EMMITSBURG,
Md. – The board of commissioners voted on July 17 not
to make a decision about a founding date, but will likely
adopt a resolution recognizing Emmitsburg’s incorporation
date.
Commissioner
Clifford Sweeney, who had requested the founding date be
placed on the board’s agenda for a decision, said
he would support a celebration in 2007 if an organization
wanted to hold one, but “I don’t think history
should be voted on (by a town board).”
The
commissioners agreed to give further consideration to a
resolution prepared by Commissioner William B. O’Neil
Jr. recognizing 1825 as the town’s incorporation date.
Removing 1757 from the town seal and flags could follow
successful adoption of O’Neil’s resolution.
Comments
from a number of residents at Monday’s meeting were
generally restatements of positions going back years in
the never-ending debate … but that debate will likely
end soon as far as town meetings go.
“I
think nobody is wrong,” Sweeney said, pointing out
that both dates offered by their proponents – 1757
and 1785 – were worthy of celebration for their respective
reasons. In 1757 Samuel Emmit purchased land in Frederick
County, a portion of which eventually became Emmitsburg.
In 1785, Emmit transferred a deed to his son to lay out
a town, specifically called Emmitsburg.
Board
President Christopher V. Staiger agreed that the board should
not vote on a founding date. “We had a situation when
we were making flags and then we were burning them. An organization
should step up to the plate,” adding that the board
shouldn’t be the organizing body.
Pointing
out that the town contributes money toward the Lions Club-sponsored
Community Day, Staiger said the board could also contribute
toward an organized effort to celebrate the town’s
heritage.
In
addition to avoiding making a founding date determination,
the board also agreed that the town will not officially
organize any founding date activity, but said that any group
organizing such activities could solicit a contribution
from the town.
O’Neil’s
resolution seems to reflect a general consensus among board
members that adopting an 1825 incorporation day would probably
pass unanimously, despite the fact that the Maryland Municipal
League and the Frederick Regional Action Network both list
Emmitsburg’s incorporation date as 1824.
However,
that discrepancy may be due to the town’s incorporation
date being approved in 1824, but not signed into law until
1825, according to several sources, including the Emmitsburg
Area Historical Society Web site, which explains the town
“was incorporated by the general assembly of Maryland,
by its act of 1824, passed January 13, 1825.”
The
board voted 4-0, Commissioner Blanchard absent, to consider
the incorporation date resolution at the Aug. 7 meeting.
