November 2010

The Sandy Spring Museum's extensive artifact and document collection illuminates the rich 18th, 19th, and 20th century history that took place in this small Maryland town.

The collection features a number of items relating to the War of 1812, such as objects and documents from James Madison's 1814 flight from the advancing British army, during which he spent a night in Sandy Spring.

The museum's collection also includes a letter from Dolley Madison to the mother of the prominent local Quaker Edward Stabler, who would later design the seal for the U.S. Senate and Supreme Court. Stabler had been jailed during the War of 1812 as a result of his pacifism. In the letter, Dolley Madison promises Stabler's mother that she will intercede for his release.

Additionally, the many collection items relating to manumission in Sandy Spring offer visitors a look into antebellum Maryland's uniquely hybrid border-state society, which consisted of slaves, free blacks, and whites working side-by-side.

Less than 800 years ago, Wupatki Pueblo was the largest pueblo around. It flourished for a time as a meeting place of different cultures. Yet this was one of the warmest and driest places on the Colorado Plateau, offering little obvious food, water, or comfort. How and why did people live here? The builders of Wupatki and nearby pueblos have moved on, but their legacy remains. The monument was established by President Calvin Coolidge on December 9, 1924, to preserve Citadel and Wupatki pueblos. The boundaries have been adjusted several times since then, and now include additional pueblos and other archeological resources on a total of 35,422 acres. Wupatki represents a cultural crossroads, home to numerous groups of people over thousands of years. Understanding of earlier people comes from multiple perspectives, including the traditional history of the people themselves and interpretations by archeologists of structures and artifacts that remain. The site offers several different trails for visitors to walk, hike, and see the various pueblos.

Distinct historic themes pertinent to the City of Rocks National Reserve include American Indian habitation, the fur trade, westward migration, the development of national and regional transportation networks, agricultural development, and recreation and tourism. Stories of conflict between Indians and newcomers, stagecoach bandits, and range wars represented fleeting moments in the history of the region. However, because they personify the Wild West, these events captured the imagination of local residents and of visitors, and stories thereof have been repeated and embellished accordingly. Overland migration was similarly fleeting, yet ultimately led to the settlement of the West, to homestead legislation, and to the growth of agricultural communities — the region's most consistent and long term land use in the post-settlement era.

Visitors can view the distinctive geology and the historic signatures on rock spires written in axle grease by emigrants traveling the California Trail (1843-1869).

Christiansted National Historic Site, on the island of St Croix in the Virgin Islands, was established in 1952 through the initiative of concerned local citizens. The park’s mandate is twofold - to preserve the historic structure and grounds within its boundaries, and to interpret the Danish economy and way of life here between 1733 and 1917. From 1734 until 1803, Christiansted was an important port on the infamous Triangular Trade, which took trinkets and rum from Europe to Africa, slaves to the Caribbean, and sugar and molasses to New England or Europe.

This forest of rock spires was eroded from layers of ash deposited by the Turkey Creek Volcano eruption 27 million years ago. The 8 mile paved scenic drive and 18 miles of day-use hiking trails provide opportunities to discover the beauty, natural sounds, and inhabitants of this 11,985 acre site. Visit the Faraway Ranch Historic District to discover more about the people who have called this area home: Chiricahua Apaches, Buffalo Soldiers, Erickson and Stafford families.

Founded in 1965, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has expanded from a two acre campus to an 18-acre waterfront. On permanent display are collections of Chesapeake Bay artifacts, visual arts, and watercraft. There are also exhibits about a wide swath of topics, ranging from Native American life to naval history to recreation in the Bay area. The exhibits are not only static displays but include people from the area who can speak directly about what life was (and is) like around the Chesapeake Bay.

Originally, the C&O Canal was a lifeline for communities and businesses along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, grain and other agricultural products floated down the canal to market.

In the 19th century the C&O Canal provided jobs and opportunities for people throughout the Potomac River Valley. Today the canal's remains provide a place to recreate and enjoy nature, but most importantly they tell the story of the canal's important role in many aspects of American history. These include western expansion, transportation, engineering, the Civil War, immigration, industry and commerce.

Six visitor centers along the canal include Georgetown (202-653-5190), Great Falls Tavern (301-767-7100), Brunswick (301-834-7100), Williamsport (301-582-0813), Hancock (301-678-5463), and Cumberland (301-722-8226).

On display in the visitor center are a full-scale reproduction of the 1902 glider, a full-scale reproduction of the 1903 flying machine, an engine block from the original 1903 Flyer, and a reproduction of the Wright's first wind tunnel. Here, visitors can also climb Big Kill Devil Hill for a breathtaking view of the area from sound to sea and stand on the same spot where the brothers made their first flights. Atop the Hill, stands the 60 ft. Pylon - the site where Wilbur and Orville conducted their glider experiments and a large granite boulder marks the spot where the first plane left the ground.

The Montgomery County Historical Society uses its historic buildings, collections and educational programs to provide for the county's residents to find a common ground through history.

The Montgomery County Historical Society's artifact collections consist of over 10,000 objects, encompassing the history of our county from the pre-contact era to the present day.  Our collections include textiles, household goods, toys and recreational items, weapons, agricultural and industrial tools, furniture and decorative arts, and many other items, all of which help to tell the story of everyday life in Montgomery County.  We also have a large collection of 19th and early 20th century medical tools and books related to the Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine on our Rockville campus.

Originally named the Ocean City Life-Saving Station, the Life-Saving Service and later the U. S. Coast Guard actively used the building until 1964. The life-saving station was part of the coastal system, established by the United States Treasury Department, for the saving of vessels in distress and lives in peril upon the water.