Montgomery History

Montgomery History We collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of all of Montgomery County's residents.
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Join Montgomery History on November 4, 2023 for the 18th edition of the ever-popular Montgomery County History Conferenc...
09/28/2023

Join Montgomery History on November 4, 2023 for the 18th edition of the ever-popular Montgomery County History Conference. We’re again partnering with Montgomery College and will be holding it in-person on their Rockville campus. The conference will offer myriad opportunities to engage with local history,

visit https://montgomeryhistory.org/montgomery-county-history-conference/ to learn more and purchase tickets!

We hope to see you there!

Join Montgomery History at Bethesda Big Train Baseball on Thursday, September 7 for an Ice Cream Social with Bruce Adams...
08/29/2023

Join Montgomery History at Bethesda Big Train Baseball on Thursday, September 7 for an Ice Cream Social with Bruce Adams. Please RSVP to make sure we have enough ice cream!

https://forms.gle/MHknmkrEAyjHRJew9

Check out this great program at the Agricultural History Farm Park this Saturday!
08/23/2023

Check out this great program at the Agricultural History Farm Park this Saturday!

Montgomery History is seeking a skilled, experienced, and enthusiastic professional for the position of Development Dire...
07/11/2023

Montgomery History is seeking a skilled, experienced, and enthusiastic professional for the position of Development Director. The successful candidate will be an integral part of our team and will advance the organization’s mission by helping to build our base of support and increase awareness of and engagement in our activities. To apply, please review the position description on our website, and email a resume and cover letter to [email protected].

05/23/2023

Due to a personal emergency, today's talk titled “Not in My Neighborhood”: Legal Housing Discrimination against the Jewish Community in Montgomery County has been rescheduled to June 15 at 7 PM. A recording of the talk will be available afterwards. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Montgomery History has more than 75 oral histories that need to be preserved for posterity, and we need your help!Make a...
04/06/2023

Montgomery History has more than 75 oral histories that need to be preserved for posterity, and we need your help!
Make a donation today by visiting
https://montgomeryhistory.org/save-our-voices/

These recordings, dating mostly from the 1970s, are currently on reel-to-reel tapes, cassette tapes, VHS video recordings, and other outdated media formats. Unfortunately, most of the tellers have passed away. If we don't act now, their stories are in danger of being lost forever.

Help us convert these interviews into digital media that can be easily accessed and shared by making a donation today.

03/14/2023
02/09/2023

Interested in joining us to help clean-up the historic Martinsburg African-American Cemetery? Post your email in the comments or send us a DM with your email to be added to the volunteer list. The event will take place on 18 February and we will be sending more details in the coming week to those who express interest in volunteering!

Join us for a special Thursday evening History Conversation this week on "When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, an...
10/17/2022

Join us for a special Thursday evening History Conversation this week on "When Abortion Was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and Law in the United States, 1867-1973."

Abortion was legal and widely practiced in the U.S. through the first century of the country’s existence. Dr. Leslie Reagan, Professor of History, Gender and Women’s Studies, Media Studies, and Law at the University of Illinois, will discuss the practice of abortion and the consequences of its criminalization in the 1860s and ’70s. She will talk about how abortion laws were drafted and enforced, as well as the economic, racial, and religious considerations surrounding abortion law, to provide the historical context that will help us better understand where we are today.

Register for free: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_i6CALb85RfWPWFLCCzdhDg

This program is cosponsored by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County Maryland.

In honor of National Coming Out Day earlier this week, we are very excited to announce our brand new online exhibit, LGB...
10/13/2022

In honor of National Coming Out Day earlier this week, we are very excited to announce our brand new online exhibit, LGBTQ+ Heritage in Montgomery County! The exhibit covers the late 20th century (1970s-1990s) and tells the story of Montgomery County's LGBTQ+ community, which is one of both struggle and celebration.

https://sites.google.com/view/lgbtq-in-montgomery-county/home

10/04/2022

Get ready for the Preservation Awards from our friends at Montgomery Preservation Inc.! This annual awards program showcases the great work being done to save and enhance our county’s architectural heritage and historic landscapes for future generations.

 : Yesterday we launched digital access to 77,000+ pages from 1,575 issues of the Gazette and other historical local new...
09/13/2022

: Yesterday we launched digital access to 77,000+ pages from 1,575 issues of the Gazette and other historical local newspapers. Learn more about how you can view them and read our press release here: https://montgomeryhistory.org/montgomery-county-newspapers/.

This digitization effort, made possible thanks to the success of our New Life for Old News campaign, ensures that these treasured newspapers are preserved for generations to come. They are some of the best sources of local news during the mid- to late 20th century.

Topics include politics, education, entertainment, high school sports, community events, wedding and engagement announcements, obituaries, ads from now defunct popular businesses, and the rapid pace of suburbanization, the legacy of which continues to define the county today.

“'He was definitely a well-known character, as they say,' said Sarah Hedlund, archivist/librarian at Montgomery History....
08/30/2022

“'He was definitely a well-known character, as they say,' said Sarah Hedlund, archivist/librarian at Montgomery History. 'Everyone has a story about Herman Rabbitt and something eccentric he used to do.'

"...After Rabbitt’s death, those who knew him were surprised to find out that his estate was valued at more than $2 million. Much of his savings was in banks — he hadn’t eschewed them totally — but his lawyers found something while going through his papers.

"'It was basically a treasure map with directions to where to dig,' Hedlund said."

Read more via the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/29/herman-rabbitt-buried-treasure

Watch our History Conversation all about the legendary Herman Rabbitt on our website through Sunday: https://www.montgomeryhistory.org/mhconnected/watch

“This Rabbitt’s hole lined with money” was one inevitable headline.

Do you recognize the house or building in this painting 🕵️‍♀️? We have the image in our collection, but no information a...
08/29/2022

Do you recognize the house or building in this painting 🕵️‍♀️? We have the image in our collection, but no information about it. Leave a comment below to help us identify it!

Join us on August 30 for a free virtual History Conversation on the building of Washington National Cathedral! We'll tak...
08/26/2022

Join us on August 30 for a free virtual History Conversation on the building of Washington National Cathedral! We'll take you on a photographic journey through the cathedral's construction and introduce you to some key figures in that amazing story. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VO0_ItMoQjSEACXPPh_lDQ

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by for a visit with Dr. Stonestreet at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair so ...
08/18/2022

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by for a visit with Dr. Stonestreet at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair so far today! The doctor loves showing you all how he would have treated farm injuries experienced by the county’s 19th century agricultural workers. He’ll be in until 3:30, so be sure to swing by the Old Timers’ Building before his office hours are over!

This photograph in our collection shows Stoneyhurst Quarry. Stoneyhurst dates back to 1832, when Captain John Moore quar...
08/17/2022

This photograph in our collection shows Stoneyhurst Quarry. Stoneyhurst dates back to 1832, when Captain John Moore quarried stone on his land at River and Seven Locks Roads. The Moores were farmers who used their stone resources only occasionally—until Captain Moore's granddaughter, Lilly Moore Stone, turned quarrying into a full-time business in the early 1920s. She named the quarry Stoneyhurst and was involved in the day-to-day operations. Her son, J. Dunbar Stone, inherited the quarry upon her death in 1961, and his son, John P. Stone, took over the management from the 60s through the 80s, when he sold the business. Can you guess what was built or reconstructed with the stone quarried from Stoneyhurst in 1832?

This photograph in our collection documents the last delivery of mail by stagecoach to the United States Post Office in ...
08/11/2022

This photograph in our collection documents the last delivery of mail by stagecoach to the United States Post Office in Sandy Spring. In addition to being a post office, the building also served as a general store for the Sandy Spring community. Behind the mail stagecoach, you can also see a horse-drawn National Biscuit Company wagon delivering Oneeda Biscuits to the store.

Can you guess what year this last mail delivery by stagecoach took place?

This week's artifact spotlight is a black-and-white television in our collection. Can you guess when it was produced? Le...
07/25/2022

This week's artifact spotlight is a black-and-white television in our collection. Can you guess when it was produced?

Learn more about its history in our 75 Objects + 75 Stories online exhibit: https://sites.google.com/view/mchs75objects-com.

Thank you to everyone who braved the heat to join us at our Ice Cream Social on Wednesday! It was wonderful to see so ma...
07/22/2022

Thank you to everyone who braved the heat to join us at our Ice Cream Social on Wednesday! It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, and meet new ones, at our first in-person gathering since 2020.

Thank you also to Bill Hickman from Bethesda Big Train for giving a great talk on the history of local baseball!

The garden on our property has received a gorgeous makeover, thanks to our wonderful garden volunteers: Ruth Heltzer, Ba...
07/19/2022

The garden on our property has received a gorgeous makeover, thanks to our wonderful garden volunteers: Ruth Heltzer, Barbara Rosenblatt, Esther Simon, Adriana Wiseman, Karen Donato, Betty Cichy, Ginger Macomber, Sue Kreibs-Smith, Lynn Tauber, Julie Mangin, and Keri Barrett. We appreciate all your hard work, which has paid off beautifully!

The garden replicates a late-1800s medicinal herb garden. It is complete with plants that country doctors, like Dr. Stonestreet, would have given to their patients as remedies for a variety of ailments.

While you are here taking in the garden, be sure to also book a visit with Dr. Stonestreet! The Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine is open by appointment. Hear all about 19th century medical inventions and get a hands-on look at medical instruments of the past by contacting [email protected].

Join us on July 19 for a History Conversation that will unravel the history mystery of Rowser's Ford. ❗This History Conv...
07/13/2022

Join us on July 19 for a History Conversation that will unravel the history mystery of Rowser's Ford. ❗This History Conversation has been updated with 🆕 information and exciting updates regarding the mysterious location of Rowser's Ford and its importance in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Register for free here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f-a0DaS4QZm-20zBrZsOww

Join us for an ice cream social at Shirley Povich Field on July 20! Meet the Montgomery History team and learn the histo...
07/12/2022

Join us for an ice cream social at Shirley Povich Field on July 20! Meet the Montgomery History team and learn the history of local baseball from an expert—Bruce Adams, President of Bethesda Big Train. All ice cream and sundae supplies will be provided. If you want to bring your own ice cream maker for an extra fun experience, please feel free to do so (electricity will be available). We look forward to seeing you! 🍦⚾

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/TT7g28vdyTCv242H8

The Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine is open for self-guided tours today! Celebrate Heritage Days by explorin...
06/25/2022

The Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine is open for self-guided tours today! Celebrate Heritage Days by exploring and getting to know medicines, medical instruments, and medical inventions of the past.

Please note: Dr. Stonestreet will not be in today.

On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we’re sending a big congratulations to Montgomery County native Katie Ledecky on be...
06/23/2022

On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we’re sending a big congratulations to Montgomery County native Katie Ledecky on becoming the most decorated woman in world swimming championships history! Thanks to the groundbreaking legislation, women and girl athletes like Katie have the opportunity to show the world what they're capable of.

Katie Ledecky’s blistering third leg in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay helped lead her team to a gold medal at the FINA world championship in Budapest, Hungary. It was Ledecky’s… Read More

We’re celebrating Juneteenth at BlackRock Center for the Arts’ annual event in recognition of the holiday. Stop by the s...
06/18/2022

We’re celebrating Juneteenth at BlackRock Center for the Arts’ annual event in recognition of the holiday. Stop by the second floor before 4:00 to say hello and type a message to the past on one of the typewriters in our pop-up exhibit. What would you write?

The Pride flag was raised outside the Executive Office Building (EOB) in Rockville yesterday to recognize June as Pride ...
06/08/2022

The Pride flag was raised outside the Executive Office Building (EOB) in Rockville yesterday to recognize June as Pride Month. During our 2020 History Conference, Councilmember Evan Glass, the first openly LGBTQIA+ member of the County Council, donated to Montgomery History the first Pride flag to fly outside the EOB in 2019, ensuring that this piece of local history will be conserved along with 10,000+ other historical artifacts in our permanent collection. http://www.mymcmedia.org/pride-flag-raised-outside-executive-office-building-in-rockville/

Thank you to everyone who attended our walking tour of the C&O Canal at Seneca yesterday! Our guide Ralph, a popular loc...
06/07/2022

Thank you to everyone who attended our walking tour of the C&O Canal at Seneca yesterday! Our guide Ralph, a popular local historian, took us to see Riley’s Lock, Violettes Lock, the Seneca stone cutting mill ruins, and more. that the C&O Canal National Historical Park has more historic structures than any other national park? Where would you like to go on our next history walking tour?

April 17-23, 2022 is National Volunteer Week. This past year, Montgomery History’s volunteers have spent over 8250 hours...
04/19/2022

April 17-23, 2022 is National Volunteer Week. This past year, Montgomery History’s volunteers have spent over 8250 hours of their time sharing their love of history with us. Thank you!

National Library Week is April 3-9. Join us in celebrating Montgomery History's own Jane C. Sween Research Library. Name...
04/05/2022

National Library Week is April 3-9. Join us in celebrating Montgomery History's own Jane C. Sween Research Library. Named in honor of its first librarian, Jane C. Sween, the Library supports Montgomery History’s mission to collect, preserve, interpret and share the history of all Montgomery County’s residents by providing resources and research support related to local history and genealogy.

Montgomery History seeks a skilled, experienced, and enthusiastic professional for the position of Development and Commu...
03/29/2022

Montgomery History seeks a skilled, experienced, and enthusiastic professional for the position of Development and Communications Manager. The successful candidate will be an integral part of our team and will advance the organization’s mission by helping to build our base of support and increase awareness of and engagement in our activities.

Find out more, including how to apply: www.montgomeryhistory.org/jobs

Our very own Archivist and Librarian, Sarah Hedlund, has been named one of the recipients of the 2022 Women Making Histo...
03/22/2022

Our very own Archivist and Librarian, Sarah Hedlund, has been named one of the recipients of the 2022 Women Making History Award! Congratulations on truly making history Sarah!

Make sure to check out our History Conversations Special Edition! We are celebrating Black History Month with programs t...
02/11/2022

Make sure to check out our History Conversations Special Edition! We are celebrating Black History Month with programs that represent a diverse mix of topics on the unique history of African American people and communities throughout the county.

Visit us at https://bit.ly/MHBlackHistoryMonth to view programs covering such topics as Harriet Tubman, Rosenwald schools, and Emancipation in Montgomery County. This is a limited-time opportunity, so check them out today!

DON'T FORGET! Our keynote session takes place THIS FRIDAY, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. and you won't want to miss as renowne...
01/26/2022

DON'T FORGET!

Our keynote session takes place THIS FRIDAY, January 28 at 7:00 p.m. and you won't want to miss as renowned journalist Steve Roberts shares excerpts from his new book "Cokie: A Life Well Lived." Steve will reflect on his life with Cokie, her passion for Montgomery County, history, and her journalistic legacy. Cry, cheer, and laugh along with Steve as he encourages us all to live like Cokie!

More info here: https://bit.ly/montgomeryhistory-2022hc | Haven't registered yet? Don't worry, you can still get your tickets here! https://bit.ly/2022hc

We want to thank everyone who participated in our 2022 Montgomery County History Conference Trivia Night kick-off event ...
01/25/2022

We want to thank everyone who participated in our 2022 Montgomery County History Conference Trivia Night kick-off event on Friday! It was a great time and the competition was fierce!

We need to give a shout out to our winners this year as well as the generous donors who awarded prizes!

But before we continue, Trivia would not have been possible without our sponsor! A giant thank you to Chevy Chase Historical Society for partnering with us to make this event possible!

Round One Winners-
Jean Montgomery
Mike Bucci
Karen Lottes

Round Two Winners-
Anthony Cohen
Jack Marshall
Emily Correll

Round Three Winners-
Susan Cooke Soderberg
Vivian Eicke
Eileen McGuckian

And a HUGE thank you to our generous local businesses who donated prizes!
Glen Echo, Fresh Baguette, 7 Locks Brewery, Mayorga Organics, Dawson's Market, Kaldi's Social House, and keynote speaker Steve Roberts!

It is COLD! We know that there is not better cure for the burrs than to cozy up with a blanket, your favorite drink, and...
01/21/2022

It is COLD! We know that there is not better cure for the burrs than to cozy up with a blanket, your favorite drink, and win some AMAZING prizes at the 2022 Montgomery County History Conference TRIVIA NIGHT!

Trivia starts at 7:00 p.m. tonight, so make sure you grab your tickets for the conference!

Register here: https://bit.ly/2022hc | More info here: https://bit.ly/montgomeryhistory-2022hc

Address

111 W Montgomery Avenue
Rockville, MD
20850

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(301) 340-2825

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Montgomery History has been serving the local community through its exhibitions, programs, educational activities, library, and conferences since its founding in 1944. Our mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the histories of all of Montgomery County’s residents. We operate two museums on our Rockville campus (the c.1815 Beall-Dawson Museum and the Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine), manage a 9,500 piece collection of historic artifacts, operate the Jane C. Sween Research Library and Montgomery County’s official government Archives, provide a home for the county’s Genealogical Society, bring scholarly and public attention to 20th century history through the Harper Center for Suburban Studies, host an annual History Conference, and provide numerous educational and community exhibitions and events every year.


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Montgomery History's presentation of ‘I Commence My Journal . . . What Carrie Miller Farquhar Told her Diary . . . and What She Left Out’ will be available starting at 10 a.m. today, Monday, March 14. Learn more ➡️ https://buff.ly/3I5fYlk
I would like a MAP or drawing of the 1820 census/election enumeration districts for Montgomery County, can anybody help me?
Learn about the three documented cases of lynching in Montgomery County: George Peck, John Diggs-Dorsey and Sidney Randolph tomorrow, 2/12, from Archivist Sarah Hedlund of Montgomery History. She will present comprehensive narratives on these three cases. Log in at https://mcpl.events/montgomery-county-lynchings

Also, stop by Rockville Memorial Library to view the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project's "It Happened in Rockville" Remembrance Exhibit, in the Atrium through 2/28.

Montgomery County Government

Join Ralph Buglass of Montgomery History on Wednesday, 2/9 @ 1pm to learn the history of segregation in Montgomery County Public Schools--including the practice of “separate but equal," importance of education to newly-emancipated African Americans, & the desegregation process.

Log in at http://mcpl.events/school-segregation

it's hard to believe since it's within the lifetime of so many today, but before the historic 1954 Supreme Court decision - Brown vs. the Board of Education - County schools were segregated. In 1921 a 3rd (the other 2 burned down) elementary school opened with the name "Rockville Colored School."__________
Montgomery History's Celebration of will continue at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, with the online presentation An Illustrated Talk on the Life of Portia Washington Pittman. For more information, visit ➡️
? 🤔🧐

Rockville educator Williams Gibbs Jr. played a crucial role in desegregation. Gibbs, the NAACP, and lawyer Thurgood Marshall won a legal victory for equal teacher pay in Montgomery County that led to Brown v. Board of Education.

More from Montgomery History : http://bit.ly/3Ho3Lsv
Montgomery History will be hosting a virtual trivia tonight at 7pm sponsored by the Chevy Chase Historical Society as a part of the Montgomery History Conference. Register using the link below and try out this quiz as a preview of what to expect tonight! Comment with your answers.

Register here: https://bit.ly/2022hc
Understand the past to make sense of the present. --> https://bit.ly/33khOAN | Montgomery History kicks off the 16th annual Montgomery County History Conference this Friday! Join them to explore many facets of our county's past that shape our community today.
Check out Montgomery History's upcoming webinar - George W. Meads: “Rockville’s One-Man Fire Department.”

From 1895 through 1920, Prior to the founding of the RVFD, the volunteer fire department in Rockville consisted of a dedicated group of civic-minded Black men led by the first Fire Chief in the town’s history: George Meads. Archivist Sarah Hedlund relates the story of Meads’s extraordinary life as a fireman, deputy sheriff, school trustee, entrepreneur, and family man, intertwined with the early history of firefighting and other aspects of segregated community life in turn-of-the-century Rockville.

The Webinar is scheduled for Jan 11, 2022 at 02:00 PM
To register for the webinar visit the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JjL7IXldSGmQB6ib1Ny0eg

To learn more about RVFD history visit:
https://rvfd.org/about-rvfd/history/
After receiving nearly 100 submissions over the summer, we are closer to solving the mystery 🔍 of this 1865 Montgomery County map! Thank you to everyone 🕵️ who submitted their best guess for the meaning of the letter “P.”

Now read what we learned and see what we think the answer on could be on our Third Place blog! https://bit.ly/3xPkrp6 | Montgomery History
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