McHenry, MD – Garrett County may not officially be 250 years old, but the area that is now Garrett County has plenty of history dating back to our nation’s birth. Noted local historian Chris Nichols will be exploring that history in a 6 p.m. presentation on Wednesday, July 22nd at the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College.
Nichols, a senior energy analyst with Australia-based Energy Exemplar, is adapting material from his five-part newspaper series entitled 250 Years of Garrett County: Local History in the American Story.
“The history of Garrett County is deeply intertwined with the broader story of the United States,” wrote Nichols in Part 1 of his series. The series seeks to highlight “both continuity and change – showing how a frontier wilderness gradually became a modern Appalachian community while maintaining its distinct identity and character.”
Nichols is a regular presenter in Garrett College’s Joan Crawford Lecture Series, which is also hosted in the performing arts center. Previous Nichols presentations include Energy Resources of Garrett County: A History of (Almost) All-of-the-Above, and Before the Dam: Life Around Deep Creek Pre-1925.
Garrett College is sponsoring Nichols’ presentation in support of the Garrett 250 Birthday Bash, which is being organized by the Garrett 250 Commission and supported by the Garrett County Commissioners. The celebration around the nation’s 250th birthday includes Celebrating America Together, a free event at the Garrett County Fairgrounds from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 18th.
Celebrating America Together, according to the Garrett 250 website, includes:
“A Country United” Large Flag Unfurling, a collaborative project honoring our veterans and celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Sign up to be part of this unforgettable community display of patriotism at https://bit.ly/a-county-united
Heritage Hall, featuring Garrett County’s “eight unique towns” of Oakland, Accident, Deer Park, Friendsville, Grantsville, Kitzmiller, Loch Lynn Heights, and Mountain Lake Park;
Veterans Park, featuring organizations such as the VFW, American Legion, and other veterans groups;
Stars and Stripes Kids Zone;
Freedom on Wheels Car Show;
Hometown Heroes section honoring firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS personnel and public safety teams, and others who serve and protect the community;
Community Showcase, highlighting many of the county’s nonprofit groups, organizations, and service initiatives;
Spirit of ’76 Biergarten, featuring food, drinks, and an all-day lineup of live music; and
A custom Drone Show presented by Firefly Drone Shows beginning at 9:30 p.m.
For more information on Garrett 250, please visit https://www.garrett250.com.