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!

Navigate the episodes by choosing a Season from the dropdown menu above and clicking on a specific video to view.
To see a list of episodes by subject, refer to this list.

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 Community

Season 7 & 8 (2006-2007)

This two-year-long series was originally filmed in 2006-2007. The version of these episodes available here were combined and rerun several years later. Paths to the Present explores the development of the Rockville Pike, also known as Route 355 and nicknamed “The Great Road.” It is the most heavily-traveled road in the county and a centuries-old landmark, originally a footpath used by the native people. The sites along the Pike from Georgetown to Frederick reveal the extremes of urban, suburban and rural landscapes existing in multiple stages of transformation.