History buffs got a sneak peek at what is planned for the county’s 250th birthday next year as Montgomery County History held its annual conference Saturday at the Germantown campus of Montgomery College.
Hundreds of attendees got to live in the past for a few hours while speakers recounted our county’s rich history.
Keynote speaker Ralph Buglass, a Montgomery County native and instructor associated with Johns Hopkins and Montgomery College, took the audience back with an origin story through his presentation Montgomery Montage: A 250-Year Tapestry of Time, People and Place. Starting with the county’s agricultural past, Buglass’ oral presentation was like a time machine, making stops from rural beginning to suburban sprawl and the highly urbanized areas now on the county map.
The Civil War Shaped Us
As the presentation reminded many, Maryland was a border state during the Civil War with deeply divided loyalties. While many fought in the Union Army, some of its most prominent citizens fought for the Confederacy.
According to the county’s first census in 1790, African Americans were nearly 40% of the population. By 1960 that number shrank to 4% due to housing covenants and the shift from an agricultural economy. Today, the county is one of the most diverse in the U.S., and the Black population stands at 18%. Cultural diversity remains an important strand in the tapestry of the county’s history.
History Matters
County Executive Marc Elrich addressed the crowd, recounting his days as a history major at the University of Maryland. He said he never dreamed of a career in politics.
“Let’s get better at living together … understanding history is a path to doing that,” he said.
Midmorning sessions spoke to our Immigration Story and Two Families: Gaithers and Howards of Unity.
Topics for the afternoon ranged from Freedom of the Press in 1812 to Contributions of Elected Women of Color and Maryland’s Gift to the Nation: A Capital City.
