the project even though that has not been the practice and policy of past commissioners and there seems to be no indication by the present Carroll County Board of Commissioners to go in that direction.

But, the casual reader and any person seriously interested in this aspect of our national history could read certain news accounts and walk away with the impression that the pumpkin patch will cease to exist as a result of the reservoir project. This is not true.

In the Internet age, where news is 24/seven, there is an epidemic of misinformation getting legs and if it is repeated often enough “it becomes true.”

Folks who have been “had” by the great “seizing” conspiracy are in good company - with ah, count them, 12 members of Congress who wrote to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on January 12th, 2007.

They wrote, in part;

“We are writing to express our support for continued preservation of an important National Historic Landmark located within Carroll County, known as Pipe Creek Farm. All steps must be taken to preserve the integrity of this property, having served as the home of a great patriot and noted author, Whittaker Chambers.”

So far – so good. From what I am aware of the attitude of Carroll County officials, they are also interested in “preserve(ing) the integrity of this property.”

So what is the problem?

It’s in the next paragraph:

“We understand that the Carroll County Commissioners are considering a water plan that includes the creation of a Union Mills reservoir which, if completed, would destroy a significant portion of this national treasure…”

The letter is signed by Members of Congress, Ros-Lehtine, Bartlett, Gilchrest, Mario Diaz-Balart, Wolf, Wilson, King, Bordallo (from Guam,) Feeney, Boozman, McCotter and Lincoln Diaz-Balart.

Well, it is true that the Commissioners are considering the creation of a Union Mills Reservoir. As has been considered since the mid 1970s when the City of Westminster first proposed the reservoir.

As I wrote on February 28th, 2007 in my Westminster Eagle column titled, “Recalling when B's Coffee Shoppe was all abuzz:”

In line with expanding the city's water supplies, in the mid-1970s, plans were made for Westminster to build another reservoir, this one to be located on Big Pipe Creek in Union Mills.

When the $5 million dollar reservoir was presented to the public, the public rose up in arms saying the city did not need the water and that the project was a waste of ratepayer money.

By September 1976, the project was shelved.

History, of course, has proven that the council was correct in pursuing the project and we would be in a lot different position today if it had been allowed to go forward.

However, fast forwarding to today, the waters of the proposed reservoir will hardly come within a mile of the present day unmarked location of the “pumpkin patch” which now rests in an otherwise nondescript field.

The Carroll County officials who are in a decision making role in this matter are keenly, and personally, interested in preserving the integrity of the site of the “pumpkin papers” – so it is simply baffling as to how this matter got all wound around the axles of misinformation.

Why didn’t the gang of 12 Congressmen contact Carroll County officials before they sent the letter? Every member of Congress who did contact Carroll County officials did NOT send a letter.

Unfortunately another one of the Congressman who has been “had” in this saga was Congressman Roscoe Bartlett who wrote to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on January 3rd, 2007.

Congressman Bartlett wrote in part:

“It is my hope that the Commissioners of Carroll County will value, even treasure, this very special farm, that you will do all in your power to keep it whole, and protect its integrity for this and future generations to study and know.”

And here lies the really bizarre part of the story. Contrary to what is being circulated, the Union Mills reservoir project will add another layer of historic protection to the site of the “pumpkin papers,” which is already in agricultural preservation -- and preserve the site in perpetuity.

This is a good thing. The county wants a watershed protection easement which will concurrently give the site addition historic protection.

Click Here to See a PDF of a County Map Depicting the Historic Chambers Farm in Relation to the Proposed Union Mills Reservoir

The “lake” area of the Union Mills reservoir will only encompass approximately 325 acres. The balance of the 2,200 acres needed by the County that surround the “lake” are for the purposes of watershed protection. The county commissioners have reported that the county already owns 1500 acres of the needed watershed protection area – to be preserved in perpetuity.

Nevertheless, in situations like the Chambers Pipe Creek Farm, where the county can get a watershed protection easement on the property, rather than purchasing it, this is a good thing.

This watershed protection will add an additional layer of protection for the historic “pumpkin papers” site, which again, is almost a mile from the waterline.

In a response to Congressman Bartlett’s January 3rd, 2007 letter, which he penned in addition to the gang of twelve Congressmen’s January 12, 2007 letter, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners wrote on January 18th, 2007:

“With regard to the Pipe Creek Farm specifically, Carroll County has no intention of negatively impacting the field identified as the location of the famed “pumpkin patch” and has designed the reservoir in a way that minimizes impacts on the balance of the farm. Indeed, the impact anticipated by the planned reservoir… is limited to the northeastern edge of the farm where the Pipe Creek stream crosses the property.

The Pipe Creek farm is already protected from future residential development by easement sold to the Maryland Agricultural land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) in 2001. Carroll County has no interest in acquiring Pipe Creek Farm land for the purpose of constructing the reservoir beyond… the ‘normal pool level.’ We estimate this direct impact on the Pipe Creek farm to equal roughly 15.5 acres. The balance of the farm, approximately 346.5 acres, remains undisturbed and under the full control and ownership of its present owner…”

On a final note, the Union Mills reservoir was needed and should have been built in the 1970s. The need for water in Carroll County has been a basic health, safety, and welfare concern for public officials in Carroll County since the terrible drought of 2002.

To not go forward with the Union Mills reservoir would be an abrogation of one of the basic responsibilities of elected officials to Carroll County’s citizens. NIMBYism and misinformation cannot prevail.

In their January 18th, 2007 letter, the Carroll County Board of commissioners wrote:

“The need for a surface water supply for communities in northern Carroll County is real. We also believe that protecting and preserving nationally recognized sites of historic significance and irreplaceable farmland is equally important to our local, state and national well being.

Our reservoir concept, with minimal impact to the Pipe Creek Farm, satisfies both of these fundamental principles of government: protecting our past while planning for our future.”

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