History

General
Riverdale Park MD entry in Wikipedia.com

History of the Town
Excerpts from The Riverdale Story: Mansion to Municipality, edited by Christina A. Davis, and published by the Town of Riverdale Park (1996).

Historic Overview of Riverdale Park
A chapter from the Mixed-Use Town Center (M-UTC) Plan

Historical Marker Database List of Historical Markers in Riverdale & Environs

A History of the Founding of Maryland Agricultural College (later UMd) with extensive discussion of the role of Charles Calvert (of Riversdale) in its founding
This links to an unpublished manuscript written by George O. Weber who was the Director of Physical Plant for the University of Maryland at the College Park campus from 1946 until 1972. There's good description of the history of UMd's founding, Charles Calvert's role in that, the Prince George's County of the time, etc.

Along the Old Post Road:

Indian Queen Tavern (Geor ge Washington House) in nearby Bladensburg

Rossborough Inn (now on University of Maryland campus, land given by Charles Benedict Calvert for what was called Maryland Agricultural College, and later became UMd-COllege Park).

Cafritz Property
Meet MacAlpine, or Past Lives of the Cafritz Property

Airports
ERCO Field (Airport) & Factory History (with photos and maps)

Trains
Trains: A Riverdale Railfan's photo journal of the CSX tracks, with some good historical links

"Seeing a Future Along Old Tracks: History, Opportunity Intersect in Rail Town Housing," Washington Post article 7/8/06

Telegraph
This unpublished work of George O. Weber, establishes that the first telegraph was actually sent from Riversdale, and that Charles Calvert not only was instrumental in the founding of Maryland Agricultural College (now UMd) but was similarly important in getting congressional support for Samuel Morse's telegraph project.

Trolley
Washington - Laurel Trolley Hyattsville - Riverdale running feud
The boundary between the towns that now runs down the middle of 43rd St. (then known as Calvert Avenue) used to run down the property line of the Riverdale residents on the east side of the street; so the entire street lay in Hyattsville. This led to confusion as to who was responsible for infrastructure maintenance and improvements, and the city of Hyattsville and some of its residents claimed that Riverdale police and fire had no jurisdiction on the street. The situation was tense enough that "the two police forces occasionally became involved in skirmishes over the dividing line." (p.68)

Shots fired during high-speed chase; Riverdale Police Chief arrests Hyattsville counterpart!
"[Riverdale] Chief Bailiff E.S. Aldridge, commonly referred to as "police chief" in the town minutes and newspaper articles, caused the greatest stir of the decade. As part of an ongoing feud with the Hyattsville Police Department (and after Mr. Aldridge had lost Riverdale's mayoral election by a wide margin), in August 1927, Chief Aldridge arrested Hyattsville Chief Carl M. Blanchard for reckless driving and shooting a gun in Riverdale. The Riverdalian reported that 'residents were alarmed...when two automobiles sped through the town from the direction of Hyattsville, east on Madison Avenue [Queensbury Road], through the entire limits of East Riverdale, during which chase shots were fired." Chief Blanchard had been pursuing a motorist." (p. 70)

--The Riverdale Story: Mansion to Municipality, edited by Christina A. Davis, and published by the Town of Riverdale Park (1996).

General Riverdale Park MD entry in Wikipedia.com History of the Town Excerpts from The Riverdale Story: Mansion to Municipality, edited by Christina A. Davis, and published by the Town of Riverdale Park (1996). Historic Overview of Riverdale Park A chapter from the Mixed-Use Town Center (M-UTC) Plan Historical Marker Database List of Historical Markers in Riverdale & Environs A History of the Founding of Maryland Agricultural College (later UMd) with extensive discussion of the role of Charles Calvert (of Riversdale) in its founding This links to an unpublished manuscript written by George O. Weber who was the Director of Physical Plant for the University of Maryland at the College Park campus from 1946 until 1972. There's good description of the history of UMd's founding, Charles Calvert's role in that, the Prince George's County of the time, etc. Along the Old Post Road: Indian Queen Tavern (Geor ge Washington House) in nearby Bladensburg Rossborough Inn (now on University of Maryland campus, land given by Charles Benedict Calvert for what was called Maryland Agricultural College, and later became UMd-COllege Park). Cafritz Property Meet MacAlpine, or Past Lives of the Cafritz Property Airports ERCO Field (Airport) & Factory History (with photos and maps) Trains Trains: A Riverdale Railfan's photo journal of the CSX tracks, with some good historical links "Seeing a Future Along Old Tracks: History, Opportunity Intersect in Rail Town Housing," Washington Post article 7/8/06 Telegraph This unpublished work of George O. Weber, establishes that the first telegraph was actually sent from Riversdale, and that Charles Calvert not only was instrumental in the founding of Maryland Agricultural College (now UMd) but was similarly important in getting congressional support for Samuel Morse's telegraph project. Trolley Washington - Laurel Trolley	*Hyattsville - Riverdale running feud* The boundary between the towns that now runs down the middle of 43rd St. (then known as Calvert Avenue) used to run down the property line of the Riverdale residents on the east side of the street; so the entire street lay in Hyattsville. This led to confusion as to who was responsible for infrastructure maintenance and improvements, and the city of Hyattsville and some of its residents claimed that Riverdale police and fire had no jurisdiction on the street. The situation was tense enough that "the two police forces occasionally became involved in skirmishes over the dividing line." (p.68) Shots fired during high-speed chase; Riverdale Police Chief arrests Hyattsville counterpart! "[Riverdale] Chief Bailiff E.S. Aldridge, commonly referred to as "police chief" in the town minutes and newspaper articles, caused the greatest stir of the decade. As part of an ongoing feud with the Hyattsville Police Department (and after Mr. Aldridge had lost Riverdale's mayoral election by a wide margin), in August 1927, Chief Aldridge arrested Hyattsville Chief Carl M. Blanchard for reckless driving and shooting a gun in Riverdale. The Riverdalian reported that 'residents were alarmed...when two automobiles sped through the town from the direction of Hyattsville, east on Madison Avenue [Queensbury Road], through the entire limits of East Riverdale, during which chase shots were fired." Chief Blanchard had been pursuing a motorist." (p. 70) --The Riverdale Story: Mansion to Municipality, edited by Christina A. Davis, and published by the Town of Riverdale Park (1996).

dwightrholmes	Latest page update: made by dwightrholmes , Jun 22 2009, 1:59 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by dwightrholmes view changes - complete history)
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rpkfarmmkt

Riverdale-Hyattsville Feud

Dec 16 2008, 11:09 AM EST by dwightrholmes

Thread started: Apr 1 2008, 5:46 AM EDT Watch

I thought that April 1 would be the perfect day to re-enact the Riverdale Hyattsville feud. We could do it every year with the purpose of raising money for charity. We also could arrest the mayor and some council members of each place every other year. It would be a fun activity for all and help us to remember our history too. What do you think?

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History

Historical Marker Database List of Historical Markers in Riverdale & Environs

Cafritz Property

Meet MacAlpine, or Past Lives of the Cafritz Property

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