Finding clues from the past that give us a glimpse into the places and lives of Marylanders who came before us
It’s fascinating to see how many of the Christmas preparations of more than a century ago still apply today. From busy shopping to hanging the mistletoe, an 1890 Maryland Christmas seems very familiar. Just a few days before Christmas of that year, The Baltimore Sun painted a busy shopping scene: “[M]en, women and children stayed on... Continue Reading →
Pedestrians walking around South Market Street in downtown Frederick have likely noticed the painted advertisement for P.L. Hargett & Co. and “Delicious! Refreshing! Drink Coca-Cola” on the building near Carroll Creek Park. For nearly 100 years, P.L. Hargett & Co. was a downtown fixture. In 1877, five brothers — Peter, Douglass, John, Samuel and Schaeffer... Continue Reading →
It’s hard to believe that it is once again time to give thanks for what we have in our lives. Read on to see how Marylanders celebrated Thanksgiving in years past: Printed on Thanksgiving eve 1847 in The Baltimore Sun: “To-morrow is the general Thanksgiving, and as some of the perquisites of the day, a... Continue Reading →
As automobiles became more commonplace, so did opinions on this new method of transportation. See some opinions of the auto shared in Maryland papers in 1914: During parish reports during a statewide meeting of the Protestant Episcopal Church, pastors shared varying viewpoints of the emerging mode of transportation. “The automobile was cited as a reason... Continue Reading →
Early this morning, Maryland and most of the nation turned its clocks back one hour as daylight saving time ended. The act of switching from standard time to daylight saving time was formally introduced in 1918, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) website. But some areas in the country — and... Continue Reading →
Apples, burned nuts and cabbage stalks. Learn how Baltimore celebrated Halloween in the 1800s: “Tonight is All Hallowe’en, dedicated formerly by lads and lassies to lovers’ games and charms, but now degenerated into the ringing of door-bells and the hanging of cabbage stalks on door-knobs and other impish tricks by mischievous boys. The scarcity of... Continue Reading →
In November 1965, a Frederick County newspaper received a call from a tipster reporting that he fought off a frightening creature in his backyard — the dwayyo. In The News article “Mysterious ‘Dwayyo’ On Loose In County” (complete with the subhed “Don’t Mess with It”), a man named John Becker reported fending off a 6-foot-tall,... Continue Reading →
Sightings of a snallygaster — a mysterious creature with a curious name — brought fright and concern to the Middletown valley (Frederick County) and beyond in the first few decades of the 20th century. “For those not in the know,” according to a 1965 article in The News, “a snallygaster is said to be a... Continue Reading →
On East All Saints Street, further evidence of downtown Frederick’s industrial roots can be found with the fading signs for confections and bottling operations. The Kehne Brothers confectioners had operated in other areas of downtown Frederick for years and moved to the warehouse on East All Saints Street in September 1916, “...where we will be... Continue Reading →
A quarrel over a “bee tree” in Harmony (Frederick County) between two farmers in August 1889 ended with one dead and another on trial for manslaughter. T.W. Show shot and killed John William Hooper after a confrontation regarding a tree on a neighbor’s property. “...Show found a bee tree in the woods on the land... Continue Reading →
Bygone Maryland 