Finding clues from the past that give us a glimpse into the places and lives of Marylanders who came before us
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 →
Now and then I’ll be sharing another way of getting a glimpse of the Maryland that came before us — through postcards. Of course, I’m late to the game; there’s nothing new about collecting postcards. But just as I love finding interesting vignettes to share from yesteryear, I also have been enjoying finding unique messages... Continue Reading →
A railroad worker got quite a shock one evening in 1903 when he saw a “gleaming white” figure suddenly appear and slowly approach him on the railroad tracks. Pennsylvania Railroad worker Joseph Kingsley was standing in front of the Frederick Road station around 9 p.m. one March evening when he spotted a “perfectly nude man”... Continue Reading →
In January 1903, a pair of police officers in Baltimore drew a morbid crowd of followers as they carried arms and legs through the streets to the police station. Patrolman Kaufman carried two legs under his arm while Patrolman Batzer carried a tin bucket with a hand and arm sticking out of it. “Supposing that... 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 →
On December 15, 1903, an opossum found himself in a pigeon coop in Frederick County. He had quite a feast, eating all of the pigeons who resided there, including one that was 14 years old. But the coop's owners had the last laugh. According to an article in The News, "The opossum remained in the... Continue Reading →
Bygone Maryland 