Finding clues from the past that give us a glimpse into the places and lives of Marylanders who came before us
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 →
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 →
Joseph Piscor of Baltimore made the paper a few times in the early 1900s for violent incidents in which he was depicted as the perpetrator and the victim. In March 1902, the Baltimore Sun reported that Piscor’s wife, Kate, allegedly beat her husband and fractured his skull with an unknown implement. “The assault is said... Continue Reading →
In January 1902, a Washington County judge ordered a unique punishment for a man convicted of carrying concealed weapons. The man, George W. Oroby, was described by The News as “an aged resident of Williamsport.” Judge Stake presided over the sentencing of Oroby. Stake said that he’d known Oroby all his life, “...that he was... Continue Reading →
The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines palmistry as “the art or practice of reading a person’s character or future from the lines on the palms.” Several palmists passed through Frederick in the early 1900s. For example, “Zingarra and her Troupe of Expert Palmists and Life Readers” came to town in 1903. Their newspaper advertisement in The... Continue Reading →
Bygone Maryland 