Cecil County, Maryland

Coordinates: 39°34′N 75°57′W / 39.57°N 75.95°W / 39.57; -75.95
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Cecil County
Cecil County Circuit Courthouse in Elkton
UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.ccgov.org

Cecil County (

2020 census, the population was 103,725.[1] The county seat is Elkton.[2]

The county was named for

Proprietary Governor of the Province (colony) of Maryland. With the eastern part of the county closer to Philadelphia than Baltimore, it is part of the Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD Metropolitan Statistical Area.[3] The county is located in Wilmington's Radio Market and Baltimore's Designated Market Area.

History

Former county seal, used from the 17th century to the 20th century

The area now known as Cecil County was an important trading center long before the county's official organization in 1674 by proclamation of

Captain John Smith visited the area in 1608. William Claiborne, a Puritan trader based in Virginia, earlier established a trading post at what is now known as Garrett island at the mouth of the Susquehanna River near what became Perryville. Bohemian immigrant Augustine Herman lobbied for Cecil County's creation, and drew the 1674 maps, in exchange for which Herman received extensive land grants, including one developed as Bohemia Manor, where he eventually died. Another early developer was George Talbot, appointed Surveyor-General of Maryland in 1683,[5] who came from Ballyconnell, County Cavan, Ireland.[6] Talbot's original grant of land in Susquehanna, Cecil County is viewable online.[7] Its subsequent history is told in the Crofton Papers, page 153.[8]

Until the

Robert Alexander
, the area's delegate to the Continental Congress of 1776, spoke with both sides but ultimately decided to go into exile in England without his wife. She remained a loyal Marylander and received a life estate in some of Elkton property that Maryland confiscated.

Early 20th century postcard depicting Cecil County's Elkton Armory

The

Port Deposit
which rumors called heavily defended, the British destroyed the Principio Iron Works, an important military target.

Port Deposit boomed after the

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which became for a while the busiest canal in the new nation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers still operates it today, and Chesapeake City, Maryland, which had been Bohemia Manor until 1839, has a museum explaining the canal's importance. Railroads and bridges also proved economically important to Cecil County and surrounding region. The New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad began service in 1831. Railroads crisscrossed Cecil county within three decades, although they ultimately greatly reduced its importance as a trading center. Cities such as Philadelphia and Baltimore could achieve economies of scale impossible for the county's small Chesapeake ports. Even the railroad's Frenchtown section was abandoned in 1859, and the port became a ghost town, though other sections remain in use, operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway
.

During the

Americans as a whole
.

From the start, Cecil County's future was shaped by its strategic location between the growing cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York City. In the 20th century, as modern highways arrived its placement along the heavily traveled northeast corridor brought new opportunities and change to the county. By June 1941, the final segment of the Philadelphia Road, the new dual highway designated as Route 40 was completed across the center of Cecil County. In 1943, the dual highway was dedicated as the Pulaski Highway, to honor the Polish patriot and friend of Revolutionary American, according to The Baltimore Sun. Soon new motels, restaurants, and gas stations started sprouting up along what was once rural fields and woods.[9]

On Nov. 14, 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited Cecil County to formally open and dedicate the Northeastern Expressway (I-95). Motorists were relieved to be "on the clear new road" one editor noted in The Baltimore Sun. After President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, I-95 was rededicated as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. As traffic started zipping along the superhighway, without one light halting the fast trip, a corridor that would yield major dividends to the county had opened. It spurred business growth along the route, as commercial, industrial, and residential development clustered near the interchanges in the decades ahead.[10]

In 2013, the county became a Second Amendment sanctuary.[11]

Cecil County has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.[12]

Politics, government and law

In the early post-Civil War period, Cecil County, having been generally pro-secession, leaned strongly towards the Democratic Party.[13] It was carried by the Democratic Party nominee in every Presidential election between 1868 and 1920 except that of 1896 when the Northeast was vigorously opposed to William Jennings Bryan’s “free silver” policy. Since Dwight Eisenhower carried the county in 1952, Cecil County has become a solidly Republican county. The last Democrat to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Prior to December 3, 2012, Cecil County was governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland. On that date, Cecil County began governance under a new charter approved via voter referendum in November 2010, which authorized an elected County Executive and a five-member County Council, which separates the legislative and executive functions of local government (unlike the old "board of commissioner" system). Cecil County thus joined most of the other larger, increasingly urban and complex county governments in central Maryland with county executive-county council forms, such as Baltimore, Harford, Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George's, and Montgomery counties.[14] Elected on November 3, 2020, Danielle Hornberger (R) is the current County Executive.[15]

In addition, Cecil County is an area that has some home rule in its towns, in places such as Perryville and North East, who have town governments, and hence have minimal county reliance.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment of Cecil County[16]
Party Total Percentage
Democratic 20,856 29.26%
Republican 32,323 45.34%
Independents, unaffiliated, and other 18,106 25.40%
Total 71,285 100.00%
United States presidential election results for Cecil County, Maryland[17][18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 29,439 62.03% 16,809 35.42% 1,214 2.56%
2016 28,868 63.77% 13,650 30.15% 2,751 6.08%
2012 24,806 58.39% 16,557 38.98% 1,117 2.63%
2008 23,855 56.14% 17,665 41.57% 974 2.29%
2004 22,556 59.87% 14,680 38.97% 438 1.16%
2000 15,494 53.66% 12,327 42.69% 1,055 3.65%
1996 10,885 44.50% 10,144 41.47% 3,431 14.03%
1992 10,784 39.47% 10,232 37.45% 6,303 23.07%
1988 13,224 62.51% 7,807 36.90% 124 0.59%
1984 13,111 65.93% 6,681 33.60% 93 0.47%
1980 9,673 51.33% 7,937 42.12% 1,236 6.56%
1976 7,833 46.67% 8,950 53.33% 0 0.00%
1972 10,759 70.82% 4,113 27.08% 319 2.10%
1968 6,462 45.46% 4,517 31.78% 3,235 22.76%
1964 5,330 40.43% 7,854 59.57% 0 0.00%
1960 7,368 54.85% 6,065 45.15% 0 0.00%
1956 7,217 59.38% 4,936 40.62% 0 0.00%
1952 6,482 53.58% 5,590 46.21% 26 0.21%
1948 3,866 46.94% 4,323 52.49% 47 0.57%
1944 3,680 44.11% 4,662 55.89% 0 0.00%
1940 3,878 41.75% 5,360 57.71% 50 0.54%
1936 3,617 42.15% 4,914 57.26% 51 0.59%
1932 3,569 44.84% 4,282 53.80% 108 1.36%
1928 5,706 71.67% 2,201 27.64% 55 0.69%
1924 3,156 50.37% 2,863 45.69% 247 3.94%
1920 3,435 49.37% 3,468 49.85% 54 0.78%
1916 1,959 42.34% 2,587 55.91% 81 1.75%
1912 1,509 31.86% 2,491 52.60% 736 15.54%
1908 2,378 45.04% 2,847 53.92% 55 1.04%
1904 2,425 48.14% 2,554 50.70% 58 1.15%
1900 2,959 48.78% 2,988 49.26% 119 1.96%
1896 3,128 50.21% 2,908 46.68% 194 3.11%
1892 2,310 42.32% 2,898 53.09% 251 4.60%

Geography

Farmland near Fair Hill in northeastern Cecil County

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 418 square miles (1,080 km2), of which 346 square miles (900 km2) is land and 72 square miles (190 km2) (17%) is water.[19]

Cecil County is in the northeast corner of Maryland, bounded on the north and east by the Mason–Dixon line with Pennsylvania and Delaware. The western border is defined by the lower reaches of the Susquehanna River and the northernmost coves, flats and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. On the south, the county is bounded by the Sassafras River and Kent County, Maryland. The county is part of the Delmarva Peninsula as well as Maryland's "Eastern Shore."

Topographically, Cecil County straddles the border between the rolling hills of the

Atlantic Coastal Plain to the south. The highest and most rugged hills are found in the northwestern and north-central parts of the county, reaching 534 feet (163 m) just south of the Mason–Dixon line near Nottingham, Pennsylvania and just east of U.S. Route 1. The lowest elevation is sea level along the Chesapeake Bay
.

Cecil County is primarily rural, with denser development around the county seat of

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which connects the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay by way of the Elk River. The canal passes through the town of Chesapeake City, where a high-level bridge facilitates the passage of large ships beneath Maryland Route 213
.

Cecil County is also bisected east-to-west by Interstate 95, known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in Maryland. The highway provides a major artery for traffic between the Baltimore-Washington area to the southwest and the Philadelphia and New York and New Jersey regions to the northeast. The Office of Management and Budget has designated Cecil County as part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metropolitan area.

Adjacent counties

Climate

Cecil County has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) except in higher northern areas where a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) exists. There are four distinct seasons and seven months average above 50 °F (10 °C).) The hardiness zone is mostly 7a.

Climate data for Elkton, Maryland
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 75
(24)
79
(26)
89
(32)
94
(34)
97
(36)
100
(38)
105
(41)
103
(39)
100
(38)
90
(32)
85
(29)
75
(24)
105
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 41
(5)
45
(7)
55
(13)
66
(19)
76
(24)
84
(29)
88
(31)
85
(29)
79
(26)
68
(20)
57
(14)
46
(8)
66
(19)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 23
(−5)
25
(−4)
32
(0)
41
(5)
51
(11)
60
(16)
65
(18)
64
(18)
57
(14)
44
(7)
34
(1)
28
(−2)
44
(7)
Record low °F (°C) −10
(−23)
−8
(−22)
4
(−16)
14
(−10)
28
(−2)
38
(3)
41
(5)
42
(6)
33
(1)
23
(−5)
12
(−11)
−6
(−21)
−10
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.47
(88)
2.73
(69)
4.04
(103)
3.53
(90)
4.41
(112)
4.06
(103)
4.49
(114)
4.01
(102)
4.28
(109)
3.38
(86)
3.39
(86)
3.56
(90)
45.35
(1,152)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.7
(14)
4.4
(11)
1.2
(3.0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.4
(1.0)
2.3
(5.8)
14
(34.8)
Source: [20]

Transportation

Major roads and highways

I-95 southbound past MD 279 in Cecil County

Public transportation

The county operates Cecil Transit, which provides fixed-route bus and demand responsive transport service throughout Cecil County.

The northern terminus of MARC's Penn Line commuter rail service to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. is in Perryville, Maryland. Recently, the Wilmington Area Planning Council conducted a study on the travel patterns of residents in the county, and they suggested that the MARC line extends from Perryville up to Newark or even Wilmington, where it meets SEPTA and Amtrak lines.

The county is one of only two areas on Amtrak's Acela that does not have local services.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
179013,625
18009,018−33.8%
181013,06644.9%
182016,04822.8%
183015,432−3.8%
184017,23211.7%
185018,9399.9%
186023,86226.0%
187025,8748.4%
188027,1084.8%
189025,851−4.6%
190024,662−4.6%
191023,759−3.7%
192023,612−0.6%
193025,8279.4%
194026,4072.2%
195033,35626.3%
196048,40845.1%
197053,29110.1%
198060,43013.4%
199071,34718.1%
200085,95120.5%
2010101,10817.6%
2020103,7252.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[21]
1790-1960[22] 1900-1990[23]
1990-2000[24] 2010[25] 2020[26]

2020 census

Cecil County, Maryland - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[25] Pop 2020[26] % 2010 % 2020
White
alone (NH)
88,348 83,485 87.38% 80.49%
Black or African American
alone (NH)
6,080 7,500 6.01% 7.23%
Alaska Native
alone (NH)
246 231 0.24% 0.22%
Asian alone (NH) 1,078 1,232 1.07% 1.19%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 43 23 0.04% 0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 90 408 0.09% 0.39%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 1,816 5,396 1.80% 5.20%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3,407 5,450 3.37% 5.25%
Total 101,108 103,725 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census, there were 101,108 people, 36,867 households, and 26,681 families living in the county.[27] The population density was 292.0 inhabitants per square mile (112.7/km2). There were 41,103 housing units at an average density of 118.7 per square mile (45.8/km2).[28] The racial makeup of the county was 89.2% white, 6.2% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.4% of the population.[27][29]

Of the 36,867 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.6% were non-families, and 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age was 38.9 years.[27]

The median income for a household in the county was $64,886 and the median income for a family was $75,742. Males had a median income of $54,379 versus $39,933 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,640. About 6.3% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the

poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[30]

2000 census

As of the

Italian
ancestry.

There were 31,223 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county, 27.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,510, and the median income for a family was $56,469. Males had a median income of $40,350 versus $28,646 for females. The

poverty line
, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Maryland state planning data suggest that the population of the county could double in the next thirty years, reaching 160,000 by 2030.[Tangel]

As of the 2010 Census, the racial makeup of Cecil County was 87.4% Non-Hispanic white, 6.2% black, 0.3% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 1.8% Non-Hispanics of two or more races and 3.4% Hispanics.

Cecil County is home to a small Amish community in the Cecilton area that was founded in 1999.[32] Amish families moved to the area from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania because of increasing costs and the declining amount of farmland there.[33]

Education

There are 17 elementary schools, six middle schools, five high schools, and the Cecil County School of Technology, which specializes in career and technology education, all operated by Cecil County Public Schools.[34] Cecil County schools acts as the school district for the entire county.[35]

Cecil College has four campuses in Cecil County.[36]

Libraries

There are 7 branches of the Cecil County Public Library and the Library also does significant outreach throughout the county.

Crime rate

The 2017 census accounted a population of 102,746 people.[37] On a scale of one, being low crime, to 100, being high crime, these statistics compare Cecil County's crime rates to US crime averages. In regards to violent crime, which includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, the rate is 40.8 compared to the U.S. average of 31.1.[38] In property crime, including offenses being burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson, the rate is 39.3 compared to the U.S. average of 38.1.[38]

Populated areas

Towns
Unincorporated communities

Notable people

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. National Archives
    .
  4. ^ "Cecil County Tourism: The History of Cecil County". Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  5. ^ "A Look Inside the History of Cecil County, Maryland". Accessible Archives Inc. July 20, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  6. ^ "Archives of Maryland, Volume 0426, Page 0797 - A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al". Msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  7. ^ "Photographic copy of book page" (JPG). Mediasvc.ancestry.com.au. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  8. ^ "Crofton Memoirs" (PDF). Faculty.fuqua.duke.edu. p. 153. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  9. ^ "Route 40 Opens in Cecil County". Window on Cecil County's Past. December 1, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "Kennedy Highway Changed Cecil County -". Window on Cecil County's Past. November 20, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  11. ^ "Second Amendment sanctuary? | Sunnyside Sun". March 6, 2019. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  13. ^ Levine, Mark V.; ‘Standing Political Decisions and Critical Realignment: The Pattern of Maryland Politics, 1872-1948’; The Journal of Politics, volume 38, no. 2 (May, 1976), pp. 292-325
  14. ^ "Cecil County, MD: Charter". Ecode360.com. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  15. ^ "Office of the County Executive | Cecil County". Ccgov.org. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  16. ^ "Summary of Voter Activity Report" (PDF). Maryland State Board of Elections. October 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  17. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  18. ^ "Our Campaigns - U.S. President". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  19. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  20. ^ "Intellicast - Elkton Historic Weather Averages in Maryland (21921)". Intellicast.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  21. US Census Bureau
    . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  22. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  23. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  24. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  25. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Cecil County, Maryland". United States Census Bureau.
  26. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Cecil County, Maryland". United States Census Bureau.
  27. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  28. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  29. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community urvey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  30. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  31. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  32. ^ "Maryland Amish". Amish America. March 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  33. ^ Guy, Chris (June 27, 2003). "Match made in Cecil County". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  34. ^ "Directory". ccps.org. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  35. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 25, 2022. - Text list
  36. ^ "Locations & Hours". Cecil College. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  37. ^ "Cecil County, Maryland; UNITED STATES". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  38. ^ a b "Cecil County, Maryland Crime". bestplaces.net. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  39. ^ a b c "History | Cecil County". ccgov.org. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  40. ^ a b Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967.
  • ^ Tangel, Andrew (January 10, 2006). "Hundreds discuss growth in Cecil County". The News Journal. pp. B1.

External links

39°34′N 75°57′W / 39.57°N 75.95°W / 39.57; -75.95