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Remarkable Montgomery: Untold Stories

People flying kites in an open field under a blue sky.
Two teens sitting on a park bench looking at a smartphone together.
people smiling and dancing outdoors
Two teens sitting on a park bench looking at a smartphone together.
people smiling and dancing outdoors

From small urban parks to large forests, Montgomery Parks cares for thousands of acres of land. What happened here before they were parks? Who did they matter to in the past? And why do they matter to people and communities today?

Untold Stories logo which shows a circle with the perimeter suggestive of people linking hands

The Untold Stories program works with communities throughout the county to share diverse stories in parks, along trails, and online.

The program is in collaboration with Montgomery Planning’s Historic Preservation Office. M-NCPPC Montgomery Park and Planning is installing markers throughout the county in a shared effort to bring greater recognition to people, places, and events with significant histories that have been undervalued in the past.

Browse Stories

Meet people who have spoken up for their beliefs, fought for change, and served their communities. Explore stories of resilience and strong community bonds amid discrimination.

Photo of a bronze historical marker that reads

The Center of Emory Grove

Johnson’s Local Park
A black and white photo showing several teenage girls and young women standing on steps. Many raise their right fists in the air and have their mouths open.

When Girl Scouts Sued

Rockwood Special Park
View of potomac river from Blockhouse Point Conservation Park

Indigenous Relationships with Waterways

Blockhouse Point Conservation Park
Colorized photo of Mildred Pumphrey in 1957. She's smiling and wearing a striped shirt.

An Educator and Recreation Leader

Spencerville Local Park
Rachel Carson with binoculars around her neck and a forest in the background

Montgomery’s Natural Areas Inspired Silent Spring

Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park
Photo showing deer grazing at the edge between grass and a stand of trees

Carving Vessels from Stone

Ednor Soapstone Quarry Special Park

A black and white photo showing Edith Throckmorton

A Principled Educator and Civil Rights Leader

Edith Throckmorton Neighborhood Park
Photo Number Three: Granite marker located in the center of burial mount

The Sarah Lee Family Cemetery

Calvertown-Galway Local Park
Willie Mackey King smiles while sitting in a church pew.

Montgomery County’s Legendary King—Mrs. Willie Pearl Mackey King

Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park
Stream at Great Seneca Stream Valley Park

Early Village Life

Great Seneca Stream Valley Park
Black and white photograph of Lavinia M. Engle as a young woman. Her hair is in a braid, wrapped around her head.

A Pioneering Suffragist

Forest Glen Neighborhood Park
Norbeck-Muncaster Mill Neighborhood Park

When Schools were Segregated

Norbeck-Muncaster Mill Neighborhood Park
Black and white photo of women and girls in the Washington Women's Commonwealth

A Self-sufficient Women’s Commune (1903-1946)

Peachwood Neighborhood Park
Map of significant African Americans places, Montgomery Planning's Historic Preservation Office, 2023

Historic African American Places – Interactive Map

Explore this countywide map from the Historic Preservation Office.