Commissioner Interview: Elaine Rice Bachmann

Maryland State Archivist Elaine Rice Bachmann grew up in Evansville, Indiana and studied art history at Indiana University.  She then received her master’s degree at the University of Delaware, Winterthur Program. 

At age 24, during a summer at home in Indiana, Bachmann worked on her family genealogy and discovered that her family was descended from a Captain in the Continental Army, Ashahel Hinman (1742 to 1825) who was with General Montgomery in Quebec in 1775, in the Battle of Long Island and Battle of Brandywine, and who stayed with Washington’s Army through Yorktown. Her research led her to discover that Hinman then moved to the midwest, where her family would ultimately settle for generations in Kentucky and Indiana. 

Bachmann’s experience discovering her own American story led her to join the Peggy Stewart Tea Party chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She spoke of the importance of lineage organizations in preserving our history. Recently, the Peggy Stewart chapter of the DAR commemorated the 250th Anniversary of the burning of the brig Peggy Stewart. 

Bachmann wants Marylanders to know that the Maryland State Archives exists to serve as an information source, and hopes that all Marylanders see themselves and their families in the Archives records and special collections. 

Currently, the Archives staff is focused on helping communities preserve their records in perpetuity, outreach to Black churches and Black cemeteries, and building relationships.   

As State Archivist, Bachmann serves as the Secretary of the State House Trust. The State House Trust was created in 1969 to oversee State Circle, including the State House and other buildings, grounds, and art. The State House Trust is composed of the Governor or a designee, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of House, the Maryland Historic Trust President or designee, and 2 public members. The State House is now 250 years old; the Trust oversees guidelines for its use to preserve the historical integrity of the building as a public, non-commercial building which is not for private use. 

In our conversation with Bachmann, she shared that she is pleased to serve as a Maryland Two Fifty Commissioner. The Archives has always had a role in commemorations and Bachmann said that her role on the Commission feels like a full circle moment from when she was eight years old during the bicentennial. As a Commissioner, she wants to make sure that people feel invited to be part of the 250th. Bachmann sees the 250th as an opportunity for Marylanders to look back and reflect about the past and the founding ideals, and to think about the future. 

Bachmann encourages Marylanders to be on the lookout for future projects at the Archives including digitizing The Rainbow Books, original Colonial and Revolutionary era records; a book about the individual soldiers in the Maryland 400; and a monument to Black Revolutionary Patriots on the grounds of the State House. Bachmann shared that these Black patriots served in an integrated fighting force in the 1700s, which would not happen again until 1948.