General Montgomery County History
Montgomery County: A Rich History
Speaker: William Offutt
This slide lecture provides an overview of the county's past and its people from the era of Indian settlements to today's urban-suburban development. The lecture is illustrated with slides which evoke the past and indicate the vast changes in the county.
Montgomery County Towns, People and Places
An Introduction to Montgomery County History
Speaker: William Offutt
Introduction to County history; a slide show review of local history from colonial days to the present with an emphasis on both people and places, especially in the era of the streetcar suburbs.
Bethesda and Chevy Chase
Speaker: William Offutt
A comparison of the growth and development as well as interaction of the two suburbs with selected slides.
The Georgetown Branch of the B&O - "the little railroad that isn't"
Speaker: William Offutt
This is the story of the little train that isn't. It was for almost a hundred years hauling coal, oil, lumber and other supplies into Bethesda and down to Georgetown. It plowed right through some very up-scale neighborhoods and provided the cement, wood, cinder blocks, steel and bricks of a lot of construction products and the GSA's power plant. It helped build both the Cathedral and the Lincoln Memorial. Closed and abandoned in the 1980's it was reborn as the Capital Crescent Trail and now there is talk of a new railway, the Purple Line, over the same right-of-way.
The Ballad of Chevy Chase and How County Property Has Evolved Through the Years
Speaker: Donna Evers
A glimpse of how Montgomery County's housing communities have evolved into the highly sought after neighborhoods they are today, with special attention to the ballad of Chevy Chase. This story details an ambitious plan to develop high-end real estate in the middle of nowhere; transforming a treeless pasture into the coveted suburb at the gateway to the nation's capital. The program features photographs depicting the progression of housing stock over the years, to the homes that please the eye today. It lasts approximately 30 minutes.
Scandals and Mysteries of Chevy Chase
Speaker: William Offutt
Everything from where did the money come from to where did the castle go – a look at some events, both serious and otherwise.
Cabin John: Legends and Life of an Uncommon Place
Speaker: Judith Welles
A slide show about the mystery of the name Cabin John and legends of lost lovers, ghosts, pirates and buried treasure. Historic photos of the Union Arch Bridge and the Cabin John Hotel, a resort destination from 1870s to 1931 that attracted Washington socialites and U.S. Presidents. Judith Also offers a "History Walk" through a part of Cabin John to compliment this presentation.
The Road to Damascus: Churches Along New Hampshire Avenue
Speaker: Patricia Andersen
Summary forthcoming.
The History of Gaithersburg, Maryland
Speaker: Judith Christensen
The History of Germantown, Maryland
Speaker: Susan Soderberg
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Rockville: Rockville in the 1920s
Speaker: Eileen McGuckian
A look at the small town America's favorite writer knew in the 1920s, with an explanation of how F. Scott Fitzgerald came to be buried in Rockville --twice! (Slide presentation.)
The History of Rockville Pike: A 300 Year Journey
Speaker: Eileen McGuckian
Using historic and contemporary photographs, local historian Eileen McGuckian presents a tour of the Rockville Pike from its beginnings as a Native American path to the "Golden Mile". (Slide presentation.)
Rockville, Maryland: 250 Years of History
Speaker: Eileen McGuckian
An armchair tour of historic Rockville -- from colonial times to the present - with the author of Rockville: Portrait of a City, the definitive history of our county seat. Come with your questions! (Slide presentation.)
Women Who Dared: A Guide to the Places in Rockville Where Women Dared to Challenge Expectations Both in Society and in Themselves.
Speaker: Mary van Balgooy
Recently published as a guide by the Gazette and Washington Post, this informative lecture focuses on the local women's history.
Rockville's Victorian Heritage
Speaker: Judith Christensen
Stories from Rockville’s Underground Railroad
Speaker: Maude McGovern
Hear about Josiah Henson (the model for the title character of Uncle Tom’s Cabin) who risked all for freedom. Find out about the young Ann Maria Weems who escaped slavery in Rockville dressed as a coachman and whose story vividly illustrates the twists and turns of ongoing research on the Underground Railroad. Learn about two sisters from a prominent Rockville family who exemplify the differences between slaveholders.
From Corn to Commuters: How the Coming of the Railroad Changed the Way of Life and the Future of Montgomery County
Speaker: Susan Soderberg
This PowerPoint presentation tells the story of how the coming of the railroad changed the face of Montgomery County forever. Featured are the railroad stations designed by Francis Baldwin, extraordinary feats of engineering such as the curving trestle over Little Seneca Creek and the Bollman Truss viaduct over the Monocacy River, and new suburban and agricultural towns spawned by this catapult into the Industrial Age. The talk explores how this branch line became the mainstay of the B & O Railroad and evolved into the current commuter and freight line. This presentation is based on Susan's book The Met: A History of the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad, published in 1998 by the Germantown Historical Society.
The Loughborough Family of Montgomery County
Speaker: James Johnston
For 162 years, the Loughboroughs were one of the most prominent families in Washington and southern Montgomery County. Nathan Loughborough was a Quaker, working for the Treasury Department in Philadelphia, who moved here with the government in 1800. After he left government, he applied his financial expertise on the board of the Farmers and Mechanics Bank in Georgetown, the C&O Canal Company, and the Washington (Rockville) Turnpike. He owned twin townhouses in Georgetown, a 250-acre estate in northwest Washington called Grasslands, an 800-acre tobacco farm in Bethesda called Milton, and an estate in Middleburg, Virginia that later became the famous Melon farm there. Loughboro Road and Loughborough Lane are named for him. Later generations of the family fought in the Civil War on the Confederate side and aided the Confederacy. They also left memoirs of those times which can now be found in speaker James Johnston's new book on the Loughborough family entitled, The Recollections of Margaret Cabell Brown Loughborough: A Southern Woman's Memories of Richmond, VA and Washington, DC in the Civil War. To learn more about the book and the Loughborough family visit the speaker's blog at http://margaretsrecollections.wordpress.com.
Montgomery's County Prehistory: A 12,000 Year Story
COMING SOON!!
Archaeological Sites in Montgomery County, Maryland
Speaker: Don Housley
This PowerPoint presentation provides an introduction to both prehistoric and historical archaeological sites located on park land in Montgomery County and the techniques used by county archaeologists to unearth the past. A list of upcoming public archaeology programs and tours will be provided.
Montgomery County Gold Mine History
Speaker: Walter Goetz
Walt presents a slide show and talk about the gold mines that were prevalent in Montgomery County, beginning in 1865 and continuing off and on until 1959. His talk includes interesting anecdotes and historical facts of this little known piece of County history. Walt draws from his collection, the largest in existence, of Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia documents, photographs and personal interviews with former local gold miners. He has authored 3 books on this subject: Maryland Gold Fever, Montgomery (MD) Gold Fever, and Fairfax (VA) Gold Fever.
Mining in Montgomery County
Speaker: Jeff Nagy
The Fountain Company: Colonial Copper Mining in Montgomery County
Speaker: Jeff Nagy
Mills in Montgomery County
Speaker: Don Housley
This PowerPoint presentation focuses on the rise and fall of the milling industry in Montgomery County. The talk describes the nature and diversity of milling operations on the major stream valleys in the County, along with some archaeology done on selected mill sites.
