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Hyattsville woman publishes book on city’s history By Elahe Izadi - 10/09/2008 Business Gazette More Info on This Book: Hyattsville
It's little wonder that history is always on Damron's mind after she spent almost a year compiling photos, anecdotal stories and artifacts for the book "Images of America: Hyattsville." Damron, 41, wrote the book, which hit stores Monday, on behalf of the Hyattsville Preservation Association. The book is part of a nationwide series by Arcadia Publishing that chronicles the history of towns and cities through thoroughly documented photographs. The book publishers approached the town and other organizations in searching for someone to write the book. Association President Tom Behrens said Damron volunteered for the project and was a perfect fit because of her excellent preservationist skills. She is a trained preservationist and holds a master's degree in American studies from George Washington University. "She's great at conducting oral interviews, especially with the elderly residents," Behrens said. "To be able to extract valuable historical information from stories of family history and anecdotes is really a particular talent." Damron said she first fell in love with history as a child, when her parents would take her to historical sites during family vacations. And when she moved to Hyattsville 10 years ago, she immersed herself in the town's history and joined the preservation society. Damron began work on the book in June 2007 and spent her weekends and any spare time she had — she worked as a nanny for triplets — digging through old archives, interviewing elderly residents and attending Hyattsville High School reunions. Neighbors even caught wind of her project and donated family photographs found in the trash of elderly residents who were moving, she said. Some residents, such as former preservation association president Miriam Howe, spent hours helping with the search for old photos. Damron also tracked down former residents, like a former newspaper boy who knew all the old city streets, and descendants of a famous resident who described what J. Harris Rogers' secret laboratory looked like. Rogers lived in the town in the late 1800s and early 1900s and had a home and secret laboratory near the site of the current Prince George's County Services Building at 4990 Rhode Island Ave. He spent hours there developing a wireless telegraphy system that could listen to underwater German transmissions. The Navy used it in World War I. Hyattsville has been a progressive community throughout history, Behrens said, and Damron added that throughout its history, the town's women have had an independent spirit. Damron uncovered important information about a photograph the city had posted on its Web site: it was of a 1913 women's suffragist parade based in the town, the third largest such rally in the country at that point. One of the organizers happened to live in Hyattsville. "The mayor, which I think was remarkable at the time, gave them the keys to the city," Damron said. Hyattsville joining other towns, like College Park and Silver Spring, in publishing a book about its history is an important step for the Hyattsville leaving its mark on American history, Behrens said. "It's an indication that we are among the nationally recognized historical communities," he said. Damron said the research only heightened her interest now that she knows there's so much more to uncover. But she laughingly added "I need a year's worth of sleep before I'm ready" for another project or book. Damron hopes the book will increase hometown pride among casual readers and raise the importance of historical preservation. "If you don't understand its history and its value, you can't make wise decisions on what to preserve," she said. "It's one thing to read about history, but it's another to stand in the place where it happened." Buy It Now: Hyattsville $19.99 |
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