Library attracts various visitors to historical society

Historical society

Vertical files at the Washington County Historical Society contain documents, photos and maps of the area. (Submitted photo / June 27, 2013)

The library of the Washington County Historical Society was so busy in May of 1979 that there was not enough seating for the combination of volunteers researching for those who could not come and for the patrons who did come to use the resources. 

 

The majority of gifts during the late 1970s and 1980s coming to WCHS were books filled with local historical information, maps, documents, photos and other archival items. 

 

Admittedly, the library was a small space and remains so today. However, it is still one of the major resources maintained by WCHS. An additional room was added later to house the extensive archival materials. 

 

Those materials include the original handwritten rosters of Joseph Chapline’s call up of troops in 1757 for the French and Indian War and Capt. John Miller’s call up in 1813 for the War of 1812.  

 

Ledgers from Miller, which gave physical descriptions of his troops and the troop movements from Patapsco to North Point to Fort McHenry, also exist within the collection. Two original George Washington signatures are on display, as well as signatures of many other illustrious individuals of national acclaim are part of the two books of Kennedy correspondence relating to events before and after the Civil War.

 

Many books, relevant to local history, track development through the people, transportation modes, schools, churches, businesses and documents. Vertical files contain larger documents, photos and maps of the area through many periods of time.

 

Researchers come from all over the United States seeking their genealogical roots and many local entities —government agencies, businesses, media, authors and students —use the facility to gather historic information about the county’s people, historic sites and homes, happenings and the economic impact of business and industry on the development of the community.

 

Happenings begin

The Washington County Historical Society opened its 1977 season praising those who had worked so hard on local bicentennial productions during the previous year. The library report indicated that many significant gifts to the library and archival collection had been recorded.

 

New policies were developed for responding to genealogical inquiries to the library. Rachael Schwartz, who had served as the resource for this work, had notified the group that she could no longer continue. 

 

She and Simms Jamieson, the original librarian, each continued to enrich the references there by contributing materials to the collection after they had stepped down. But a year after she left, Schwartz died. 

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