Charles County Revisited

Description

Charles County was chartered in 1658 and marked its 350th anniversary in 2008. In its lifespan, it has transformed itself from an agriculturally based English colony to an explosive commercial bedroom community for Washington, D.C. In this second volume on Charles County, the author reveals just how that happened. Most of the images in this book focus on the explosive growth the county experienced from the 1940s to 1970s. They also provide a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people doing everyday things. An eye-opening chapter about the county’s legalized gambling era will recall the neon icons that signaled entrepreneurial risk takers, gamblers, and service industries to enter, and forever change, southern Maryland’s plantation lifestyle. A chapter on law enforcement and the judicial system will solicit an appreciation of one of the earliest institutions in the county. Good Samaritans are properly recognized for their noble works in chapters on infrastructure and service clubs. Title: The way it was: New book offers glimpses of Charles County’s past
Author: Sara K. Taylor
Publisher: So MD News
Date: 9/2/09
Author Jacqueline Zilliox knew there was more history to be unearthed, but she had no idea that she’d hit pay dirt just by visiting the Southern Maryland Studies Center at the College of Southern Maryland.
“The college got the Headen Collection,” said Zilliox, who moved to Charles County in the late 1960s when she was 12. “I asked if I could take a peek at them to possibly use them for another book and I hit a gold mine of historically relevant photos.”
The Headen Collection — donated in 2008 by Peter and Jacqueline Headen — was a lifetime of photos and negatives of Peter’s father, Thomas, a journalist who founded the Waldorf Leaf newspaper in the early 1950s. After the Leaf was bought by the Times Crescent, Headen continued to work as the editor.
Along with his wife, Maxine and two children, Headen moved to Charles County. Headen was rarely without his camera and used it to document life in the rural county — capturing everyday moments of everyday folks, no matter their skin color.
“The amount of African-American photos he had … I had a hard time finding photos of African-Americans for the first [book],” Zilliox said. “I think he thought that all news is newsworthy and handled it fairly.”
Zilliox’s first book “Images in America: Charles County” was published in 2007. Signing copies at the fair that year, she heard from buyers.
“They started telling me that they have a photo of this, a photo of that,” said Zilliox, a hairdresser living in Chesapeake Beach. “I continued to ask people, leads
were coming from all over. Before you knew it, I had too many photos.”
Sandra Penny, the daughter of Harry “Pat” and Glisterine “GeeGee” Penny, donated photographs to the book. The Pennys owned Pat and GeeGee’s Tavern on Route 925 where the American Legion building is now.
Zilliox remembered Penny from childhood when her family went to his rib shack for barbecue.
“He was one of the first African-American businessmen in the area that was successful,” said Zilliox, adding that the Penny family continues the family tradition by running a catering business. “I remembered Mr. Penny’s ribs; those are the best ribs I’ve ever eaten in my life. I made it a point to include [the family] in the book; thankfully Sandra had a treasure trove of photos.”
For a researcher who has been plied with stories of yesteryear, Zilliox said it is awesome to find a picture of what people were always going on about.
“I have always looked for a photo of Chapel Point Park, and I found one,” she said. “It’s a thrill to get those photos.”
In addition to chapters detailing commerce, namesakes, events and local personalities — Bobbie and Carl Baldus of Baldus Real Estate allowed several photos to appear in the book — Zilliox covers Waldorf when it was known more for its resemblance to the Vegas strip instead of a collection of strip malls.
She also touches on commerce, including the now long-gone Spring Lake Hotel that was just north of Waldorf, run by Ruby Boswell.
Zilliox was filled in on the hotel’s history by Boswell’s son, Joseph.
“When you sit down to talk to him, you’re talking to history. [The stories] create vignettes of the time in your mind’s eye. You spend hours listening but it fills like minutes,” she said. “The most thrilling part is I get to hear the secrets … stuff you’re not going to hear on the History Channel.”

Additional information