Montgomery History

History Conversations REWIND: Nation’s Metropolis: The Economy, Politics, and Development of the Washington Region
2024-04-01 - 2024-04-07 | MD
with Royce Hanson and Harold Wolman | Join authors Royce Hanson and Harold Wolman as they discuss their new book, Nation’s Metropolis, which describes how the national capital region functions as a metropolitan political economy. Hanson and Wolman distinguish aspects of the Washington region that reflect its characteristics as a national capital from those common to most other metropolitan regions and to other capitals. To do so, they employ an interdisciplinary approach that draws from economics, political science, sociology, geography, and history. Originally aired July 2023.

History Conversations REWIND: Clara Jones - A Forgotten Civil War Nurse
2024-03-25 - 2024-03-31
With John Lustrea from The Civil War Medical Museum | Clara Jones is just one of many volunteer Civil War nurses who helped care for the sick and wounded of the Civil War. Her letters in the collection of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine offer a unique view into the life of one woman from Philadelphia who was compelled to do what she could to ease soldiers’ suffering. Serving on board a hospital ship on the Virginia Peninsula, and at hospitals following the battles of Second Bull Run and Gettysburg, Clara Jones saw the worst the Civil War had to offer. Hear the rarely told story of one of the Civil War’s forgotten nurses. Clara Jones is just one of many volunteer Civil War nurses who helped care for the sick and wounded of the Civil War. Her letters in the collection of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine offer a unique view into the life of one woman from Philadelphia who was compelled to do what she could to ease soldiers’ suffering. Serving on board a hospital ship on the Virginia Peninsula, and at hospitals following the battles of Second Bull Run and Gettysburg, Clara Jones saw the worst the Civil War had to offer. Hear the rarely told story of one of the Civil War’s forgotten nurses. Originally aired March, 2022.

History Conversations: Secrets of the Asylum: A Family History Journey
2024-03-19 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
with Julianne ManginTuesday, March 19 at 2:00 p.m. | What do you do when your family stories don’t add up? All Julianne Mangin had wanted to do was fact-check her mother’s cryptic stories. But when she acquired her grandmother’s patient record from the state hospital, the secrets just poured out. In her book, Secrets of the Asylum: Norwich State Hospital and My Family, she used patient records, genealogical methods, and DNA testing to piece together a family story that reads like a Dickens novel. Weaving in what she learned about intergenerational trauma and the consequences of family secrets, Mangin has created a testament to the power of family history to empower people and heal old wounds. Register here.

History Conversations: The Past, Present and Future of the Bethesda Meeting House – “the church that named Bethesda.”
2024-03-14 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
with Hank Levine, President of the Bethesda Meeting House FoundationThursday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. | Despite being among the community’s most storied buildings, the Bethesda Meeting House — “the church that named Bethesda” — was vacant and deteriorating when acquired last year by the Bethesda Historical Society. Constructed in 1820 (and rebuilt in 1850 after a fire) it features a rare “slave gallery,” was the town’s first Post Office, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation. Tradition has it that Abraham Lincoln worshipped there, and it was occupied by Confederate cavalry during Jubal Early’s raid on Washington in July 1864. Join Hank Levine for an illustrated tour of this iconic building’s history, architecture, and significance.

History Conversations REWIND: Sharing The Burden: Women in Cryptology during World War II
2024-03-04 - 2024-03-10
with Jennifer Wilcox, National Cryptology Museum Director of Education | Women played a large, but rarely told, role in WWII cryptology. College women were recruited from math departments at colleges around the country to learn cryptanalysis. Thousands of other women joining the Army and Navy were assigned to code work operating machines that broke enemy codes or transmitting coded messages to Washington. This is their story. First aired in March 2023Recording available right here March 4-10.

History Conversations: Potomac Marble: The History of the Search for the Ideal Stone
2024-02-27 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
Tuesday, February 27 at 2 p.m.with Paul Kreingold | In his talk on “Potomac Marble: The History of the Search for the Ideal Stone,” Paul Kreingold explores the aftermath of Washington’s 1814 destruction by the British, highlighting President Monroe and Benjamin Latrobe’s quest to rebuild the capital with symbolic and aesthetically pleasing materials. They selected Potomac Marble, a limestone conglomerate found along the Potomac River, for the Capitol’s columns. Kriengold discusss the challenges they faced, including political opposition and quarrying difficulties. His research has led to the rediscovery of these historic quarries, and he will present polished samples, discuss the British’s methods for burning stone buildings, early 19th-century quarrying techniques, and the use of the Potomac Canal for transporting the stone to Washington, D.C. for carving.

History Conversations REWIND: Maryland Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad
2024-02-19 - 2024-02-25
with Jenny Masur | Maryland was the starting point of many unsung heroes of the Underground Railroad. Freedom seekers embarked on the perilous journey from slavery to freedom in whatever way they could. John Thompson signed onto a whaling ship. James Watkins sailed to England and became a lecturer on slavery. Hester Norman fled, was caught, and was rescued by the Black community in her husband’s Pennsylvania town. They used ruses and found allies to elude slave catchers but lived in constant fear until they obtained their freedom papers. In their adventures, these freedom seekers used initiative, determination, and courage. These qualities served them well as they achieved freedom. Jenny Masur, former National Capital Region manager for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, tells their stories. Originally presented January 2023. Recording available right here February 19 – 25.

History Conversations: Washington Grove: The Montgomery County Outlier
2024-02-13 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
New Date Tuesday, February 13 at 2 p.m.with Phil Edwards | Washington Grove is a small town in the middle of Montgomery County with a unique form of government. It was called by its first mayor, “a Town within a forest, an oasis of tranquility and a rustic jewel in the diadem of the great free state of Maryland.” One-time Mayor and Town Historian Phil Edwards will discuss how Washington Grove came to be chartered in 1873 and how it evolved into the vibrant community it is today.

History Conversations: The Making of a Pearl: The Life of Quince Orchard Resident Ida Pearl Green
2024-02-06 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
Tuesday, February 6 at 2 p.m.with Dr. Kisha Davis | Through daily weekday breakfasts with her grandmother Ida Pearl Green, Dr. Kisha Davis learned stories of family and an African American community in Quince Orchard which went much deeper than the name of her school or a road named Quince Orchard. At 105 years young, Mrs. Green is a lifelong resident of Montgomery County. Through her family’s history from slavery through integration of both schools and churches, her granddaughter shares the complex history of race relations in the county. It is a testament to resilience and turning adversity into something beautiful. Register here.

History Conversations REWIND: Her Home, Our Landmark: Designating the Cottage Home of Dr. Frieda Fromm-Reichmann
2024-01-29 - 2024-02-04
Presented by Nancy Pickard, with an introduction from Ellen Prentiss Campbell | On January 13, 2021, the Secretary of the Interior designated a small cottage in Rockville, Maryland, locally known as Frieda’s Cottage, as a National Historic Landmark. It earned this remarkable national recognition for its association with Dr. Frieda Fromm-Reichmann and her significant contributions to the field of medicine as a psychoanalyst. National Historic Landmarks are historic properties that illustrate the heritage of the United States – each landmark represents an outstanding aspect of American history and culture. Dr. Frieda Fromm-Reichmann was a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who found a new life at Rockville’s Chestnut Lodge. She became internationally renowned for her pioneering contributions to the treatment of schizophrenia and her dynamic understanding of her patients. Dr. Fromm-Reichmann was a gifted and compassionate therapist whose work is significant in medical history and remains relevant in the field today. Learn about the doctor and how Peerless Rockville acquired and restored her cottage and advocated for National Historic Landmark recognition. From the January 2023 Montgomery County History Conference. A recording will be available on this page and on https://montgomeryhistory.org/history-conversations/ From Monday, January 29 through Sunday, February 4. ​

History Conversations REWIND: A Wide Place in the Road -- The Roots of Modern Bethesda
2024-01-22 - 2024-01-28
with Hank Levine | Ever wondered how (and why) Bethesda came to be where and what it is today? Bethesda Historical Society Secretary and Tour Chair Hank Levine will take us through how, between 1750 and 1920, a fall line, a ridge line, a turnpike, a trolley line, rail lines, the coming of the automobile, and Chevy Chase set the stage for the development of Bethesda into the affluent suburb and urban center it is today. Hear (and see) stories of early churches, stores, and real estate moguls; the decades Bethesda was bypassed and almost died; the experimental animal farm that struck many as less than heaven scent; and the founding of the town’s first neighborhoods. ​

History Conversations: Elevating Indigenous Voices at the Maryland State Archives
2024-01-16 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
with Maria Day, Senior Director of Special Collections, Conservation and Library Services, Maryland State Archives | A team from the Maryland State Archives has been building partnerships with Indigenous communities in the Chesapeake region since 2019. Learn about the website, Mayis Indigenous records, where the Archives provides public access to records and information about Native Americans. Ms. Day will also talk about the team’s current work with a Pocomoke Indian Nation member to record oral histories with Tribal Knowledge-Keepers on the Eastern Shore, educator professional development, and more. Photo: The Plat of Indians Land on the Choptank River, April 27, 1782 from the Mayis Indigenous Records, S1219-1083-027.

History Conversations REWIND: Herman Rabbitt: The Man, The Money, The Legend, and The Legacy
2024-01-08 - 2024-01-14
with Sarah Hedlund | When eccentric Montgomery County cattle farmer and land speculator Herman Rabbitt died in 1972, part of his $2.5 million estate was found buried in milk cans on his property. The rest was part of a three-year legal battle between bickering heirs. But the story of his unlikely millions was only one of the strange and legendary tales from Rabbitt’s life still told and retold by old-timers today. Join Montgomery History’s Archivist and Librarian, Sarah Hedlund, to hear more about the battle for Herman’s money and other anecdotes from his unusual life. Originally aired August of 2022. ​

History Conversations REWIND: Bread & Beauty
2024-01-01 - 2024-01-07
with Claudia Kousoulas Just as the force and flow of ancient glaciers deposited soil and shaped hills, our decisions about property, policy, family, and food also shape the landscape. So much of what we value—a clean environment, local food, a diverse landscape, and a varied economy—comes together in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. This talk, based on Bread & Beauty: A Year in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve, will tell the history of the Reserve, and its historical foodways, from the foods (and drink) of the C&O Canal boatmen to the diversity captured in Elizabeth Ellicott Lea’s1850 Domestic Cookery. This program originally aired in October 2021. ​ Rewind available January 1 through January 7.

History Conversations REWIND: Fort Frederick: Three Centuries of History
2023-12-25 - 2023-12-31
with Robert Ambrose Fort Frederick was built during the French and Indian War to protect Maryland from attack, but it would play an active part of American history over the course of three centuries. The fort would see service in the 1750s, and again during the American War of Independence and Civil War. It would be owned by a former enslaved man and redeveloped into a part by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression of the 1930s. This program originally aired in October 2021. ​ Rewind available December 25 through December 31.

History Conversations: Legacy of Slavery Project at the Maryland State Archives
2023-12-19 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
with Hannah Lane The Maryland State Colonization Society was a former auxiliary of the American Colonization Society (ACS) that recruited free and manumitted black Marylanders to settle in Liberia. From 1832 to 1861, the Maryland State Colonization Society was largely supported by appropriations from the Maryland General Assembly. Join Hannah Lane, research archivist in the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland Department, in this discussion about the Papers of the Maryland Colonization Society and other resources at the Maryland State Archives. Register Here

History Conversations: Montgomery County, Then and Now: A Conversation on Recreating the Historical Photographs of Lewis Reed
2023-12-05 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
with Jeanne Gartner, Barry Gartner, and Sarah Hedlund Join the creators of Montgomery History’s upcoming online exhibit, “Montgomery County, Then and Now: Photography of Lewis Reed and Barry Gartner” as they discuss the fascinating process of recreating historical photographs. In the early 1900s, photographer Lewis Reed captured hundreds of images throughout Montgomery County, featuring iconic structures, streetscapes, homes, and towns. 100 years later, two of Reed’s grandchildren have partnered with archivist Sarah Hedlund to exhibit Reed’s images in a unique way. Working with his sister, Jeanne Gartner, who is the custodian of their grandfather’s treasure trove of photographic images, photographer Barry Gartner has been recreating his grandfather’s pictures in modern-day Montgomery County. The exhibit will present the pairs of photos side by side, illustrating in some cases timeless constancy and in many cases radical change. In this presentation, Sarah will talk with Jeanne and Barry about how this project was conceived and executed, providing historical context and behind-the-scenes stories about creating this new online exhibit—which will soon be available for you to explore!

Suburban Wasteland: Punk Culture in Montgomery County from 1977 to 2002
2023-11-27 - 2023-12-03
History Conversations REWIND Since the late 1970s, the punk rock subculture has thrived in Montgomery County. The time between the opening (1977) and closing (2002) dates of Yesterday & Today Records—a punk scene hub that both inspired and employed countless punks—was a profoundly active time for punk music and culture in Montgomery County. This presentation by John Davis–originally from the 2022 Montgomery County History Conference–explores the bands, record labels, fanzines, record stores, and other pieces of the local punk ecosystem that made Montgomery County an integral part of the highly influential Washington, DC-area punk subculture. Rewind available November 27 – December 3.

History Conversations REWIND: Old Roads, New Histories
2023-11-20 - 2023-11-26
With Kacy Rohn For 25 years, Montgomery County’s Rustic Roads Program has protected the historic and scenic roadways that reflect the county’s agricultural character and rural origins. An update to the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan is currently in progress. This talk, originally presented during the 2022 Montgomery County History Conference, will outline the work underway to bring new roads and new histories into the program that reflect the diversity of the county’s past with previously underrepresented stories of women, freedom seekers, and early African American communities that enrich the historic landscapes traversed by these roadways. Rewind available November 20 – November 27.

History Conversations: The Gaithersburg History Project
2023-11-14 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
Historian Anthony Cohen will discuss his findings for Gaithersburg’s Black History Project. He will focus on the period after Gaithersburg was incorporated in 1878 as well as the emergence of African American settlements, businesses, and important figures. This event is part of the Gaithersburg History Project, and it’s sure to be an enlightening and thought-provoking discussion. Don’t miss out on this chance to learn more about the rich cultural heritage of our community.

18th Montgomery County History Conference
2023-11-04 08:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
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, for the first time since 2020, on their Rockville campus. As always, the conference will offer myriad opportunities to engage with local history, including a keynote address, eight breakouts, a boxed lunch, a performance, and a happy hour reception. Registration includes access to recordings of all ten sessions following the conference! The morning keynote will be about the “Black Chevy Chase” and the wide variety of techniques, not just restrictive covenants, used to prevent homeownership and development by Blacks in the early 20th century. This is one you won’t want to miss. Breakout sessions will cover such wide-ranging topics as Emory Grove’s renowned Du-Drop Inn, historic homes and barns of the Ag Reserve, the families of the Agricultural History Farm Park, Sentinel publisher Rebecca Fields, a history of enslavement in Kensington, the county’s Poor Farm, the seven enslavers who have public schools named for them, and new techniques for indigenous archaeological research. We will end the conference with “A Rockville Journal,” a peek back in time to 1850s Rockville with a portrayal of a local attorney by actor Steve LaRocque. At the conclusion of the performance, you’ll want to catch up with old friends and meet new ones at our happy hour reception. Speaker Bios Register here

History Conversations REWIND: Emancipation in Montgomery County, Maryland
2023-10-30 - 2023-11-06
With Susan Soderberg and Eileen McGuckian On November 1, 1864, Maryland became the first state below the Mason-Dixon Line to free slaves within its boundaries by popular vote. On the 156th anniversary of Emancipation in the Old Line State, two chroniclers of Montgomery County history will describe local experiences with slavery, war, emancipation, and its aftermath. Rewind available October 30 – November 6.

History Conversations: Canavest: A Final Piscataway Outpost in Colonial Maryland
2023-10-24 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
Register Here Canavest (located on Heater’s Island) was the last permanent village of the Piscataway Indians in Maryland. Various aspects of the site—which was occupied from 1699 to at least 1712—are vividly described in a series of colonial documents from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. These archival records are paired with analysis of archeological remains to provide a glimpse of late 17th and early 18th century Piscataway life. Retired Maryland Historic Trust Chief Archeologist Dennis Curry will discuss Piscataway movements over time, Piscataway material culture and lifeways, and Piscataway–English interactions.

History Conversations REWIND: Spooky Stories from the State Archives
2023-10-17 - 2023-10-24
For National Archives Month, we’re highlighting this talk with Rachel Frazier, Searchroom Coordinator at the Maryland State Archives, as we explore the spookier side of archives. Get into the Halloween spirit with strange records and spooky stories from the stacks of the Maryland State Archives, covering Montgomery County and beyond. Rewind available October 16-22.

History Conversations REWIND: First Americans and England’s Potomac Frontier, 1606-1676
2023-10-09 - 2023-10-17
In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, we’re featuring this rewind from the 2021 Montgomery County History Conference. In 1607, most of the Algonquian-speaking peoples of the Potomac River Valley not only were involved in their own alliances and squabbles, they also were linked with other peoples through a complex web of trade, alliances, and conflict that stretched far beyond the banks of the Potomac. This tumultuous native political landscape affected the development of relations with the invading Europeans and the course of colonial and imperial powers in the region from the Great Lakes to the Virginia Capes. Dr. Stephen Potter draws on a combination of ethnohistorical, historical, and archaeological data to offer new perspectives on the critical decades following the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia, and the founding of St. Mary’s City in Maryland. Rewind available October 9-16.

History Conversations REWIND: Old Time Music in Montgomery County: Will Adams and Beyond
2023-10-01 - 2023-10-08
For International Music day on October 1, We’re sharing this presentation from the 2021 Montgomery County History conference with Jake Blount. This presentation goes in-depth in describing the fiddle and banjo traditions of the Montgomery County area throughout history, with special focus on the music of Will Adams, a Black fiddler from Kensington, Maryland. Topics include the early folk music of the Chesapeake Bay region and the modern bluegrass and old-time scenes that developed in D.C., Baltimore, and the stretch in between. Rewind available Oct 1-8.

History Conversations REWIND: The Life and Hats of Milliner Mae Reeves; A Conversation with her Daughter, Donna Limerick
2023-09-25 - 2023-10-01
One of the many extraordinary exhibits in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is Mae’s Millinery Shop. Lifted nearly complete from its original home in Philadelphia, it is now recognized as a historical treasure. Mae’s daughter, Donna Limerick, a longtime resident of Montgomery County, will join Montgomery History’s former Collections Manager, Elizabeth Lay, to discuss her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit, share memories of waiting on customers in the shop, and reveal cherished family photographs. Rewind available September 25-Oct 1.

History Conversations: The Working White House
2023-09-19 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Since 1800, hundreds of dedicated staff members have worked behind the scenes to help the White House fulfill its roles as a seat of government, a family residence, and a historic site. Join White House Historical Association historian Sarah Fling as she highlights lesser-known stories of enslaved and free White House workers throughout history.

History Conversations: Lilly Stone - A Daring Woman
2023-09-12 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Lilly Stone is a story of country life and manners near the Nation’s Capital in the late 1800s, and a daring woman’s life. Lilly Stone was born during the Civil War, and she died during the Cold War. At the stage of life when most people retire, she was not only doing men’s work but running an industry of men’s work. In 1924, at the age of 63, Mrs. Stone founded and operated Stoneyhurst, a quarry for colorful stone used in part of the National Cathedral, National Zoo and for hundreds of buildings and homes. Clara Barton encouraged her to join the DAR. Lilly Stone organized the first literary and arts clubs in the farming community, inspired the first flag for Montgomery County, Maryland, and founded the Montgomery County Historical Society. The book describes the divided loyalties of County residents living close to the Potomac River during the Civil War; letters from Lilly’s son detail World War I, and, remarkably, World War II brings German POWs to work at her quarry. With accomplishments in business and a passion for preserving history, Lilly Stone made history herself. Register
