New book about Howard County history written by Voices of Laurel contributor and son
Curiosity surrounding an old iron bridge they would cross walking along trails in their neighborhood led this father and son duo to look deeper into the history of their community. And it was that curiosity that ignited and fuels their passion for getting to the true story behind well-worn stories about Howard County history, as well as for discovering little known or long-lost gems of history and bringing them to light. The pair has taken many of those stories and put them in their first book, Hidden History of Howard County.
The book is full of deep dives into the history of HoCo, as they refer to Howard County throughout the book. The authors have laid out a buffet of historical tidbits, notable topography, and little known but no less noteworthy people that merit a closer look, and they seem to plead for another historian to continue the research where their work ended.
Hidden History of Howard County contains several years’ worth of research finds and stories that Wayne Davis amassed and, with input from his son, Nathan, have been publishing via a Facebook page and at times in local newspapers, including Voices of Laurel and Guilford Gazette.
Although there is a focus on the Guilford area of Howard County, other areas in the county are represented. The Davises believe that the unearthing and telling of factual local history is important, and their book encourages people of any city, town, or neighborhood to seek out the history around them.
Thrilling Finds
One noteworthy individual they encountered while researching an unmarked, overgrown cemetery was a prolific researcher and historian of African American history in Howard County named Beulah Meacham Buckner. Buckner died in 2005 before she was able to publish her extensive trove of research. Despite having only had access to Buckner’s collection of data for a very short time, which was in the possession of the Howard County government, Wayne wrote in the book that:
The quality and quantity of records Buckner obtained are impressive, containing documents, journals, newspaper clippings, notes, typed pages of her manuscript, computer disks, photos, slide negatives and more. Her research is overwhelming and powerful, especially knowing how she felt about the lack of research into our county’s Black history.
Little did they know when they set out to find out more information about a mill that once operated in their village of Kings Contrivance, they would make the discovery that would lead to what Wayne called, “the heart and soul” of what led to writing a book about HoCo’s hidden history. “I think that’s what really got us hooked into history,” he said. “It was like we were prospecting for gold. It was just an amazing thing.”
He and neighbor Gerald Ueckermann, who was researching mills and looking at street plats, noticed a reference to a cemetery. Curious about the cemetery, Wayne and Nathan went over to take a look. The overgrown, unmarked land was nestled between Rt. 32 and a technology building on Guilford Road.
Initially excited to uncover what they thought was a unique find, Wayne said, “we found out later that an African American researcher called Beulah Buckner had” researched and asked about the cemetery back in the 1980s.
Wayne was equally thrilled to learn about Buckner’s efforts to research the cemetery and other aspects of local Black history. But, finding the cemetery, even though it was technically re-discovering a forgotten cemetery, proved to be an adventure. The adventure included cadaver dog training, state and local archeologists, and others who partially cleared, assessed, and mapped the site.
Learning about the deceased local African American researcher’s connection to the site led Wayne and Nathan to find out more about her. “We wanted to find out how she knew about it, and that’s what prompted us to want to find her records,” he said. They did locate her vast trove of research with the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks several years ago, though it is unclear where the Buckner research is at this time.
Each author has their favorite finds and stories in the book. Wayne noted that the cemetery find was up at the top of his list. From a storytelling perspective, he enjoyed the murder mystery that he stumbled upon while researching the quarries. He also was moved by the strength and tenacity of the Carter family (“just how strong Willis Carter was”) and the whole historically Black community of Guilford; and how they fought for public education and desegregation.
Nathan said, “I’d probably say the thing that I wish that I knew the most, or I wish was taught to me when I was at Hammond [High School], [was about] ... Roger Carter. That’s a tremendous story,” which ranked high up on his list.
Researchers and budding history enthusiasts will appreciate the plethora of tips, databases, and websites, found in the Acknowledgements and Appendix of the book that can be used to undertake their own searches, as well as the book’s pages of end notes sourcing their finds.
Does anybody really care?
There is an undercurrent of frustration throughout the book at the way HoCo history is portrayed and who is left out of the narrative. The authors believe that facts about HoCo’s history should be acknowledged and taught but worry that people appear to accept the narrative they are given without curiosity. Nathan expressed his frustration, saying, “I am still surprised how little people care [to learn more about history].” But the book is filled with stories that may change that.
Nathan hopes readers will take away from their book a few ideas, “not to take all history at face value, because it’s a lot deeper than that,” because “the popular stories [about history] are seldom the factual stories.”
Using the example of the bridge that he walked on in his youth, he noted that the rocky area around the bridge with “the granite boulders that were cut and then the signs that were [installed by the county] there, were some of the story but not all of the story, not the most interesting parts of the story.” So, his advice is to always dig deeper.
Wayne hopes that readers will be encouraged to look for the hidden history in their own neighborhoods.
Evidence that there is a HoCo audience that does care about local history was on display at their first two author events, one at Backwater Books on Main Street in old Ellicott City and another at Historic Savage Mill. Coming this year, several author events are lined up, including January 24, 2024, at Busboys and Poets in Columbia at 6:00 PM; on February 27, 2024, at the Kings Contrivance Village Association at 10:30 AM; and April 5, 2024 at the Howard County Historical Society Lunch and Learn at 12:00 PM.
Angie Latham Kozlowski is a staff writer and member of the Board of Directors for the Laurel History Boys. In addition to her investigative reporting, her articles frequently spotlight Howard County.
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