Paths to the Present

Paths to the Present: Montgomery County Stories was a cable television show produced by County Cable Montgomery and Montgomery History from 2000-2017. Produced by Emmy-winner Barbara Grunbaum and hosted by Gail Street, Paths to the Present explores the often overlooked history found right in our own backyards. The series of 86 shows covers a wide variety of topics highlighting this county’s robust history. Interviews, along with historical photographs and video help bring this rich past to life. Watch Paths to the Present and make some links with your past!

 

A majority of the episodes that were produced may be viewed on the Montgomery County Council’s YouTube Channels. Below is an index to episode content, with links active for those episodes available on YouTube.

 

SEASON 1 (2000)

Episode 1                 Baseball in Montgomery County

Episode 2                 Gold Mines /  The Lost Town of Triadelphia

Episode 3                 Carroll Chapel / National Park Seminary

Episode 4                 Fred Swain at Swain’s Lock / C&O Canal

Episode 5                 Washington Grove / Emory Grove Camp Meeting

Episode 6                 White’s Ferry / Potomac River Crossing During the Civil War

Episode 7                 Integration of the Montgomery County Public Schools

 

SEASON 2 (2001)

Episode 8                 Silver Spring Shopping Center /19th Century General Stores / Poole’s Store

Episode 9                 Moco Capital Beltway History / Rustic Roads

Episode 10               Quaker Influence in Sandy Spring

Episode 11               Immigration in Montgomery County

Episode 12               Washington Aqueduct

Episode 13               Founding of Montgomery County

Episode 14               Chester Leishear Dairy Farm / Pope Farm in Gaithersburg / Phillips Farm

 

SEASON 3 (2002)

Episode 15               Kensington Armory / Maryland National Guard

Episode 16               MCHS Quilt Collection

Episode 17               Waters House in Germantown / Early Architecture in Moco

Episode 18               Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery / Rockville Cemetery

Episode 19               Bethesda Farmwomen’s Market

Episode 20               History Camp at MCHS

Episode 21               Clarksburg, Maryland Before Development

Episode 22/23          On the Homefront in Montgomery County during WWII

 

SEASON 4 (2003)

Episode 24               Chestnut Lodge

Episode 25               Gaithersburg Fire Museum / MC Volunteer Fire Department History

Episode 26               J.E.B. Stuart’s “Visit” to Rockville

Episode 27               Glen Echo Park (Rewind show)

Episode 28               Hyattstown Mill: How it Operated / Mills in Montgomery County

Episode 29               4-H Clubs (Rewind show)

Episode 30               Cabin John Gardens / David Taylor Model Basin

 

SEASON 5 (2004)

Episode 31               Anna Maria Weems

Episode 32               19th Century Education

Episode 33               Montgomery County Parks Foundation Volunteer Awards

Episode 34               The Jewish Community in Montgomery County (Rewind show)

Episode 35               Olney Theatre 

Episode 36               Ghost Stories

Episode 37               Woodlawn Manor Quaker Plantation

Episode 38               Sugarloaf Mountain

 

SEASON 6 (2005)

Episode 39               History of Strathmore Hall  

Episode 40               Montgomery College History

Episode 41               Cold War Sites in Montgomery County / Atomic Energy Commission

Episode 42               Heritage Montgomery   

Episode 43               Monocacy Aqueduct and Monocacy Cemetery

Episode 44               25th Anniversary of the Agricultural Reserve

Episode 45               Scotland AME Church and Scotland Community

 

SEASON 7 & 8 (2006-2007)

Episodes 46-53        “The Great Road”: Route 355 from Georgetown to Frederick

 

SEASON 9 (2008)

Episode 54               Lyttonsville and Clarksburg Store

Episode 55               Clara Barton House and the film “Chances Are”

Episode 56               Brookeville and Polychome Historic District

Episode 57               Sandy Spring Bank Robbery and the Higgins Tavern

Episode 58               Filming of “Lilith” in Montgomery County

 

SEASON 10 (2009)

Episode 59               AFI Silver Theater and Barnesville town hall restorations

Episode 60               Metropolitan Branch, B&O Railroad

Episode 61               2009 National History Day

Episode 62               Garrett Park walking tour; Montgomery County Connections Project

Episode 63               Loss of Chestnut Lodge; Freida’s Cottage

 

SEASON 11 (2010)

Episode 64               Dr. Stonestreet and the Stonestreet Medical Museum

Episode 65               New Deal architecture; Office of Human Rights – Civil Rights tour

Episode 66               History of Twinbrook /Mid-century architecture in Montgomery County

Episode 67               Montgomery County Airpark; National Capital Trolley Museum

Episode 68               Silver Spring Fire Station transformed; Poole’s Store closes

 

SEASON 12 (2011)

Episode 69                Montgomery County barns

Episode 70                Browningsville cornet band; Bethesda’s “vacuum repair shop”

Episode 71                Silver Spring historic sites: walking tour

 

SEASON 13 (2012)

Episode 72                Damascus church organ; Richard Montgomery historical marker

Episode 73                Downtown Bethesda: walking tour

Episode 74                History of the Montgomery County Historical Society

 

SEASON 14 (2013)

Episode 75                Civil War in Montgomery County, part 1

Episode 76                Seneca Quarry

Episode 77                African American historical sites in the county
                               (featuring Button Farm, Pleasant Grove, and Sugarland)

Episode 78                Rockville Post Office houses the police department

Episode 79                General J.E.B. Stuart’s 1863 raid on Rockville: re-enactment

 

SEASON 15 (2014)

Episode 80                History of St.Mary’s Parish / Tour of historic St. Mary’s Church

Episode 81                National Park Seminary in Forest Glen

 

SEASON 16 (2015)

Episode 82                Emancipation Day at MCHS

Episode 83                Civil War in Montgomery County, part 2

 

SEASON 17 (2016)

Episode 84                Montgomery County Historical Society: new logo and website
                               Eunice Ramsey, Tastee Diner waitress for 60+ years
                               Montgomery County Archives reopens

Episode 85                Woodlawn Stone Barn and Visitor Center

 

SEASON 18 (2017)

Episode 86                History of Germantown