Finding Aid                                                                         Henry Metz Collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Information

 

Title:                          Henry Metz Collection

Object Receipt No: 

Collection No:          To Be Determined

Inclusive Dates:       20th century focus

Date of Gift:              To be determined

Format:                     Photographs, Newspaper Clippings, Unpublished Manuscript, Company

Documents

Size:                           4-feet

Location:                   File Cabinet 6, Drawer 4 -- manuscripts & vertical files

                                    Case 1, Shelf 4 -- Photographs                                        

 

 


Records Group Information

 

Scope

 

This series, largely containing newspaper clippings, photographs, and documents pertaining to the Elkton Supply Company and its affiliated companies, also includes extensive information on the history of Elkton businesses, buildings, local government, roads, and utilities.  The researcher largely drew his body of work from studying the newspaper collection at the Historical Society of Cecil County, his primary focus being the production of a history of Elkton Supply.  It includes his unpublished manuscript, Two Pioneers in Business, a history of the Elkton Supply Company from its creation in the 1920s until 1974.

 

Acquisition Information

 

Gift of the Estate of Henry Metz, c/o Butch Metz, 410 Delaware Avenue, Elkton, MD 21921

 

Use and Access

 

This collection is open for research.  There are no usage or access restrictions, though proper citation is requested when using the material.

 

Citation:  The Henry Metz Collection of the Historical Society of Cecil County 

 

Biography and History Notes

 

Henry Metz -- Born in New York, NY on March 9, 1908, the donor grew up on a farm in Kent County, Delaware, and graduated from Felton High School.  After completing business training at Beacom College in Wilmington, Del., he started work as a bookkeeper at the Elkton Supply Company on November 15, 1928.  He married Carmella Evelyn Peterson on December 5, 1931 at the Immaculate Concept Church in Elkton and had four children, Evelyn, Patricia, Henry, and Jean.  When he retired after 47 years of service he had risen to the level of Vice-President of Store Operations with American Consumer Industries, the holding company which had acquired Elkton Supply and a number of other stores.  The donor was active in Elkton civic and community life, having served the Chamber of Commerce and the Singerly Fire Company as president.  He also served for 25 years as the deputy director of Civil Defense, and he worked on many civic projects.  After his retirement he took an active interest in the Historical Society, and during this period began his research on a book, Two Pioneers in Business.  At the time of his death, the book had not been published, but the manuscript was complete.  This collection is largely the result of the research for this book.  The donor died on May 29, 1001 at the age of 93. 

 

Elkton Supply – A subsidiary of Diamond Ice & Coal Company, the store, which was located at the corner of Bridge and Main streets in Elkton, was established in December 1924.  It sold gasoline, ice, coal, feed, and building materials.  In 1962, it was acquired by American Consumer Industries; in 1972 it was sold to Harry E. Hammond and Harry C. Brown.  In 2004, it is the major retailer in downtown Elkton. 

 

Organization of the Collection

 

File Cabinet 6, Drawer 1

 

Records Group A     --          Vertical Files organized by researcher

                                                            Focuses on Elkton streets, buildings, businesses, and government

 

Records Group B     --          The Shield

                                                            Monthly newsletter of American Home & Hardware

                                                            (Successor company of Elkton Supply)

                                                            1995 - 2000

 

Records Group C     --          Unpublished manuscript

                                                            Typed manuscript of the history of the Elkton Supply Co.

                                                            (about 67-pages)

 

Records Group D     --          Vertical file concerning Elkton Board Of Zoning Appeals and

a controversial decision by the Mayor to override a board

                                                            decision.  This resulted in the resignation of the board

                                                            and the commission’s attorney.  Contains

                                                            letters, newspaper clippings, and notes, concerning this matter.

 

Records Group E     --          Cost Ledger Book used by Harry Croak, manager of Elkton

                                                            Supply, circa 1930s.  This book reflects cost of items bought

                                                            for resale between 1931 and 1942.

 

Records Group F     --          Booklet:  The Delmarva Peninsula, a xx-page promotional

                                                            Publication of the Hearn Oil Company (1926).

 

Stack 1, Shelf 3                    (Photo Collection Area)

 

Records Group G     --          Forty-seven photos, from the 1920s until the end of the 20th

century.  Images, focusing on the Elkton Supply Company,

include pictures of the store and property, ice wagons, oil

and coal delivery trucks, and Delmarva gas stations

 

Included are personal photographs:  Henry Metz and Harry Croak

One is labeled teachers:  (Herbert Weir, Hannah Harnett, Bessie

Squires, Margaret Harnett

 

Keywords

 

Henry A. Metz

Harry Croak

Elkton Supply

American Home and Hardware

American Consumer Industries

Business & Industry:  Hardware, Fuel, Building Materials, Ice

Singerly Fire Company

Town of Elkton – Government, Businesses, Streets & Buildings

Historical Society of Cecil County

 

 


Administrative Data

 

Processed by:

Processing Date:

Form Authorship History:                        MLD -- 04/04

Object Location History