Rebekah Colburn
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • NEW RELEASE
  • The Time Returns
  • All Books
  • Blog
  • FAQs
  • Contact Me

Mercy Fountain 1915

7/25/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
During the early years in the town of Ridgely the streets were unpaved, and in the summer, were dusty with the traffic from wagons and carts coming to and from the train station. Around the beginning of WW1, a group of patriotic young women formed a club which they named "Forget-Me-Not Band of Mercy." Their goal was to do something beneficial and long lasting for the community.

In the summer months, famers would drive through town with wagonloads of tomatoes, corn, and beans. Railroad Street next to the "park" was wide with many shade trees so farmers would unload, tie their teams to the trees and posts, and go to one of the local stores for a cool drink. 
The young ladies decided that they would like to install a fountain in the park that would provide cool, fresh drinking water for humans, horses and mules, and dogs. For over a year, these young ladies worked with unflagging determination to earn the funds to purchase the fountain by going door to door and by hosting carnivals and other events. It was dedicated in May of 1915 with a grand celebration recorded in the local paper.

This fountain is featured in the cover of Book 2 of the RIDGELY RAILS LEGACY, and when you read the novel, you will recognize details from this account in the Caroline Sun Paper:

"MAY 1915. The public drinking fountain for which our Band of Mercy has been working so long has been installed, the event being celebrated in appropriate dedicatory exercises, witnessed by a large number of people, last Saturday evening. There was music by the band; Rev. Harvey Holsinger led in prayer; the company sang 'Maryland, My Maryland;" Rev. W. E. Habbart read a scroll containing the history of the fountain, giving the names of those by whose efforts it had been purchased, also giving facts about the Ridgely of today. After reading the scroll it was sealed in the base of the fountain and Miss Alice Pendleton carved a plate where it was sealed. The fountain was unveiled by the children of the Band of Mercy and the water was turned on. 'General,' a very old horse owned by Mr. Thomas Temple, was ridden up to it and drank, amid much applause; Rev. A. M. Rahn delivered an address, praising the work of the Band of Mercy. The fountain is inscribed 'In the name of Love and Mercy to all of God's creatures.'"
Picture
To this day, the fountain in the park is one of Ridgely's landmarks. ​
Picture
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Rebekah Colburn

                   Novelist
    Historical Fiction/ Romance 

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly