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 →
Of all the ailments I see in old newspapers, tapeworm is one that has creeped me out the most. Just the thought of it slinking around inside the human body gives me goosebumps. Share in my misery: Described as “a delicate operation,” in January 1887, George Gittinger had 60 feet of tapeworm removed by Dr.... Continue Reading →
In January 1916, Easton Jail inmate Amos Camper was taken to the Emergency Hospital for an operation. A few days later, Camper decided it was time to make a break for it. But how? The sheriff had taken Camper’s clothes back to the jail. Camper wasn’t going to let a lack of clothes stop him... Continue Reading →
In the spring and summer of 1883, happenings from around the state included two accidents and a “devilish” act of animal cruelty: ‘Not a Suicidal Leap’ The June 2, 1883 Denton Journal reported that Miss Bertha Gebhardt did not commit suicide “by leaping from her bed room window” in Baltimore; instead, she fell out the... Continue Reading →
The Bay Bridge is one of the most easily recognized landmarks in all of Maryland. Officially known as the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, named after the governor who started the endeavor, the bridge changed the way of life for many Marylanders when it opened in July 1952. Prior to that, the only way... Continue Reading →
From quirky ads to strange hobbies to thoughts on the importance of beauty, vignettes from Easton:
In the past, just like today, if you had an ailment, someone had a remedy for it. Faced with a “derangement of the liver and bowels”? Never fear, Simmons’ Liver Regulator had you covered. Advertised on the front page of The Easton Star in 1874, the medicine’s ad reassured that the product contained no mercury, only the... Continue Reading →
Like the other businessmen and merchants of their time, dentists advertised their services in newspapers to gain new business. Dentist T.J. Smithers informed his patients and the general public that he was back in his South Washington Street office in Easton in the pages of September 30, 1890 issue of The Star-Democrat. Smithers offered a... Continue Reading →
Bygone Maryland 