Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-12-01
AS OTHERS
SEE SNOW HILL
A Staff Correspondents lmpres.
sions Of The Good Old Town
And Her HonOred Citizens.

The following article is from last Sun
days Philadelphia Record and the text
was accompanied by pictures of the
Court House, Presbyterian Church, In
gleside, All Hallows Church and the
Rock homestead, typefying modern and
ancient architecture.
Maryland's Eastern Shore holds no
more historic spot than Snow Hill, on the
banks of the beautiful Pocomoke River,
seven miles east Of the far-famed Syn
epuxent Bay, the home of the oyster.
To Presbyterians the name means that
here was their banner first set up ''un-
der authority" in the new world, and
this is their Mecca.
The name was given by the early
settlers in remembrance of Snow Hill
near Windsor, England, and not because
there were families of the name of
Snow among them, nor because of any
elevation above sea level, for this Sec
tion is remarkably fiat. the greatest ele-
walton being only &c feet above the sea.
Snow Hill is an ancient town and was
already entitled to respect as early as
1886; for in that year it was laid out
under an act of the General Assembly.
This "act" prescribed that the houses
were to cover 400 feet of ground, and
the chimneys were to be built of brick.
The town was then in Somerset County
as that county was not divided until
l742, while Thomas Bladen was Govern
or of Maryland.
Baltimore was not laid out until 43
years after Snow Hill, and 46 years
passed before there was similar law
for any other town in this territory.
In its early days it was declared to be
port of entry and export, and trade
was carried on with the mother country.
The settlers were Protestants. The
Scotch and Irish settlers petitioned the
mother country for minister, and
Francis Mackenzie came and organized
churches as early as 1888.
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The first Presbyterian church in Amer
lea stood on the site of the present or
nate structure. II was wooden
building. The present is the fourth or
fifth. Its erection was begun on the two
hundredth anniversary of the congrega-
tons organization.
The Episcopal church here was organ
lied in 1892, and, while the present is
not the original building, it is of by
gone type, quaint but commodious.
built of brick, now covered with ivy.
Other churches are the Methodist
Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, Old
School Baptist, Disciples of Christ and
Roman Catholic, and two of the colored
population.
The business interests of Snow Hill
are extensive. They include box and
shook mill, whip factory, wooden
butter dish and tray factory, two can
neries, barrel factory, two Touring
mills, kindling wood factory, two saw
mills, broom-handle factory and num-
erous large and up-to-date general mer-
chandize stores. There is a weekly
newspaper. There are three banks and
two drug stores.
A RECORD OF FIRE.
Two disastrous fires have devasted
the business section. one in 1884, the
other in 1898. On both occasions the
Court House was destroyed. The pres
ent fine building is in the heart of the
business district.
The schools stand in the front rank,
and from them have gone out scholars
and statesmen.
Electric lights in buildings and on the
streets have been installed for several
years. These are in considerable con-
trast with the tallow dips formerly used
to light some houses still standing.
Since the last fire modern water works
preclude repetition of such disaster