Carroll 250 Event: History of Manchester Presented by Joe Getty

The earliest settlement in Manchester took place through the movement of population from two different directions by settlers seeking productive agricultural land to establish farmsteads.

English-speaking settlers from Tidewater Maryland started claiming land in this region during the 1730s.  Due to their access to the land patent office in Annapolis, many of the original land surveys were done by prominent landowners in Tidewater Maryland.

The northern part of Carroll County, however, was dominated by German-speaking settlers moving south from central Pennsylvania.

By 1758, a sufficient number of German-speaking households had settled so that they banded together to form a church congregation and sought a land patent.  Their land grant, named “German Church in Baltimore County,” was issued on Oct. 23, 1758.

Mr. Getty, who writes a local history column for the Northern News, will present his own research about the history of Manchester, including the attempts to build a railroad and the post-Civil War cigar industry.

In addition, his Powerpoint presentation will include artifacts and source materials from the Manchester Historical Center at 3208 York St., Manchester.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

The Manchester History Center collects and exhibits photographs and artifacts about all eras in Manchester’s history.  It is located at 3208 York St. and open on the 1st Sunday and the 3rd Saturday of each month. Hours are 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment on other days.

Questions? Please call Laura Bankard, Outreach & Events Director at 410.848.6494 ext. 200 or email her at lbankard@hsccmd.org. \