We are here in Baltimore to celebrate Christmas and the 3rd birthday of our great-niece, Shannon Molly. Coincidentally, there's a family history connection here in Maryland, too. We know this because the 1882 History of Dakota County, Minnesota, includes a biographical sketch about Bill's great-grandfather, Thomas Quinn, in the Lakeville Township section: Thomas Quinn, a native of Ireland, was born in 1834. His father died in 1844. When at the age of eighteen, he and his mother came to America, and for five years made his home in Maryland... The dates aren't completely accurate. Thomas and his mother and brothers are listed on an 1850 Philadelphia passenger list (Ship Saranak, arriving 21 May 1850) so was he born in 1832? Or did he arrive in America at age 16? And where did the Quinn family live in Maryland? Did they ever reside in the city of Baltimore? An IrishCentral article ("The Surprising Irish Origins of Baltimore, Maryland" at: www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/The-surprising-Irish-origins-of-Baltimore-Maryland.html) presents two theories about Baltimore's possible Irish origin: 1) The city was probably named for the second Lord Baltimore of the Irish House of Lords, Cecil Calvert, who was the initial proprietor of Colonial Maryland. The Calvert family came from County Longford, Ireland. 2) Another possibility is that Baltimore, Maryland, may have been named after an Irish fishing village in County Cork. The Quinn brothers were homesteading farmers in the late 1850s and 1860s after they settled in Dakota County, Minnesota; that was probably their background in Ireland as well as their livelihood in Minnesota - and in Maryland? What records might we find here in Maryland?

• Public records are not a promising source. As far as I can determine, the Quinns experienced no significant life events (i.e., births, deaths, marriages) while in Maryland.
• The Baltimore County Genealogical Society (www.baltimoregenealogysociety.org/BCGShome/library/) might be a good resource. During most months other than December, there'd be a general meeting on the last Sunday of the month (today!) from noon to 2 pm. Their library is not open tomorrow (our last day in Baltimore).
• The Historical Society of Baltimore County (www.hsobc.org/sample-page/) is open only on Fridays and Saturdays so we're out of luck there, too.
• At the Towson Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library (open on Sunday afternoons!), I found a book entitled Baltimore's Alley Houses by Mary Ellen Hayward. Its index pointed me to many references about the Irish, like "Most of the Irish who settled in Baltimore disembarked at Fells Point, and many initially stayed there." However, the Quinns were on a boat bound for Philadelphia, not Baltimore. As farming people, there's little reason to expect they would travel to another city (e.g., Baltimore) to find employment.

As usual, the search continues.