Our history and government our history and government

Our Historyand

Government

Montgomery CountyMaryland

Our Historyand

Government

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General Richard Montgomery



Montgomery County, MarylandOur History and Government

A Joint Project ofMontgomery County, Maryland

and theMontgomery County Historical Society

————————-Copyright © 1999

Montgomery County GovernmentOffice of Public InformationRockville, Maryland 20850

—————————To learn more about

Montgomery County, Maryland, please visit the county web site:www.co.mo.md.us

or the web site of the Montgomery County Historical Society:www.montgomeryhistory.org



CONTENTS

Introduction............................................................................1

History of the County..........................................................3

Principal Historic Events..................................................21

Official SymbolsMontgomery County Emblem ............................. 23Coat of Arms .......................................................... 23County Bird and Blossom .................................... 24Flag of Montgomery County................................ 25

County Executives andCouncil Members, Past to Present...................26

County Demographics......................................................29



INTRODUCTION

Montgomery County is proud of its history. From Indianstone quarries and trails to present day high technologycenters, it has played an integral part in the develop-ment of this country. By settling the frontier in the1700s, supporting independence, and cedingGeorgetown for the new capital, the county and itscitizens have played an active and important role in theformation of the United States.

Montgomery County has changed, evolving from aregion of farming communities into a vital force in themetropolitan urban area. Major forces of change havebeen the Civil War, the B&O Railroad, World War II, thegrowth of the federal government and the technologicalexplosion. Since the 1940s, the county’s population hasgrown exponentially and in the process has becomemulti-cultural, with residents coming from all parts of theworld.

While this book gives us facts and figures, it is peoplewho make a difference. We are concerned citizensworking to improve the county for succeeding genera-tions, remembering that it is our history that gives us asense of place and community.

Mary Anne TuoheyPresident,Montgomery County Historical Society



Many early homes were log cabins chinked with clay and water.



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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

More than 300 years ago when the first Europeansettlers arrived in what is now Montgomery County, anarea stretching from the mouth of Rock Creek in thesouth to the Monocacy River in the north, the PotomacRiver on the west and the Patuxent River on the east,they found evidence of occupation by Indians of thePiscataway Confederation. It was a beautiful forestedarea rich in game that included deer, buffalo, bear andwild turkey, with rivers and streams teaming with fish.Captain John Smith of Virginia explored the PotomacRiver in 1608, and was the first European to map the area.

The first to colonize the area were from England, Irelandand Wales. The first patent for land was recorded in1688 for a tract along the banks of Rock Creek. Oncehere, the settlers quickly cleared much of the virginforest to grow tobacco and food, and build homes.

Early Lifestyles

The first homes were one or two room cabins, with aloft. Often, a separate building housed the kitchen andslaves. Later, homes of brick and stone appeared. Themore prosperous farms often included barns, a springhouse, smoke house and slave quarters. There were afew elaborate homes with carved mantels, high ceilingsand imported furniture. Apple orchards were commonand the colonial cellar was stocked with produce fromthe farm.

In 1695, the land that now encompasses Montgomery,Prince George’s and Frederick counties, as well asWashington, D.C., was designated as Prince George’sCounty. The area was divided in 1748 and the westernportion—including the land that would ultimately beMontgomery—became Frederick County. On August 31,1776, Dr. Thomas Sprigg Wootton, a member of theMaryland Constitutional Convention, introduced a bill todivide Frederick into three counties—Frederick, Mont-gomery and Washington. The bill passed on September6, 1776. These were the first counties in America to beestablished by elected representatives. The namesselected for the new counties also broke with tradition.Earlier counties had all been named for old world figures



such as Prince George and Queen Anne, but these werenamed after two popular Americans of the time—GeorgeWashington and Richard Montgomery.

Origin of Names

Richard Montgomery was born on December 2, 1738 inRaphoe, Ireland. At 18 he was commissioned as anofficer in the British army and fought in the French andIndian Wars, before emigrating to America in 1772. Hewas commissioned a brigadier general in the fledglingcolonial army and he commanded an expeditionary forcesent to Canada that captured Montreal. On December 4,1775 his forces laid siege to Quebec. Although his troopswere greatly outnumbered, he led several daring attackson the fortress. On December 31, he was killed bycannon fire. Montgomery never set foot in the Marylandcounty that bears his name.

Many family names appear on the map of the County,the legacy of early settlers. They include: Layton, Clarke,Poole, Hyatt, Neel, Browning, Clagett, King, Dawson,White, Dickerson, Spencer, Burton, Darne, Brooke andGaither.

Germantown got its name from German settlers whomoved there from Pennsylvania. Seneca was namedafter the Indian tribe. Bethesda derives its name fromthe Presbyterian Bethesda Meeting House built there.

When Montgomery County was established, the Stateappointed commissioners to buy four acres of land for acourthouse and jail. The place they selected was firstcalled Montgomery Courthouse, and then became knownas Williamsburg. Eventually, it became Rockville, takingits name from Rock Creek.

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Early Federal Period

When it was first selected to be the County seat, thecommunity that would become Rockville consisted ofabout a half dozen buildings, at a crossroads on the roadwhich led from Georgetown to Frederick. Located on thisroad was Hungerford’s Tavern, a one-half story buildingwith a large meeting room dominated by a stone fire-place and four smaller rooms. Hungerford’s Tavernbecame the center of political activity and the meetingplace of pre-revolutionary patriots. The HungerfordResolves, protesting British acts and arguing for an endof trade with England, were signed there in 1774.Hungerford Drive in Rockville preserves the name.

In December 1791, the Maryland General Assemblypassed an act ceding 36 square miles of MontgomeryCounty to the federal government to be used as thenation’s capital. As a result, the District of Columbia wasborn and Montgomery County lost Georgetown, its portcity. Virginia also ceded land for the federal city, but thisland was later returned to the state and is now ArlingtonCounty.

During the War of 1812, the village of Brookevilleenjoyed a moment of prominence. On August 26 and27, 1814, it became the “Nation’s Capital for a day.”President James Madison and Attorney General RichardRush and other cabinet members sought refuge therewhile the British sacked Washington and burned theWhite House.

During the 19th century, horses were the principalmeans of transportation. Of immense commercialimportance was the development of the Chesapeake andOhio (C&O) Canal, which would eventually stretch 184miles between Washington and Cumberland. Begun in1828, the project was not completed until 1850. Thecost was approximately $11 million. The locks, whichcould lift or lower a boat about eight feet, were consid-ered engineering marvels in their day. A canal museumhas been established in the National Park at Great Falls.It includes a restored lock and many canal artifactsdisplayed in a former stone tavern.

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Preparing ground for wheat on the Snyder farm in Travilah.

Agricultural Decline and Recovery

The practice of clearing forests and planting tobacco andcorn eventually exacted a price. Farm lands becamedepleted and new land to clear became scarce. Theagricultural economy began to suffer and the youngergeneration began moving away. By 1840, worn-outfarms and run-down houses surrounded by brokenfences were a common sight. This low point was fol-lowed by an agricultural revitalization. The Society ofFriends (Quakers) in Sandy Spring introduced new

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farming practices such as crop rotation, deeper plowingand fertilization. Soon County farms began producingrich crops of corn, wheat and oats, and, by 1860, thearea was in the midst of a period of farm prosperity.

Until 1860, private schools existed in the county forthose who could afford an education. In that year, thecounty established a free public school system for whitechildren. Black children received little or no education.What schools did exist were established privately by thecommunities able to invest in their children’s education.In 1872, the Maryland State Assembly appropriated statefunds so there could be schools for African Americanchildren. In that year, Montgomery County PublicSchools created a segregated school system.

Slaves played a significant role in the development ofthe County, although slavery was never practiced inMontgomery County to the extent it was in the deepsouth. The shift away from tobacco plantations to dairyand diversified crops contributed to the decline of slavelabor. Ironically, it was the life story of a MontgomeryCounty black slave named Josiah Henson on a plantationin northern Bethesda that became a focal point in theabolitionist movement. Henson, who told of his harshtreatment, became the model for the principal characterin Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.After escaping to Canada, Henson wrote, “The sternestand most covetous master can not frighten or whip thejoy out of us. Certainly, old Riley never did out of me.”Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in 1852 and did muchto influence public opinion against slavery. PresidentAbraham Lincoln called Mrs. Stowe “the little womanwho wrote the book that made this big war.”

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Friends Meeting House at Sandy Spring.



The War Between the States

The Civil War divided Montgomery County, as it did therest of the nation. Maryland remained in the Union, butsupport for the South was very strong and many youngmen crossed the Potomac to join the rebel army. Becausesympathy for the Confederate cause was so widespread,President Lincoln ordered federal troops into the countyto protect Washington.

There were no major battles fought here, but theCounty’s critical geographic location resulted in botharmies marching and countermarching across thelandscape. At one time, there were 18,000 Union troopsaround Darnestown and another 20,000 at Poolesville.Robert E. Lee led a Confederate army across the Potomacat White’s Ford in September 1862. There were cavalryskirmishes with Union troops near Poolesville. The twoarmies later clashed in one of the bloodiest battles inAmerican history along Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg,west of Montgomery County. En route to Gettysburg,Stuart captured 150 Union wagons just south of, what isnow, the corner of Viers Mill road and Rockville Pike.A month later, J.E.B. Stuart passed through the Countyreturning from raids in Pennsylvania and Major JohnMosby and Col. Elijah White’s 35th Battalion VirginiaCavalry and their raiders frequently penetrated the County.

In 1863, Lee mounted his second invasion of the north,and Union forces under the command of General JosephHooker gave chase, crossing from Virginia into Marylandnear Point of Rocks. The armies met at Gettysburg.

In July, 1864, General Jubal Early led a Confederatearmy on a raid that ended in the Battle of Monocacy.He defeated troops commanded by General LewWallace, who later gained fame as the author of thenovel Ben Hur. General Early marched his troopsthrough Montgomery County and camped in Rockville.They proceeded to present-day Silver Spring, fromwhere they unsuccessfully attacked Fort Stevens in theDistrict of Columbia. During Early’s retreat, the Confed-erate cavalry, which formed his rear guard skirmishedwith Union cavalry in the streets of Rockville.

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Gaithersburg train station in 1890.

Throughout the war, both sides sometimes plunderedthe countryside, stealing horses and food. Much of thewooden fencing in the County reportedly found its wayinto army campfires. A prominent County resident,Montgomery Blair, served as Lincoln’s postmastergeneral during the War Between the States.

Changes in the Post Civil War Period

Since Maryland had remained in the Union, MontgomeryCounty did not undergo many of the problems experi-enced in Virginia and other southern states duringReconstruction. Despite strong opposition from somecitizens, the County established its first free schools forAfrican American children.

From 1870 to 1895, life in Montgomery County tended toreflect the mood of the nation in an age of materialismand pro-business sentiments that saw rapid develop-ment of railroads, telegraphs, electric service, andtowns.

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Great Falls was developed as a source of water powerand was believed to be the largest of its kind in theworld at the time. The opening in 1873 of the Metropoli-tan branch of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railroadbrought passenger service to the County for the first timeand helped boost the County’s economy. With thedecline of farming, proximity to Washington, D.C. beganto be critical to the County’s development.

Washington’s population doubled and continued togrow. Trolley cars were introduced and the MetropolitanBranch of the B&O Railroad made it feasible for develop-ers to begin building residential homes in the suburbs.Among the first of these suburbs were Chevy Chase,Kensington, Takoma Park and Garrett Park. Resort hotelswere constructed at Glen Echo, Rockville, and ForestGlen. Summer retreat houses were built at WashingtonGrove. Between 1866 and the early 1900s, the assessedvalue of real estate in Montgomery County nearlydoubled, soaring to more than $12 million.

20th Century

After 1900, the Montgomery County school budgetbegan to show the effects of suburban growth. In 1908,there were 6,483 students and a budget of $76,000.Many Montgomery County students attended schools inthe District of Columbia. In 1912, the District stoppedaccepting Montgomery students and in 1913, a$140,000 bond issue was authorized for new schoolconstruction. By 1921, the school budget had grown tomore than $316,000.

The County experienced another boom in population andland development following World War I. Civic associa-tions and community improvement organizations beganto assume an important role in local government andwere demanding better services. In 1918, the statelegislature created the Washington Suburban SanitaryCommission to improve water and sewer service. Thedevelopment of Silver Spring began in 1921 with thesubdivision of 19 acres owned by E. Brooke Lee, whowas known as “The Colonel” because of his NationalGuard rank.

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The Madison House in Brookville.

Except for school teachers, the County government hadbeen a part-time operation. After 1922, the Countybegan hiring full-time police officers, building inspectors,health workers, secretaries and other employees. In1927, the state legislature created the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Azoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, and buildingcodes were quickly adopted.

First Woman Legislator

In 1928, Lavinia Engle became the first woman fromMontgomery County to be elected a Delegate to theMaryland General Assembly. Mrs. Dawson Trundle wasthe first female member of the school board; Dorothy S.Himstead was the first female member of the CountyCouncil, and Kathryn Lewlor Shook Dufore was the firstfemale judge of the circuit court.

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Between the Wars

In the 20 years preceding the Great Depression, landvalues more than doubled, but government debt hadincreased by more than seventeen-fold. When theDepression forced property values down, MontgomeryCounty had to do some serious belt-tightening. The nextdecade saw growing opposition to tax increases andbond issues, and elected officials began preaching thegospel of pay as you go. Agricultural prices dropped, andfarmers in the County were among the hardest hit by theDepression.

The large number of federal employees cushioned someof the economic effects and by 1935, housing startsbegan to increase and the population grow. AfricanAmericans, many of whom were farm workers, left theCounty. By 1940, the African American population haddeclined from 17 to 3 percent. Montgomery Countyincreasingly became a suburban community with agrowing dependence on federal employment.

World War II required the County to send many of itssons to fight in the global conflict, and “The war effort”became the intense focus of the federal government andlocal residents. Housing construction and suburbangrowth came to a halt, but the County’s first skyscraper,the 20-story Bethesda Naval Medical Center, wascompleted.

Drive for Home Rule

From its inception, the County functioned under thecounty commissioner system that kept most of the powerin Annapolis. A growing number of citizens were becom-ing dissatisfied with this arrangement. A MontgomeryCounty Civic Association study recommended more localcontrol. The Brookings Institution followed with anotherstudy in 1941 that recommended sweeping changes, themost important being adoption of a home rule charter.The Brookings study became a matter of heated contro-versy for nearly a decade.

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Great Falls Tavern on the C&O Canal now serves as a visitor’s center.



The Charter Committee, with about half of its membersdrawn from the League of Women Voters, mobilized inJune 1942. Stella B. Werner, for whom the currentCounty Council Building is named, became the executivedirector. A petition was drafted and supporters collected8,000 signatures—1,000 more than required by law—toget the charter on the ballot. The voters were to elect aboard to draft a charter and the seats were hotly con-tested. The entrenched powers ran candidates opposingthe move, but the voters approved the idea.

In 1943, after numerous public hearings throughout theCounty, the elected Charter Board drafted a proposedcharter closely modeled on the recommendations of theBrookings study. It was presented to the voters in 1944and defeated.

After the war, the County embarked on a period ofunprecedented growth. The population doubled from1946 to 1950 and doubled again in the next decade.The automobile became a necessity and housing startssoared. One out of seven residents over the age of 25had a college degree.

By the mid-forties, the County school budget hadreached $2.4 million. There were 17,300 students and565 teachers in 65 elementary and 13 high schools.Montgomery College, originally called MontgomeryJunior College, began classes in September 1946 in theBethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

Residents of the post-war era became increasinglydissatisfied with the County’s form of government. By1946, the population had grown to 87,777 and Charterproponents tried again. They were again defeated, butin 1948, 56 percent of the voters approved the change,making Montgomery the first county in Maryland toadopt a home rule charter.

The new charter established a Council-Manager form ofgovernment. It survived a court challenge and, in 1949,six men and a woman were elected to the first CountyCouncil. The following year, the successful effort of the

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Raking hay on a Sandy Spring, Maryland farm.

charter advocates was recognized when MontgomeryCounty was the first county in the nation to be honoredas an “All America” municipality. Previously only citieshad received the award.

New Growth Trends

Montgomery County shared the national suburbangrowth trend of the late 1940s and early 1950s, butwith a difference. Returning veterans and city residentsmoving to the suburbs constituted only a small portion ofthe new arrivals. Most of the new homeowners werealso new to the region, coming here from all parts of theU.S. to work for the federal government.

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Suburban growth produced a decline in farming. As landvalues increased, farmers sold off their land to develop-ers. In one ten-year postwar period, the average value ofan acre of farm land in the County increased 330percent.

Continued growth led to increased demands for educa-tional services. In 1950, the Takoma Park campus ofMontgomery College opened. The 1950 Census showed164,401 people in Montgomery County, only 10,000 ofwhom were African American. Schools were raciallysegregated and the NAACP began the first efforts here toprotest the quality of African American schools. In 1954,the U.S. Supreme Court issued its historic Brown vs. theBoard of Education decision, ending the legal segrega-tion of schools. Integration proceeded without incidentand, by 1958, all of the public schools were desegre-gated. By the mid-fifties, the school budget had climbedto $75 million.

Much of the growth during the fifties was concentratedin single family homes. Suburban voters enthusiasticallysupported developing more recreational facilities and, in1956, the first park plan went into effect.

The sixties saw the surge in suburban high rise apart-ments. The Rockville campus of Montgomery Collegeopened in 1965.

Charter Changes Adopted

In 1968, the voters changed the charter to a CountyExecutive-Council form of government. The new chartercreated an executive branch headed by the electedCounty Executive and a legislative branch under anelected seven-member Council. The County Managerwas replaced by a Chief Administrative Officer appointedby the Executive. The first County Executive, JamesGleason, was elected in 1970.

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Changes of the ‘70s and ‘80s

During the ’70s, the population growth rate sloweddown from the previous pace of doubling every decade,but continued strong. Suburbanization gave way toincreased density of population.

Metrorail moved across the District line into the Countyand in February, 1978, the Silver Spring Station opened.Six years later, the Red Line was completed to ShadyGrove. Silver Spring has become the busiest station inthe County. Approximately 120,000 passengers use theRed Line daily.

The 1980 Census showed a population of 579,000which reached 665,000 by the late ’80s. In 1986, theCounty Council approved the first billion dollar operatingbudget with about half of the funds earmarked foreducation. By then the County’s public school systemhad grown to be among the 20 largest in the nationwith more than 96,000 students and 13,000 staff

Sam Eig buying champion steer at the 1971 Montgomery County Fair.

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members in 155 schools. The enrollment of MontgomeryCollege reached nearly 18,000 students, with a full- andpart-time faculty of more than 900. The college alsoexpanded, including a new campus in Germantown.

Increased County Employment

For decades, the County enjoyed a strong and growingeconomy. Between 1980 and 1990 the number ofresidents in the workforce grew by 43 percent.

At one time the majority of the County workforce com-muted daily to Washington. Today, over half of theworkforce holds jobs within the County in mostlyexecutive/managerial or administrative/clerical positions.

More residents work for private companies than govern-ment in businesses related to electronics, computers,telecommunications and medical sciences.

Current County Government

Under the current system, the Executive submits yearlyoperating and construction budgets which the Councilmust approve. The Executive appoints the variousdepartment heads, and other County employees are partof a merit system.

Under the Charter, the County must submit to an inde-pendent annual audit, make centralized purchases anduse competitive bidding.

The Council sits as a legislative body and initiates,repeals and amends local laws for the County as statedby the Express Powers Act. In addition, sitting as theDistrict Council, the Council legislates in all areas ofplanning, zoning and land use. The Council cannot enactlaws for any incorporated town, village, municipality orspecial taxing area on any matter covered by the powersgranted to these jurisdictions.

In November 1986, the voters amended the Charter toincrease the number of Council seats from seven to ninein the 1990 election. Five members are elected fromgeographic council districts and four are elected at large.

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Takoma Park Unification

On July 1, 1997, the city of Takoma Park—founded in 1883and divided between the counties of Prince George’s andMontgomery—was unified into Montgomery County.

The boundary change was the result of 18 years ofadvocacy by Takoma Park residents to have a commu-nity undivided by a county line.

The 1997 unification added 1,900 properties, 6,000people and two square miles to Montgomery County.

Red Brick Courthouse, Rockville, Maryland.

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PRINCIPAL HISTORIC EVENTS

1774 At Hungerford’s Tavern, in what is now Rockville,patriots of lower Frederick County met to protestBritish taxes and injustices, and to draft the“Hungerford Resolves.”

1776 Montgomery County formed from part ofFrederick County.

1776-1948 Montgomery County governed under the CountyCommissioner system.

1777 County seat established at town of Williamsburg,site of the present city of Rockville.

1779 First county court house built at Williamsburg.

1791 Georgetown, then a part of Montgomery County, isceded to the Federal government to form part of thenew District of Columbia.

1801 The name of the county seat was changed fromWilliamsburg to Rockville, named after Rock Creek.

1828-1850 Decline in County agriculture, due to overproductionof tobacco, poor farming methods, and emigration offarm labor. Prosperity returned when Quakers in theSandy Spring area introduced imported fertilizer andfarm machinery.

1840 Second court house was built.

1861-1865 During the Civil War, both Union and Confederatetroops passed through the County several times.

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1860 Free public school system established inMontgomery County.

1891 Third court house built. The red brick building isstill standing, preserved by citizens groups.

1931 Fourth court house was built of grey stone.

1948 Home rule charter adopted, allowing for a Council-formof county government. Montgomery was the first countyin Maryland to establish a charter form of government.

1954 County schools desegregated.

1968 New charter adopted, allowing for an elected CountyExecutive, and a seven-member elected County Council.

1970 First County Executive takes office under the newcharter.

1976 Bicentennial of Montgomery County and the Nation.

1981 Executive Office Building and Judicial Center built.

1987 Montgomery County proclaimed a BicentennialCommunity in recognition of the 200th Anniversaryof the U.S. Constitution.

1990 Council expanded from seven to nine members.

1997 Unification of the City of Takoma Park intoMontgomery County.

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OFFICIAL SYMBOLS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND

OFFICIAL COUNTY EMBLEM

The County emblem was adopted in March 1998 byAdministrative Procedure, replacing the coat of arms asthe primary symbol used to identify the government.The emblem consists of the coat of arms flanked by theyear 1776—the year the county was established—andencircled by a double ring with the words, “MontgomeryCounty, Maryland.”

OFFICIAL COAT OF ARMS

Official Coat of Arms ofMontgomery County, Maryland

The coat of arms uses some of the elements of the familyarms of General Richard Montgomery for whom theCounty was named in 1776. It was designed and ap-proved by The College of Arms in London, England andofficially adopted by Bill 38-76 (now Section 1-401 ofthe County Code) enacted by the County Council onOctober 5, 1976 at the request of the County Executive.

Description of Coat of Arms

The broken spear at the top of the crest is probably anaward to an early member of the Montgomery family.The spear and the armor encased forearm or cubit armare used by those Montgomery families that use themotto “Gardez Bien” or Guard Well.

The pointed yellow and black flags at the top of thecrest were taken from the Maryland State coat of arms inorder to reflect Montgomery County’s relation with theState of Maryland.

The gold mural crown is used by many municipalitiesand the indented line at its top represents the borders ofa local government.

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The helmet and mantling are of a style used in municipalcoats of arms.

The gold fleur-de-lis in two quarters of the shield arereminders of the French ancestry of the Montgomeryfamily.

The gold rings with blue gemstones in two quarters ofthe shield proclaim royal favor and protection, and arefound in the family coat of arms of GeneralMontgomery’s family.

The indented line which separates the upper quarters ofthe shield from the lower quarters of the shield repre-sents the borders of a local government.

OFFICIAL BIRD AND BLOSSOM OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Bill 14-88 made the robin and dogwood the officialcounty bird and blossom when it was written into lawas Section 1-405 of the Montgomery County Code onDecember 14, 1988.

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OFFICIAL FLAG OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

The flag uses some elements of the familyarms of General Richard Montgomery forwhom the County was named. It is based onthe shield of the official coat of arms ofMontgomery County which was designedand approved by The College of Arms inLondon, England and officially adopted byBill 38-76(now Section 1-402 of the County

Code) enacted by the County Council on October 5, 1976at the request of the County Executive.

The gold fleur-de-lis in two quarters of the flag are remind-ers of the French ancestry of the Montgomery family.

The gold rings with blue gemstones in two quarters ofthe flag proclaim royal favor and protection and arefound in the family coat of arms of GeneralMontgomery’s family.

The indented line which separates the upper quarters ofthe flag from the lower quarters of the flag representsthe borders of a local government.

The following specifications are used to produce theCounty flag: Height to length, 2 to 3. The flag will bequartered by a crenellated line, separating the top twoquarters from the two bottom quarters, and a straightvertical line, separating the left two quarters from thetwo right quarters. The upper left and lower rightquarters shall consist of a gold fleur-de-lis on a bluebackground. The upper right and lower left quartersshall consist of a gold ring with a blue gem on a redbackground. Crenellated line formed of 11 squares, 1/11of flag length, with center block split in middle with leftside red and right side blue. Rings and fleur-de-lises tobe three times as high as a block in the crenellated linewith width proportional. Rings and fleur-de-lisescentered horizontally on their quarters and spacedvertically so that upper and lower edge of rings andfleur-de-lises are equal distance from horizontal outsideedge of quarter and nearest part of crenellated line. Redand blue should be the same shade as is used in theUnited States flag and gold should be same shade as isused in the Maryland State flag.

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COUNTY EXECUTIVES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, PAST TO PRESENT

1970—1978 James P. Gleason

1978—1986 Charles W. Gilchrist

1986—1990 Sidney Kramer

1990—1994 Neal Potter

1994— Douglas M. Duncan

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCILSCouncil/Manager Form of Government

First Council - 1949-1950

J. Douglas Bradshaw P. Garland LigonDorothy S. Himstead Lewis Meriam replaced byThomas C. Kelley Harold F. Hammond 4/50Frederic P. Lee Augustus R. Selby

Second Council - 1950-1954

Harold F. Hammond George F. NesbittKathryn J. Lawlor replaced by Lathrop E. SmithLouis A. Gravelle 1/53 Grover K. WalkerJ. Louis Monarch Stella B. Werner

Third Council - 1954-1958

Wilbur N. Baughman J. Grahame WalkerCharles H. Jamison Stella B. WernerRobert T. Snure Jerry T. WilliamsGrover K. Walker

Fourth Council - 1958-1962

David L. Cahoon Grover K. WalkerStanley B. Frosh Stella B. WernerWilliam F. Hickey Jerry T. WilliamsB. Houston McCeney

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Fifth Council - 1962-1966

Kathryn E. Diggs Jerry T. Williams replaced byJohn A. Floyd William C. Birely 12/65Mary A. Hepburn Thomas M. Wilson replaced byJohn H. Hiser Cleatus E. Barnett 12/64Grover K. Walker

Sixth Council - 1966-1970

Cleatus E. Barnett Richmond M. KeeneyAvis Birely Rose C. KramerIdamae Garrott David Scull replaced byWilliam W. Greenhalgh James P. Gleason 3/68

Seventh Council - 1970-1974

Idamae Garrott, 1st President Sidney KramerDickran Y. Hovsepian, 2nd President Elizabeth L. ScullWilliam Sher, 3rd President William H. Willcox replaced byNeal Potter, 4th President Norman L. Christeller 10/72

Eighth Council - 1974-1978

Dickran Y. Hovsepian, 1st President Esther P. GelmanNorman L. Christeller, 2nd President Jane Anne MooreJohn L. Menke, 3rd President Neal PotterElizabeth L. Scull, 4th President William Colman replaced

Mr. Christeller 2/78

Ninth Council - 1978-1982

Neal Potter, 1st President Esther P. GelmanScott Fosler, 2nd President Michael L. GudisElizabeth L. Scull, 3rd President Ruth SpectorNeal Potter, 4th President David L. Scull replacedRose Crenca Mrs. Scull 6/81

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Tenth Council - 1982-1986

David L. Scull, 1st President Rose CrencaEsther P. Gelman, 2nd President Scott FoslerMichael L. Gudis, 3rd President Neal PotterWilliam E. Hanna, Jr., 4th President

Eleventh Council - 1986-1990

Rose Crenca, 1st President Bruce AdamsMichael L. Subin, 2nd President Isiah LeggettMichael L. Gudis, 3rd President Neal PotterWilliam E. Hanna, Jr.,4th President

Twelfth Council - 1990-1994

Isiah Leggett, 1st President Nancy DacekBruce Adams, 2nd President Gail EwingMarilyn J. Praisner, 3rd President Betty Ann KrahnkeWilliam E. Hanna, Jr., 4th President Michael L. SubinDerick Berlage

Thirteenth Council - 1994-1998

Derick Berlage, 1st President William E. Hanna, Jr.Gail Ewing, 2nd President Betty Ann KrahnkeMarilyn J. Praisner, 3rd President Neal PotterIsiah Leggett, 4th President Michael L. SubinNancy Dacek

Fourteenth Council - 1998-2002

Isiah Leggett, 1st President Betty Ann KrahnkePhil Andrews Marilyn J. PraisnerDerick Berlage Steven A. SilvermanNancy Dacek Michael L. SubinBlair G. Ewing

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEMOGRAPHICS

Land

Montgomery County is adjacent to the nation’s capital,Washington, D.C., and is also bordered by the Marylandcounties of Frederick, Carroll, Howard and PrinceGeorge’s, and the State of Virginia.

Rolling land and small hills make up most of Montgom-ery County’s 497 square miles. There are 15 squaremiles of water, including rivers, streams, lakes andreservoirs, and 28,435 acres of parkland.1 Elevationsrange from 52 feet above sea level near the District Lineto 850 feet in the northern portion of the county nearDamascus.

Population

846,000 people have made Montgomery County theirhome (January, 1999 estimate). The median age is 36and slightly more than half of the population is female.2

Montgomery County prides itself on its racial diversityand cultural richness. The county’s population is 73percent white, 13.4 percent black, and 10.9 percentAsian/Pacific Islander. Including all races, 8.6 percent ofthe population is of Hispanic origin. 2

Housing

Most of the county’s 308,000 homes are single-familydetached dwellings, numbering 160,300. There are 94,400households in multi-family structures, and 53,300 intownhouses.3 According to 1997 data from the States TaxAssessor’s Parcel File, the median single-family sales pricefor both new sales and resales is $197,000. The averageapartment rent ranges from $664 for an efficiency to$1,049 for a three-bedroom apartment.4

The average household size in 1997 was 2.65 personswith an estimated median household income of$66,800.2 Families make up 74.9 percent of householdsin the county, and of these, 63.6 percent are married-couple families. Single-parent families account for 9.5percent of family households, with the remainderconsisting of related family members other than parentsand children.2

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EducationEducational attainment of the 559,800 adults in thecounty, age 25 and older is as follows; 59.2 percenthave a bachelor’s degree or better, 11.5 percent gradu-ated high school, with 20.9 percent attending somecollege or trade school. The Fall 1998 public schoolenrollment was 128,577. 2

EmploymentThe private sector accounts for 49.7 percent of employ-ment in the county followed by the government, whichemploys 25.8 percent. Non-profit organizations employ13.2 percent of the workforce and 11.3 percent ofworkers are self-employed. 2

Over half of the County workforce works within thecounty in mostly professional, executive/managerial oradministrative/clerical positions. Almost 75 percent driveto work alone, while 13.2 percent use public transporta-tion. Another 9.1 percent of the workforce carpool. 2

Additional InformationFor more information about Montgomery County demo-graphics, visit the Montgomery County Park and Plan-ning web site, “Montgomery County at a Glance” at thefollowing address:

http://www.clark.net/pub/mncppc/montgom/factmap/databook/glance/glance—————————————————

1 The Maryland-National Capital Park and PlanningCommission, Montgomery County Department of Parkand Planning, Research and Technology Center

2 1997 Census Update Survey3 July, 1997 (Research Center data)4 April, 1998 (Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs —

non-subsidized)

Source:“Montgomery County at a Glance,” The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission,Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning,Research and Technology Center. http://www.clark.net/pub/mncppc/montgom/factmap/databook/glance/glance

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Office of Public Information101 Monroe Street

Rockville, Maryland 20850240-777-6530

TTY (For Hearing Impaired) 240-777-6505www. co. mo. md. us

July 1999



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