Calendar
of Events 2009-2010
350 Years of Citizen Soldiers (Legion Post #22. Towson) November 8, 2009
1:30 p.m.
Knives, Swords, and Armor: History Onstage (Almshouse) November 22, 2009 1:30 p.m.
Matt and Kerry Stagmer of Baltimore Knife and
Sword will present a program concerning the influence of history on
their craft of weapons making. For nearly two decades the Stagmer’s have
worked as professional arms makers for performance troupes throughout
the region. Their company, Baltimore Knife and Sword, has evolved
considerably over the past few years as the Stagmers strive together to
create fantastic objects in metals. While the primary focus is on swords
and related items, their highly diverse interests often send them
spinning in different directions leaving a trail of wonderful creations
and forms in metal. Baltimore Knife and Sword has been the #1 name in
stage combat weaponry for several decades.
Their presentation
will focus on how history has served them in both their vocations and
avocations.
A participation fee of $5 will apply for
non-members. Free to students.
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Celebrating 350 Years
(Call
for more information)
December 12, 2009
3 p.m.- 5 p.m.
A members-only celebration of 350 years of
Baltimore County’s existence as a historic entity.
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Deeds, Indentures, and Apprenticeships: 150 Years of Early Law in Baltimore County (Almshouse) January 17, 2010 1:30 p.m.
Anna Siebring, a Stevenson University
student and HSBC intern, will present her interpretation of the
historical significance of over 300 legal documents she indexed as part
of her internship at the Alms House. Dating from as early as the 1780s
and as recent as the 1930s, these documents provide an insight into the
legal community of the late-Eighteenth and the Nineteenth centuries in
the Baltimore area.
A participation fee of $5 will apply for
non-members.
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Nuclear Annihilation and You: Baltimore County in the Cold War (3 hours)
(Almshouse)
January 31, 2010 1:30 p.m.
Join us as we travel
back to the 1960s and examine the role of civil defense in the daily
lives of Baltimore County’s residents. Using such civil defense hits as
the movies Duck and Cover, Atomic Alert, and Survival Under
Atomic Attack, Stevenson University student and HSBC intern Dom
Staiti will interpret the findings of his research into the civil
defense role of the Alms House during the Cold War.
The event will include a tour of civil defense goods stored at
the Alms House during that period, an introduction to home defense
shelters, and a menu of tasty treats the harried housewife could serve
to her nuclear bomb sheltered loved ones. Register by calling 410.666.1878.
A participation fee of $10 will apply for
non-members.
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A Conversation with Dr. Barry Lanman
An oral
historian and noted author, Dr. Lanman has devoted over 30 years to
helping document the history of Baltimore County. Director of UMBC’s
Martha Ross Center for Oral History, Dr. Lanman is the past-director of the Consortium of Oral History
Educators, historian for the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, an oral
history consultant/interviewer and specialist in the field of oral
history as an educational methodology. Dr. Lanman has authored numerous
articles, pamphlets and books in the fields of education and history. He
has also written and produced historical media presentations and wrote
an educational component for the television series The Promised Land.
Founder
and past-president of Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR),
Dr. Lanman was honored by the organization The Former Members of
Congress which named him as its educator-historian for 1984. He has also
received the Judith Ruchkin Research Award and the Forrest Pogue History
Award. Please
join us as we engage in an informal
conversation with Catonsville resident Dr. Barry Lanman at the old Alms
House in Cockeysville.
Register by calling 410.666.1878.
A participation fee of $5
will apply for non-members.
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The 100 Year Patrol: Celebrating the Centennial of the Boy Scouts of America (Almshouse) April 11, 2010
Come join us as we celebrate the 100th
Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. A community organization
devoted to building character through experience and skill acquisition,
the BSA has been a presence in Baltimore County since almost the
beginning. Come see as we convert the Alms House into “all things Boy
Scout” for a day.
FREE
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Rally Day for History (Road Rally) April 18, 2010
In 2009 we published a map of over 900
historic locations in Baltimore County.
Ride along with us as we blanket the county with cars, bicycles,
and hikers collecting the GPS coordinates and photos of each of those
historic sites. Prizes, mementos, and memories will rule the day as we
unleash a torrent of amateur historians onto the highways and byways of
the County. Register by calling (410) 666 1878.
A participation fee of $5 will apply for
non-members.
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Exhibit (Towson Festival) May 1-2, 2010
A touring exhibit featuring
African-American history in Baltimore County will be on display.
FREE
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Farm Fest 2010
(Gorsuch Farm Museum at the Almshouse)
May 15-16, 2010 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
With the arrival of spring comes the expectation of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as jams, jellies, honey, and baked goods. FarmFest 2010 will see the re-opening of the Farm Museum at the Historical Society as we introduce patrons to many of the long-gone experiences of rural life. Tour the farm museum, try your hand at some fun barnyard chores, learn some tips about the agricultural scene in Baltimore County today, and enjoy a fun farmers market. Informational presentations will be ongoing throughout the day.
A participation fee of $5 will apply for
non-members.
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A Conversation with John McGrain (Almshouse) June 13, 2010 1:30 p.m.
The elder statesman of Baltimore County history,
John W. McGrain Jr. has been chronicling our county’s history for
decades. Former secretary
of the Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission, Mr. McGrain
was appointed Baltimore County historian in 1998. Retiring in 2007 at
nearly 75 years of age, John has been called “a walking database of
county history.” Having written about Baltimore county’s grist
mills, duck mills, iron works, place names, and manufacturing towns just
to name but a few, there’s little John does not know about our county’s
history. Come and join us in the final chapter of this year’s “A
Conversation with…” series as we sit down and chat with Mr. John McGrain
regarding his pursuit of history in Baltimore County. Register by
calling 410.666.1878.
A participation fee of $5 will apply for
non-members.