davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Tercentenary of
First Md. Mass
Celebrated Here

A large crowd of notableS at
tended the tercentenary of the
first mass said in Maryland, cele-
brated at Georgetown Prepara-
tory School, March 25, 1884. The
original mass had been said on
st. Clements Island in 1884 by
Father Andrew White.
The high point of the celebra-
ton was the blessing of the new
stained glass windows at the
school by the Apostolic Delegate
to the United States, the Most
Rev. Amleto Giovanni Cicognani.
Rev. Robert S. Lloyd, S.J., then
headmaster of Georgetown Prep,
delivered an address recalling the
work of Father White. Rev. w.
Coleman NevilS, then president
of Georgetown University, and
Rev. Patrick F. O'Gorman, 81,
also participated in the program.
The boys of the school presented
a review Of Maryland history.
Representatives of the diploma
tic corps, senator's, congressman,
members of the judiciary, and a
long list of church and lay Of
ficfals witnessed the tercentenary
celebration.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

veStrymen: Thomas Davis, Eph-
rain Gather, James Whiting, Ed
ward Burgess, John H. Riggs, Re
Yin Darby, II. c. Gather and An
thony Ricketts,. Bowman's store,
incidentally, is now the living
room in the home of Edwin D..
Fry near Laytonsville. This
meeting planned the building of
a new church to replace the one
which had been destroyed.
In 1919 a church was complet-
ed on land given by Thos. Griffith
of Edgehill for that purpose. The
church was consecrated that year
as st. BartholomeW's by Bishop
Kemp and two years later in 1921
was officially separated from
Prince Georges parish.
At some time prior to 1874 a
chapel was erected under the
sponsorship of st. Bartholomew's
parish at Mechanicsville, now
known as Olney. This grew in
to what is now the Independent
church of st. Johns, Olney.
Still later another church, St.
Luke's at Brighton, was built in
1870 on land given by William
Brown on almost the site of the
original Rawlings River chapel of
ease. This church, now associat-
ed with st. Johns of Olney, was
consecrated by Bishop Harding
in 1913.
AS the centers of population
shifted old St. BartholomeW's
seemed to be too far away and
in a special service the old church
was deconsecrated by Bishop AL
fred Harding and razed so that
all the materials that we're suit.
able could be used in the building
of a new st. Bartholomew's in
Laytonsville village.
This church was consecrated
by Bishop Harding on May S,
1919 within five days of the Tooth
anniversary of the conservation
of old St. Bartholomews by
Bishop Kemp.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

Forest Glen was the site of the
first Roman Catholic Church in
Montgomery County. On the
grounds of the present church is
a replica of the first small chapel
in which John Carroll held his
mission services beginning in
IVA.
On Nov. 25, 1884, he was ap-
pointed head of the Church of
Maryland by Pope Plus vi, becom.
ing a Bishop in 1889 and the first
Archbishop in 1908. AS founder
of Georgetown College in 1873 he
became one of the leading figures
of the Catholic Church in the
country.
The corner stone for st. Marys
in Rockville was laid by Bishop
Whitfield, assisted by Pastor
Father Redmond in 1877.
The first Methodist Church is
believed to have been established
at Goshen, near Laytonsville in
1888. Robert StraWbridge, a
young Irishman, had been con-
verted by John Wesley in Eng.
land and came to Carroll County
in 1776. He organized societies
of Methodists, one of which was
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

the Frederick pike. This was the
beginning of Ascension Church
in Gaithersburg but an actual
building in Gaithersburg was not
constructed until 1882.
The first church in what was
to become st. BartholomeW's
parish was built, as has already
been mentioned, as a chapel Of
ease of Prince Georges parish.
This church was apparently built
about 1853 at what was then
CroWtoWn, now known as Brigh.
ton.
In that year a petition signed
by such family groups as the
Browns, Gartrells, Griffiths,
Riggs, and DaVises was presented
to Maryland's Governor Sharped
asking permission to lay off a
parish and erect a chapel of case
op branch of the Patuxent Riv.
ef called fdWllngS RIVER.
Further reference to this
church is found in the Sandy
Spring Annals for September
-, 1886, which tells of the dedi.
cation of new hall Of the Brigh.
ton Grange. Part of its foun.
dation rests on the site Of chap
el Of ease erected by permission
Of the British government in 1853
which was afterwards destroyed
by storm Legend has it that
the building was burned after be.
ing struck by lightning.
There are no further records
until 1872 when the first entry
was made in the old register
still in use in st. Bartholomew s
Church. The first recorded YES.
try meeting was held in Bow.
mans store in 1912 with Fred
Bowman acting as secretary.
The following were elected as
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

Powell, James Holmead, John
Flint, Joseph Chew, John Pritch-
EFT, Caleb Letten and William
Harbin. William Jackson was the
registrar.
This veStry was elected on De
cember 3, 1926, and the first min
lister was the Rev. George Muir
dock, a native of Prince Georges
County who was ordained as a
clergyman at the Royal Chapel
of st. James in London on Feb
ruary %, 1924 by the Bishop of
London, the Rt. Rev. DR.. Glib.
son.
Mr. Murdoch was elected by
the vestry of Prince Georges
parish on December %, 1926, and
was inductcd by the governor of
Maryland.
In May Of the next year the
vestry requested the minister TO
hold a service on the third Sun.
day of each month at some con.
venient place in the upper parish.
This was done and services were
held at Paint Chapel on Paint
Branch near the Patuxent River.
This chapel was the beginning Of
St Marks Memorial Chapel in
Fairland, a part Of Zion Parish.
In 1928 Thomas Williams gave
two acres Of land for the building
of a chapel of ease which was
built in 1879 and called Rock
Creek Chapel. II was located on
Rock Creek about II miles from
the Rock Creek Church and stood
on the site of the present Union
cemetery in Rockville.
Prior to 1760 there were four
places of worship in the parish
the mother church Rock Creek
Church,, Rock Creek Chapel in
Rockville, Paint Chapel and an.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Upper Seneca Baptist Church
vIs Among County's Oldest

standing on the L. M. Purdum
farm about two miles southeast
of the present church in Cedar
Grove. ..
Elder Moore served the church
until his death in 1915. He was
succeeded by Elder Francis
Moore who in view of present
day living costs it is interesting
to note was voted the salary of
II pounds year at the start of
his ministry.
One of the outstanding minis.
ters of the church was its fourth
pastor, Elder Joseph H. Jones,
who became minister in 1928 and
so far as is known served until
his death in 1872. 1t was he who
at the request of the Baltimore
Baptist Association wrote a his
tory of the association and its
member churches in 1S72-a his
tory which in many cases pro-
vides our only source of informa-
ton about the early history of
the Baptist groups in this section
of Maryland.
The first deacon of the church
was Brother Howard Griffith, the
son of Greenberry and Ruth
Riggs Griffith who served from
1905 until his death in 1884. He
was succeeded by one of his 10
children, Brother Greenberry
Griffith, who, among his many
activities, was a Major in COM
mand of the Alexandria Artillery
during the War of 1912. He in
turn was succeeded by his son,
Brother Joseph Thomas Grif-
fifth.
The present church building
was built in 1883, the parsonage
in 1867, and the educational
annex in 1854. The present mem.
bership totals over 200. The
church has stood for $50 years
as living growing symbol of
Christian inspiration in the neigh.
borhood. The present pastor is
the Rev. Robert Crowley.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Adult Classes
Helped to Ease
Gloom of '3Os

Night classes for adults at
Montgomery County schools pro-
vided jobs for out of work
teachers and diversion for de.
pression-weary residents during
the 1905.
Funds for the adult education
program were provided by the
Government Emergency Relief
Program. If at least 10 people
could get together, they were
assured Of a class of their choice
being offered. Such subjects as
art, music, home making, busi-
ness arithmetic, business Eng
lish, vocational subjects and
regular academic school subjects
were taught.
More than 25 teachers found
employment serving the almost
2 1000 adults who enrolled for the
night classes.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

There is evidence of the begin
ming of this church as early as
1712 when the Rev. J. Frazer was
ordered to preach once a month
on the hundred west of the East
ern Branch of the Potomac and
extending to the Paint Branch.
Later branches of this church
were the st. Bartholomew
Church near Laytonsville, origi-
nally known as the Rawlings
River Parish and organized in
1921. In 1922, the Christ Church
in Rockville was consecrated.
Roger Farquhar, on the other
hand, in his Historic Montgom.
cry County, Maryland" tells of
the Presbyterian Church being or,
ganized at Cabin John as early as
1649. 1t developed two branches
at Rockville and Bethesda.
The Rockville church was start
ed early in the zoos, the exact
date unknown, but the famous
DR.. James Hunt, founder of the
first private school in the county
was one of the earlier ministers
In 1920 the Bethesda branch built
a chapel which is still standing
on the Rockville Pike and is at
present the home of the Temple
Hill Baptist Church.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
County's Episcopal Parish
Had Origin in 1902 Law

| other chapel of ease built along
the Rawlings River which was
to become st. BartholomeW'S
church in Laytonsville.
1t was not until 1776 that Mont
gomery County was created out
of Frederick County, so the
Rockville parish is so years old
er than both the County and our
Country.
Rock Creek Chapel of Ease
was declared to be in bad condi-
ton in 1898 and the vestry in
1902 contracted for the building
of a new church, which was fin
ished in 1908 and consecreated
by Bishop Clagett under the name
and title of Christ Church.
Gradually, as the territory be-
came more populated, the various
churches and chapels contained
in the original parish became in
NlCpSIlNtClll Clllll IllCS. dllll
Chapel became Zion Parish with
its mother church in Beltsville in
1911. The Rawlings River Chap
el became st. BartholomeW'S in
1912.
Rock Creek Church became a
separate parish and the old Rock
Creek Chapel now known as
Christ Church became the moth
er church of the parish. There
was much agitation to move the
church to the town of Rockville
proper and in 1921 a church was
built on the present site of Christ
Church on land given for that
purpose by Solomon Holland. AS
early as 1895 the vestry had re-
quested that services be held at
Seneca Chapel, Middlebrook on
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

the Montgomery County branch.
The Reverend Robert Green was
appointed to preach the Montgom.
cry Circuit in 1888.
The Quakers held meetings in
Sandy Spring as early as 1853 but
there is no record of an estab-
lished monthly meeting there un-
til 1876. The first meeting house
was of logs, followed by a frame
building and later the brick build
ing still standing was erected in
1917. The deed to the land was
dated November, ITO from James
Brooke of Charley Forest to Rog-
er, Richard and Basil Brooke,
committee for the Sandy Spring
Meeting.
Upper Seneca was organized by
the BaptistS around 1900 and
branch from this was established
in Rockville in 1921. 1t was named
the Bethel Baptist Church of
Montgomery County with Joseph
II. Jones as its first pastor.
Another Rockville group under
the leadership of William McClan.
ahan, head of the English depart.
ment at the Rockville Academy,
held meetings of the Christian
Church in private homes from
1920 on. In 1858, William Brad
dock decided to the group the for
mer house of worship of the Pres
byterians at Jefferson and Adams
st. This was used until the ded-
ication of the present building in
1893.
The Rockville Free Methodist
Church was established in 1899
with the Rev John Cavanah as
its pastor.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
In I5Ist Year
BY Mrs. Ulysses Griffith w

On June 28, 1855 the congrega-
ton of the Upper Seneca Baptist
church in Cedar Grove celebrat-
ed the 150th year of continuous
existence. This makes it one of
the Oldest churches of its faith
in the county.
At the sesquicentennial cele-
bration the present church clerk
Mrs. Elgie Hawkins read from
the first old record book with
its yellowed pages and faded ink
the names of the charter mem
bers of the church as follows:
Howard Griffith, Henry WEIGH,
William Tracy,-on Riggs,-H. N.
Riggs, Robett Warfield, John
Welch, William Chambers, Davis
Hammond Welsh, his wife, -
Riggs, Immelia Davis, - Woolf,
Zachariah Davis, his wife, Jem-
ina Griffith, Lucretia Welch,
Sarah Welch, Mary Burdette,
Mary Tracy, Rachel Dorsey, Mary
Willitt, Polly Wilt, Porter Riggs,
yElizabeth Warfield, Ruth War
field, Immelia Warfield, Mary
Welsh, Hannah Holland, Mrs.
RickitS, Rachel Welsh, Thomas
Davis and Walter Fitzgerald,
clerk. This charter membership
totaled 33.
BY 1851 when the records show
another list Of total membership,
the number has reached 81 and
for the first time we see such
familiar up-county names as Pur.
dunn, Watkins, Hobbs, Fish, Wat.
ers, Sellman and Woodfield ap.
pear on the church rolls.
The founder and first pastor
of the Upper Seneca Baptist
church was Elder jeremiah
Moore whose missionary activi-
ties covered parts of Virginia, the
District of Columbia and Mont
gomery and Charles counties in
Maryland. The first church
building was called White Oak
chapel and the building is still
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
BY Mrs. Ulysses Griffith Nv

In 1892 the colonial assembly
of Maryland enacted a law estab-
fishing 80 Episcopal parishes in
the Colony of Maryland. Most
of these were on the eastern and
western shores of Marylang along
the bay, where the earliest set
Elements had been.
Prince Georges County was
established in 1896 and designated
as Piscataway Parish, which was
divided to create st. Johns parish
in 1923. In 1913 the inhabitants
of the Eastern Branch and Rock
Creek established a chapel at or
near where ST. PauPS Church
(Rock Creek Church, now
stands in the District of Colum-
bia.
Shortly afterward, the people
attached to the chapel made a
request for a new parish and on
July 25, 1926, the Colonial AS
sembly of Maryland established
Prince Georges parish.
One can understand that the
area embraced in this newly-creat-
ed jurisdiction was not very
heavily populated, since the new
parish covered a 90 mile long
area and included what is now
the District of Columbia, Mont
gomery, Frederick, Washington,
Garrett, Allegany and part of
Carroll counties.
This was the beginning of
Christ Church in Rockville and
its daughter church, Ascension
Chapel, in Gaithersburg.
The first vestry consisted of
Nathaniel Wickham, Jr., John
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Jitterbug Was VOOdOO
To Paper in 1889

The SENTINEL didn't under.
stand the intricacies of the
modern dance.
In describing the jitterbug con.
test which climaxed the 1889
Rockville Volunteer Fire Depart
ment Carnival, the paper ex.
claimed:
"Untrammeled by prejudice or
inhibition, the essential charac-
teristics of jitterbugging are
humor, rhythm and complete
transference into a mystic mood
bordering on voodooism. The
posturing in this dance is as
stylized as in the ancient funeral
dances Of the Haitians."
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
1t Almost Burned
Cop to Lose Sleep

A close brush with death early
in 1910 didn't dull the sense of
humor of Police desk clerk Floyd
Moxley.
Moxley, weary after ID hours
on duty, fell asleep on a cot at
police headquarters. When day
time desk clerk Robert HoWes ar
rived he found a locker. room
fire creeping toward the sleep
ing man. HoWes aroused Moxley
and the two men eXtinguished
the blaze. Damage totaled 5000
Quipped Moxley, ut burns me
up to lose my sleep"
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Tax 'AbOminatiOn'

Matthew Fields, founder Of The
SENTINEL, made no bones about
the way he felt about the income
tax. In an editorial discussing
1871 tax legislation he said,
The Senate repealed this
abomination the income tax
law but the House went back
on en- out Of pure 'cussedness'.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Area Received Early
Benefit from States
Religious federation

Religious liberation in Maryland established early
and Montgomery County benefited by attracting coonsts
from secs and faiths including the Quakers who barred
from other areas in the country
There to be disagreement to the first
church in the country Many authorities claim the Rock
Creek Church in the Parish of Prince Georges which
branch of St. Johns Parish of the Protestant Episcopal
Church.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
The Golden Rule

When IN. Rosenberg and Son"
took over the grocery store of
o. X. Poole at Sellman in 1914,
they decided to proclaim their
policy in the establishments S
name. They called it THE Gold
en- Rule
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Academic Type

Impatient parents who think
your offspring will never fin.
ish school, please take note:
An 1890 author says of "a
contemporary: "He. also
spent seven years i'm George.
town College, leaving, how.
ever, before his graduation"
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25

ants, and tsverns in 1854 than in
any Of the past ten years. The
policy Of one Of the larger res
tsurants In the city, which had
been queAtionsd prsviousi, seemed
10 have changed in that the res
taurant in question now seemed
resolved TO serve persons without
regard to race or color.
Only two other alleged such Wo-
lations Of the Minnesota Equal
Rights Law were reported Both
~ these complaints were found 10
be invalid and unjustified after
investigation of the facts involved
The NAACP does not countenance
boiaterouH and unmannsrly ac.
tons on the part Of compliments
and such actions appeared To have
been demonstrated in these two
cases
There were three cases Of al
legged police brutality reported 10
the branch. Two ~ the complain
ants we're found 10 have resisted
arrest and both 10 have threatened
the arr~ating officers In the third
case the complainant had already
pleaded guilty To dLsorderly con
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25

versial issue in the Minneapolis
community. but the NAACP re
manned firm in it's stand, and was
supported by the st Paul and
Duluth Branches, the Minnesota
state Conference Of NAACP. and
by large number Of individuals
ia the community. Branch Off
Gals still plan a conference with
the sponsors Of the tournament To
iron out the differences in this
matter
The Branch continued its
monthly meetings with outstand.
ing speakers and interesting pro-
grams during 1854 Some Of the
speakers were Monroe SchlaCtus
OF the i-Defamation League Of
Bnat Birth. Mrs Philip Won
Blon Of the Joint Committee on
Equal Opportunity Frank Smith,
president Of the st Paul Branch.
York Langton Of the United Ma
tons Association, Walter White
Executive Secretary Of the Ma
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25

duct in Municipal Court, and was
given a sentence.
Early in 1854 representatives Of
the Minneapolis Branch Emporium
ed the Minneapolis FEPC TO take
action against the licensed taxi
cab companies, AZ tine NAACP |
contsnded that these companies
were in violation Of the FEPC or
dinancs in their continued evasion
Of the ordinance by refusal to EN-
pIoy Negro applicants az drivers
Outstanding Accomplishment
The outstanding accomplish
ment Of the Minneapolis Branch
vas the successful campaign To
secure strong non-dlscriminatory
safeguards in the contracts, deeds.
leases. and other conveyances in
the GIenwood Area RedrveIopment
Plan, and applying 10 all trsnsac-
lions in residential as well az
commercial and Industrial proper
ties.
The NAACP Joined other hui
man relations agencies and or
CARNATIONS in urging the Hous-
ing and acknowledgment Authority
and the Minneapolis city Council
10 take this forward step. NAACP
| representatives wrote 10 the HouH-
ing and Home Finance Agency in
Washington. ID G. urging that
agency 10 withhold approval Of
the plan unless such safeguards
were included
| The problem of discrimination
in housing WIS found To he the
most critical area Of resistance to-
ward progress In Minneapolis by
the NAACP Many cases were re-
ported during the year. and all
| those cases where law violations
were found were satisfactorily re-
solved One OF the most fragrant
| Of such violations included
breach Of contract. together with
violation Of the FILA non discrtm-
inatory clauses in the refusal 10
honor lease Of an apartment held
/ by Negro family
The NAACP in cooperation with
other agencies and organizations
/ Investigated this matter and urg-
ed court action. The family was
reluctant 10 enter litigation, but
we're finally granted lease on an
| apartment IN the building in ques.
! ton after the NAACP released
! publicity in the matter The MA
/ ACF remained firm in fts post
ton that Negroes have an obi
| cation 10 take advantage Of the
laws which were passed for the
protection Of the rights OF all
Americans
Relieving that the Supreme
| Court decision Of May II against
/ segregation in the school should
/ be considered "a mandate To end
all segregation, the Minneapolis
Branch took a firm stand against
self aggregation also, and attacked
/ the practice Of holding golf
tournament under segregated ans
/ pieces on our municipal golf cours-
81.
This attack became con,ro-
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25

whole country.
The president Of the local
branch. William e. Cratic. again
served as chairman Of Region ~
OF the NAACP, which comprises
nine mldwcatern states,
Representative from the
branch served on the executive
board ~ the Minnesota state Con.
ference Of NAACP and were ac-
tive In helping 10 press for u
broader and more effective and
militant campaign 10 secure
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25

state FEpC bill in the 1865 Iegis-
iaturc, Epearhsaded by the State
Conference
Through these efforts the cam.
paign this year has taken on more
Of u grass roots approach with the
NAACP In u stronger leadership
and policy making position.
The branch was gratified 10
find fewer complaints ~ diScrIm.
nation In places of public accom-
mediation such a. hotels. reHtAur-
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25
What Minneapolis NAACP
Branch Did In 1854
ny ADELINE O. FRANKS

The Minneapolis Branch NAACP had one Of its
tive and productive 1864 its militant and
promising campaign end all segregation and discrimination
Minneapolis aud cooperating with its National Office and
Minnesota State Conference aid IN the continuing campaign
against segregation discrimination the and in the
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-02-25

ACP. Warren Burger, Assistant
u. s Attorney General and Miles
Lord, Minnesota Attorney Cen
eral