Baumgartner Collection Book #8 – Essex Middle River Beauty Pageants

Get ready for a glittering look back at the historic Essex and Middle River Beauty Pageants of the 1970s and ’80s! This spectacular collection dives straight into pure local glamour, packed with vintage photographs, original program pamphlets, and classic articles capturing hometown contestants competing for crowns like Miss Baltimore County. It’s a dazzling trip down … Read more

Baumgartner Collection Book #153: Hart, Miller, Pooles Islands

Dive deep into the fascinating stories of Hart, Miller, and Pooles Islands—from their early days as distinct pieces of Chesapeake history to their ultimate transformation into the beloved Hart-Miller Island State Park! This spectacular collection is packed with vintage community memories, classic local clippings, and incredible historical snapshots. It’s a wonderful, nostalgic look at how … Read more

Baumgartner Collection Book #13: Citizens of Essex

Step back in time to celebrate the extraordinary individuals who built our community from the ground up and evolved into the unforgettable, vibrant characters defining our hometown legacy! This spectacular collection is packed with vintage community memories, classic local clippings, and incredible historical snapshots. It’s a wonderful, nostalgic look at how these local legends and … Read more

Helen Baumgartner’s Beer Can Collecting Hobby (1976)

She Brews Up A Hobby: Collecting Beer Cans By Richard Irwin (News American, 10/24/1976) Some people collect stamps and others collect coins. Some squirrel away balls of silver paper and others collect keys. But Helen Baumgartner, 19, the librarian for the Heritage Society of Essex-Middle River, collects beer cans. Not a beer drinker, Helen became … Read more

2017 Holiday Tree Lighting

Essex Community Tree Lights Up the Night By Devin Crum (East County Times, 12/2017) Community leaders, elected officials and residents of Essex and Middle River gathered Saturday, Dec. 9, for what has become a grand event in recent years – the lighting of the community tree at the Heritage Society of Essex and Middle River … Read more

Guttenberger General Store

Take a nostalgic stroll down the corner of Eastern and Mace Avenue to uncover the incredible story of the Guttenberger General Store! This spectacular collection is packed with vintage community memories, classic local clippings, and incredible historical snapshots tracking the legacy of the first grocery store built in the area back in 1909. It’s a … Read more