Finding clues from the past that give us a glimpse into the places and lives of Marylanders who came before us
Kindness didn’t pay for Captain John Carey, Baltimore police night commander, when he treated friends to some ice cream cones when returning from an Ocean City vacation in July 1930. In fact, The Baltimore Sun reported that it inadvertently cost him about $200. “He was returning to Baltimore from Ocean City on vacation and when... Continue Reading →
Each third Saturday in May, horse racing fans descend the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for the Preakness. In honor of this Maryland tradition, here is a glimpse of past Preakness Stakes: In 1912, according to The Frederick Post, Pimlico management created some new rules for safety, including refusing to enter a horse “...known to have... Continue Reading →
In 1902, thieves believed to be from Washington, D.C. came to Montgomery County to steal goods of the feathered kind: “Edgar Cashell, near Rockville, Montgomery county, had 100 chickens on Friday of last week. On Saturday morning he found all had been stolen except one. George W. Day, a neighbor, had 25 taken the same... Continue Reading →
For 10 days in March 1922, Baltimore police investigated the suspicious sight of a woman’s bleeding body seen driven in an automobile, according to the Baltimore Sun. But it turns out that this murder mystery was simply a case of mistaken identity: “After 10 days’ investigation to determine the identity of the woman whose bleeding... Continue Reading →
Passing through the 300 block of North Market Street in downtown Frederick one spring day a while back, I finally noticed it. I had driven down this street countless times, always admiring the character and architecture found there. I’d even been to the Old Towne Tavern across the street many times in my 20s, but... Continue Reading →
In May 1905, the Baltimore Sun reported on three women living in Western Maryland who experienced a variety of unique accidents that caused them injury: “Mrs. Bullock, wife of Rev. J.O. Bullock, while in a store at Lonconing making purchases stepped backward into a cellar way, the trapdoor having been left open. Several of her... Continue Reading →
In September 1911, some robbers got a surprise they definitely weren’t counting on when they attempted to rob a priest in Baltimore. According to a wire story in The Frederick Post: “After they threatened his life unless he gave them money, Father Brown, of St. Mary’s church overpowered thugs and locked them in his kitchen... Continue Reading →
Did you know that for about a decade in the early 20th century Rockville (Montgomery County) was without widespread electricity? According to a 1909 article in The Baltimore Sun, much of the town was without electricity because of a fire years earlier: “Electricity for lighting the residences, churches, business places, etc. of Rockville is now... Continue Reading →
In early January 1903, The Baltimore Sun updated readers on Bruno, a pet bear that had escaped from his owner the previous summer and was making local farmers unhappy: “Bruno, the elusive ex-pet bear, is still at large somewhere in Howard county. The countryside is up in arms. Several regiments of angry farmers are enlisted... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year’s Eve! A 1902 editorial in the The News (Frederick County) outlined the promise of a new year—and is still very fitting more than 115 years later: “...Along with evils and misfortunes there will be much good, and many manifestations of the spirit of generosity and humanitarianism which, happily, is growing in strength... Continue Reading →
Bygone Maryland 