Montgomery History

History Conversations REWIND | To Say Their Names: Researching the Hidden Slavery History of Home
2025-03-31 - 2025-04-06
with with Robert Engelman | pre-recorded virtual event | How much do we know about the enslavement of African Americans that occurred in our own neighborhoods? This project aims to chronicle the history of a three-square-mile area between Kensington and Wheaton. The unifying objective is to bring to light the experience—and ideally the names—of individuals enslaved there. Resources will be offered for neighborhood slavery research. Presented at the 2023 Fall History Conference. Recording available March 31 – April 6

History Conversations REWIND | Montgomery County and the War of 1812
2025-04-07 - 2025-04-13
with Sandy HeilerThe War of 1812 was one of the most contentious conflicts in American history, and Montgomery countians were nearly universally opposed to it. Nevertheless, although their properties were spared the war’s horrors, Montgomery’s citizens were not. A sense of honor and proximity to Washington and Baltimore led them to take an active part in a war they deplored: defending freedom of the press against a murderous pro-war mob in Baltimore; joining the ranks of raw Maryland militia at Bladensburg to face the world’s strongest army; and sheltering the flood of terrified Washingtonians and the US President in Brookeville as the enemy burned the capital. This talk describes the role Montgomery County residents played in the War of 1812, between its beginning in June 1812, and the Battle for Baltimore in September 1814. Despite the odds or their personal beliefs, they did their duty—and more. Originally presented at the January 2023 History Conference. Recording available April 7 – April 13

History Conversations | The Surprising Legacy of Maryland's Spiro Agnew
2025-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
with Charles Holden | Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Spiro Agnew entered national politics as the little-known governor of Maryland. He left as a disgraced Vice President, having resigned charged with multiple crimes. Yet, his influence on American national politics has been greater than one might think. Join Dr. Charles Holden as he shares the legacy of perhaps our most famous–or infamous–former governor.

History Conversations REWIND | Legacy of Slavery Project at the Maryland State Archives
2025-04-21 - 2025-04-27
With Hannah LaneThe 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. Originally aired December 2023. Recording available April 21 – April 27

History Conversations | The Voices of Woodlawn Manor: A 200 Year Old Cultural Site
2025-04-29 14:00 - 15:00
with Christian Murgia | Tuesday, April 29 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Christian Murgia, Education Program Manager at Woodlawn Manor, will discuss the history of Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park as a location in continuous use since its founding over 200 years ago. From the site of a boarding school to a Quaker plantation with an enslaved population, and the current operations with Montgomery Parks, many different voices have echoed throughout the grounds. Register Here

History Conversations REWIND | The Making of a Pearl: The Life of Quince Orchard Resident Ida Pearl Green
2025-05-05 - 2025-05-11
Join Montgomery History in remembering the life of Ida Pearl Green, June 18, 1918 – April 17, 2025 through this History Conversation with her granddaughter which originally aired in February 2024.with Dr. Kisha Davis | pre-recorded virtual event | Through daily weekday breakfasts with her grandmother, 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 at the time of this recording, Mrs. Green was 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.Recording available May 5 – May 11.

History Conversations REWIND | Shopping in an 1850s Canal Town: A Material Culture Mystery Story
2025-05-12 - 2025-05-18
with Blyth McManus, Museum Curator, C&O Canal National Historical Park | pre-recorded virtual event | In the museum collection of the C&O Canal National Historical Park is a shop ledger from a merchant in Williamsport, Maryland. Tracking purchases made between 1856-1858, the ledger provides tantalizing glimpses into the everyday lives of its customers. Materials like flour, spices, and produce don’t usually survive long enough to become part of the archeological record, but these are often the details that help us connect to the human side of history. It is also a glimpse into women’s history; although many (but not all) of the names are men, often the women did the actual shopping using their husbands’ accounts. The owner of the ledger and the location of the shop are unknown. However, the ledger provides important historical context to the park and the local area, gives researchers a glimpse into everyday life, and potentially provides additional context to the area’s archeological sites. New perspectives await in the pages of this mystery ledger. Originally aired April 2024Recording available May 12 – May 18.

Walking Tour at Washington Aqueduct
2025-05-12 10:00 - 12:00
May 12 at 10 AM | With Ralph Buglass | Join Montgomery History for a special tour at the C&O Canal’s Monocacy Aqueduct. Popular Local historian Ralph Buglass will take us along the C&O canal to see the Monocacy Aqueduct and Lock 27, Ralph will provide historic context for these important historic structures and share interesting and unique facts about their past! He will also briefly discuss the history of ferries in the area. This walk will require walking approximately one mile on paths along the canal. Appropriate attire is recommended, including closed toe shoes. Montgomery History will provide water bottles, but come prepared for warm weather. toilets will be available at the start and finish parking lot. We will provide the exact starting location the Friday before the tour. Rain date May 15, but may change based on weather forecast. Register Here

History Conversations | Misplacing History: Rowser's Ford
2025-05-20 14:00 - 15:00
with Jim Johnston | Tuesday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Jim Johnston shares the fascinating history of his search to find the true location of Rowser’s Ford and provides us with the latest updates on this Civil War mystery! On the night of June 27, 1863, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart crossed the Potomac River with 5,000 horsemen including artillery at “Rowser’s Ford” and proceeded to ransack Montgomery County. Stuart’s actions proved a catastrophe for the Confederacy because he should have been with Robert E. Lee’s army in Pennsylvania. Moving blindly without his cavalry, Lee stumbled into the huge Union army at a place called Gettysburg where he was soundly defeated. To deflect criticism, Stuart wrote a report glorifying his crossing at Rowser’s Ford as a heroic, superhuman effort. In more recent times, markers have been erected at the supposed site on the C&O Canal at Violette’s and Riley’s locks. Visitors marvel at the courage of Stuart and his men to cross the mile-wide river, filled with rocks, rapids, and whirlpools. But the markers, and history, misplace the site. It was actually two miles downriver in a placid, sandy-bottomed part of the Potomac on John Rowzee’s farm.

History Conversations | A Virtual Visit to The National Capital Trolley Museum
2025-05-27 14:00 - 15:00
with Eric Madison, Executive Director of The National Capital Trolley Museum | Tuesday, May 27 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Join Eric Madison, Executive Director of the National Capital Trolley Museum, for an engaging presentation on the museum’s rich history and its role in preserving the region’s streetcar heritage. Eric will discuss the museum’s current operations and facility, highlight volunteer opportunities, and share ways the community can support its ongoing mission. Don’t miss this chance to learn how the trolley shaped our area—and how you can help keep that legacy alive.

History Conversations | The Second Founding of the American Republic: Creating the Fourteenth Amendment
2025-06-05 19:00 - 20:30
This program, presented jointly by Montgomery History and the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, will tell the story of crafting the Fourteenth Amendment in the 39th Congress in 1865 – 1866 and the men who engineered its approval. These include Thaddeus Stevens, William Pitt Fessenden, Jacob Howard, Charles Sumner, Reverdy Johnson, and Robert Dale Owen. The speaker will discuss the objectives and tactics of the principal actors to secure two-thirds majorities in both houses of Congress, and implications of the amendment for current controversies. Why is this transformative amendment relevant today? The amendment • guaranteed birthright citizenship and redistributed power in the federal system. • prohibited states from infringing the privileges and immunities of U.S. citizens or denying any person due process of the law or equal protection of the laws. • required apportionment of the House of Representative on the basis of population and reduced a state’s representation if it excluded any class of males over 21 from voting. • prohibited insurrectionists from holding federal or state office unless 2/3 of both houses of Congress granted amnesty; • declared the debt of the United States should not be questioned; and • gave Congress power to enforce the Amendment.

History Conversations REWIND | Will Adams, Fiddler of Ken-Gar
2025-06-09 - 2025-06-15
Join Montgomery History in remembering the life of Ida Pearl Green, June 18, 1918 – April 17, 2025 through this History Conversation with her granddaughter which originally aired in February 2024. with Julianne Mangin | pre-recorded virtual event | Through daily weekday breakfasts with her grandmother, 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 at the time of this recording, Mrs. Green was 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.Recording available June 9 – 15.

History Conversations REWIND | The Full Spectrum: Uncovering LGBTQ+ Heritage in Montgomery County
2025-06-16 - 2025-06-22
with Emma Satterfield | Prerecorded virtual event With Washington, D.C. and Baltimore nearby, the history of Montgomery County’s LGBTQ+ community has often been overshadowed. Building on Emma Satterfield’s online exhibit for Montgomery History, this presentation seeks to shed light on the struggles and achievements of the county’s LGBTQ+ residents during the late twentieth century. Satterfield also will delve into the exhibit development process and discuss the importance of preserving local LGBTQ+ history and sharing it with the public. Originally aired at the Spring 2023 Montgomery County History Conference.Recording available June 16 – 22.

History Conversations REWIND | Washington Grove: The Montgomery County Outlier
2025-06-23 - 2025-06-29
with Phil Edwards | Prerecorded virtual event 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. Originally aired February 2024.Recording available June 23 – 29.

History Conversations REWIND | The Past, Present, and Future of the Bethesda Meeting House – “The Church That Named Bethesda.”
2025-06-30 - 2025-07-06
with Hank Levine | Prerecorded virtual event 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. Originally aired March 2024.Recording available June 30 – July 6.

History Conversations | Land Record Research at the Maryland State Archives
2025-07-08 14:00 - 15:30
with Morgan Miller | Tuesday, July 8 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | In this presentation, Morgan Miller from the Maryland State Archives will take you through researching Maryland’s land records on the website MDLandRec.net. Learn to search for a present deed by name and address, trace property backwards from the present day, research through historical indexes, and decipher various formats of indexes. Discover the incredible value of land record research!

History Conversations REWIND | Drinking Water in the DC Area: Past, Present, and Future
2025-07-14 - 2025-07-20
with Michael Nardolilli | Prerecorded virtual event With Western states running out of water, could it happen here? The Executive Director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, Michael Nardolilli, traces the history of providing drinking water to the DC area, the current system, and the outlook for the future. Originally aired in November 2022.Recording available July 14 – July 20.

History Conversations | Timberlawn: The Birthplace of the Special Olympics
2025-07-22 14:00 - 15:30
with Serena Bolliger, Cultural Resource Planner at Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission | Tuesday, July 22 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | In 1901, fledgling architect Arthur Heaton designed a Georgian-styled country home for his aunt and uncle overlooking the rolling farmland near Rockville. The home, eventually named Timberlawn, housed generations of philanthropists and advocates. Today, Timberlawn stands as the only remaining piece of the sprawling estate where Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded Camp Shriver in 1962. This unique summer camp, designed for children with intellectual disabilities, inspired and led to the creation of the Special Olympics. Eunice Shriver, a lifelong advocate for disability rights, revolutionized physical recreation opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities while living at Timberlawn, and drove the creation of pioneering legislation enshrining their rights. Join Serena Bolliger as she shares the incredible story of this unique structure and its global impact.

History Conversations REWIND | Five for Freedom: The African American Soldiers in John Brown’s Army
2025-07-28 - 2025-08-03
with Eugene Meyer | Prerecorded virtual event More than 163 years later, John Brown’s October 1859 ill-fated raid on Harpers Ferry to seize its federal arsenal and incite a slave rebellion is well known. Less known are the stories of five African Americans who joined with him. Their sacrifice continues to resonate, as the legacy of slavery, America’s original sin, remains. Author Eugene L. Meyer tells us of the world in which they were born, lived and died, and of the aftermath, as the struggle for racial justice and equality rages on. Originally aired February 2023.Recording available July 28 – August 3.

History Conversations REWIND | Cold War: Tension and Response
2025-08-04 - 2025-08-10
with Jennifer Wilcox, Director of Education at the National Cryptologic Museum | Prerecorded virtual event During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to protect their own communications and “read the mail” of the enemy. Join Jennifer Wilcox, Director of Education at the National Cryptologic Museum, as she shares the history of cryptology and signals intelligence during the Cold War. Originally aired October 2022.Recording available August 4 – 10.

History Conversations | Property Research in Montgomery County
2025-08-12 14:00 - 15:30
with Sarah Hedlund | Tuesday, August 12 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Want to learn more about the place you live? Montgomery History has many resources available to help. Director of Library and Archives Sarah Hedlund will provide an overview on the tools available for researching your Montgomery County property, using everything from maps and atlases to insurance records to real estate directories.

History Conversations REWIND | Montgomery County Agriculture: From Tobacco to Today
2025-08-18 - 2025-08-24
with Tom Farquhar | Prerecorded virtual event The rich soil of Montgomery County has supported a wide variety of agricultural enterprises, ranging from millennia of crop cultivation by indigenous communities, to tobacco plantations of the first colonial settlers of European descent, progressing to market farming serving growing populations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Today the agriculture of Montgomery County has diversified to include commodity grain production, landscaping, and horse-riding operations, as well as a small but growing table-food and pick-your-own sector. The Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, a land-planning treasure, grants the assurance that farming will remain part of the story of the county forever. Originally aired at the Spring 2023 History Conference. Recording available August 18 – 24.

History Conversations | Colonial Taverns
2025-08-26 14:00 - 15:30
with Jim Johnston | Tuesday, August 26 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Taverns in colonial times served many purposes. Alcohol was perhaps the main one, but they also provided food, sleep, news, gossip, and fellowship. Commonly the largest building in a town, a tavern might also serve as the courthouse, jail, stagecoach station, and community center. Jim Johnston will explain all this on Zoom on August 26, though in colonial times, he probably would have given his talk at a tavern. He has in fact given this talk at colonial taverns and has naturally frequented a few–for research purposes only, of course. Register Here

History Conversations REWIND | Old Roads, New Histories
2025-09-01 - 2025-09-07
with Kacy Rohn | Prerecorded virtual event | 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 was approved in 2023 [the planning was in progress when this talk was recorded]. This presentation describes the work done 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. Presented at the 2022 History ConferenceRecording available September 1 – 7.

Annual Ice Cream Social
2025-09-06 16:30 - 18:00 | Shirly Povich Field, 10600 Westlake Dr, Rockville, MD, 20852, United States
Join Montgomery History at Shirley Povich field for our annual Ice Cream Social! We’ll have a trivia contest and a very brief teaser for the History Conference from our keynote speaker, Ralph Buglass. RSVP Here

History Conversations REWIND | William Marbury—The Man Whose Lawsuit Made the Supreme Court, Supreme
2025-09-22 - 2025-09-28
with Jim Johnston | Prerecorded virtual event | Learn about a 200+ year-old tale of Supreme Court history this week, as Jim Johnston details the pivotal 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison and the man behind it–William Marbury. Born to an impoverished tobacco farmer in Prince George’s County, young Marbury had bigger dreams of fame and fortune. By 1800, he had acquired wealth and a large house in Georgetown. Following a dispute in which incoming president Thomas Jefferson told Secretary of State James Madison not to deliver Marbury his commission as justice of the peace, Marbury resolved to use his wealth to teach Jefferson a lesson. Learn about the resulting Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison, and how it established the proposition that the Supreme Court reigns supreme on matters of constitutional interpretation. Originally aired October 2020. Recording available September 22 – 28.

History Conversations REWIND | Immigration Stories: The Journey to Montgomery County
2025-09-29 - 2025-10-05
with Sarah Hedlund and Maria Sprehn | Prerecorded virtual event | In 1850 less than 2% of Montgomery County’s population was foreign born and by 1960 it was almost 5%. Today, more than 35% of the county’s residents are foreign born and even more speak at least one language besides English. How has Montgomery County become one of the most diverse counties in the United States? The answer lies in more than 200 years of immigration stories, soon to be featured in a new online exhibit hosted by Montgomery History. In this presentation, panelists will discuss general findings regarding the immigration history of the county as well as highlight specific immigration stories from the exhibit, based on oral history interviews, archival documents, U.S. census data, and other historical resources. The common themes behind these experiences include stories of love, war, political upheaval, and the pursuit of higher education and career opportunities, as told by immigrants from Ukraine, Latvia, El Salvador, India, Palestine, China, Congo, and many more. Originally aired at the Spring 2023 History Conference.Recording available September 29 – October 5.

History Conversations | Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church – 190 Years in the Community
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:00
with Chiquita C. Sorrels | Thursday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church is celebrating its 190th Anniversary this year. Established in 1835, it is the oldest African American church in Rockville. Through church splits and mergers and multiple name changes it has served as a place of worship and supported other community needs. Join Ms. Sorrels as she takes you through the long and inspiring history of this landmark institution.

History Conversations REWIND | Montgomery County Sentinel: The Evolution of Local Journalism Since 1855
2025-10-20 - 2025-10-26
with Paul Schwartz | Prerecorded virtual event | Enjoy this must-see presentation that brings attendees through a 164-year journey of local history as told through the news stories covered in the Montgomery County Sentinel: one of the most important sources of local journalism. The paper covered everything from civil rights to the Civil War, county infrastructure, 20th century development, two world wars, the Giles-Johnson case, and more. Though the physical paper shut down in 2020, its legacy remains to this day. Originally recorded at the January 2020 Montgomery County History Conference.Recording available October 20 – October 26.

History Conversations REWIND | A Brief Survey of Our Inheritance
2025-10-27 - 2025-11-02
with Kenny Sholes | Prerecorded virtual event | The lands around us have played an important part in American history over the last few centuries. The fields we pass through each day have spurred economic development, been the scene of battles, provided escape from the pace of daily life, and brought families together at the dinner table. Dotting this landscape is an array of impressive historic homes – standing as visual reminders of those who came before us. In this presentation, we will review some of the incredible historic homes in the Medley District area of the Ag Reserve, using the homes as a way to better understand the people whose land we’ve inherited and how their dreams, goals, and struggles were not all that different from ours today. Originally aired May 2020. Recording available October 27 – November 2.
