Pictorial History of Accident, Maryland - Ruth Enlow Library

Browse the collection

Collection location: Ruth Enlow Library, Accident Branch. 

Contributor: Contributed to the MDCH Program by WHILBR – Western Maryland's Historical Library.

Inclusive Dates: undated; ca. 1900 - 1983.

Collection Overview: The photographs in this collection are on display in the Ruth Enlow Library branch in the town of Accident, Garrett County in Western Maryland. The collection belonged to Mary Miller Strauss and her family gave the collection to the library after her death in 1992. The text accompanying the photographs was provided by Mrs. Strauss. The photographers were not identified but some additional information was found on the reverse of the photographs.

Mary Miller Strauss was born in Accident, Maryland and taught in the elementary schools of the Garrett County Public School system for 33 years. After her retirement in 1976, she continued as a resource teacher in many local county schools. She was well known throughout the state as a knowledgeable local and Garrett County historian. She wrote Flowery Vale, a history of Accident, Maryland. This book brought alive her love for her birthplace and the people from the time of the first settlers, the James Drane Family, to the present. She collected many photographs from a variety of sources to augment Flowery Vale, and some of these constitute the collection held by the Accident Library. They show a history of a small farming community in Western Maryland.

Collection overview provided by Jill Craig, Digitization Librarian, Western Maryland Regional Library.