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TOWN OF UPPER MARLBORO EXCITED TO RE-CREATE HISTORIC
1922 CRAIN HIGHWAY MONUMENT PHOTO THIS SATURDAY
“A lot of planning and preparation has gone into celebrating
the re-creation of this historic photo that was taken 100 years ago”
UPPER MARLBORO, MD (Monday, Sept. 26, 2022) – This year officially marks the Centennial Anniversary of the construction of the Robert Crain Highway Monument. This Saturday, Oct. 1, the Town of Upper Marlboro Historical Committee will hold a centennial anniversary celebration and a re-creation of an original photograph from the September 1922 event. The photo re-enactment will be held at 11 a.m. at the monument, located at Main Street and Old Crain Highway in the Town of Upper Marlboro.
Dignitaries from the State of Maryland, Baltimore City, and the five original counties are expected to participate, along with Town of Upper Marlboro Mayor Sarah Franklin.
The monument was originally erected in the Town of Upper Marlboro in September 1922 to celebrate the culmination of the long journey to create a new regional road that would link Southern Maryland to Baltimore. The original celebration included officials from Anne Arundel County, Calvert County, Charles County, Prince George’s County, St. Mary’s County and Baltimore City.
“A lot of planning and preparation has gone into celebrating the re-creation of this historic photo that was taken 100 years ago,” said Upper Marlboro Town Clerk John Hoatson, who is coordinating the Oct. 1 festivities. “We hope everyone who attends this Saturday will feel a tremendous sense of pride in the role that Upper Marlboro played as a catalyst for transportation and trade in the Southern Maryland region of our state.”
The 1922 celebration and parade would forever change the Town of Upper Marlboro and its future. The Merchants and Manufacturers Association of Baltimore had decided that Southern Maryland was a hot spot for trading and other business opportunities. The association and political figures in Southern Maryland created a route which would connect Baltimore to Southern Maryland counties.
The original program from the Sept. 1922 ceremony tells of the events leading up to that celebration. A train brought members of the association, the Mayor of Baltimore, and hundreds of Baltimoreans onto Upper Marlboro’s Main Street for the celebration. Leading figures in the day’s ceremony were Albert C. Ritchie, then-governor of MD; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Crain, for whom Crain Highway was named; John N. Mackall, of the Maryland State Roads Commission; and the Honorable W. F. Broening, then Mayor of Baltimore.
As part of that regional observance, five young women representing each of the five counties participated in a flag ceremony along with the City of Baltimore. Governor Ritchie assured everyone that the flags would be preserved in the city hall as a constant reminder of the meaning of the ceremony. The U.S. Naval Academy Band played Maryland, My Maryland. This Saturday, the Naval Academy Band will perform the Star-Spangled Banner, which also has special meaning to the Town of Upper Marlboro.
In 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner after observing the flag still flying at Fort McHenry in Baltimore while securing the release of Upper Marlborough resident Dr. William Beanes. Dr. Beanes was captured by the British for his role in imprisonment of some British soldiers who were stealing from the Town citizens as they returned from burning Washington.
Originally, Robert Crain Highway was a narrow, twisted dirt path passable only by horse-drawn vehicles. This vital link between the two cities was improved with $250,000 from the Maryland legislature to complete a better road. On Oct. 22, 1927, Robert Crain Highway opened for the first time, allowing Baltimore and Southern Maryland counties to trade.
“People have driven or walked past this unique historic monument every day for the past 100 years and probably didn’t know it’s true significance to our town, to the region, and to the state,” Hoatson emphasized. “This Oct. 1 event will serve as an important reminder of how important the Town of Upper Marlboro has been to Maryland’s economy for over a century. We want people to attend this centennial celebration and be an important part of our town’s rich history.”
For more information, visit the town’s website (https://www.uppermarlboromd.gov/ or call the town offices at 301-627-6905.
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