Finding clues from the past that give us a glimpse into the places and lives of Marylanders who came before us
In 1911, Miss Edna Bachtel of Chewsville (Washington County) received quite a fright while sewing at home. "...[S]he was horrified upon glancing down to see a large snake rolled about one of the legs of the [sewing] machine," according to an article in The News. "She jumped backward screaming, and the noise startled the snake,... Continue Reading →
Another Labor Day is upon us, marking the unofficial end to summer. In September 1900, The Baltimore Sun ran a piece on the value of Labor Day. Obviously, times have changed, but much of the sentiment still holds true today: "We are essentially a working people -- every week day in the year, with a... Continue Reading →
In anticipation of the partial solar eclipse in our area tomorrow, here's a look back on the partial eclipse that took place in Baltimore in 1892: “Science has relieved us of the feeling that it is our duty, with the aid of tin pans or human sacrifices, to help the sun out of its trouble.... Continue Reading →
Driving along Creagerstown Road in the small town of Woodsboro, passersby can't help but notice the imposing maroon structure once known as the Glade Valley Mill, a town fixture since the late 1800s. The business was originally started in nearby Troutville by Daniel Saylor. In the 1890s, Anderson Etzler moved the business to be closer... Continue Reading →
The Social Security Administration just released Maryland’s 2016 Top 100 baby names based on Social Security card application data. For boys, the top five names were Noah, Mason, Liam, Ethan and Daniel. For girls, Ava, Olivia, Emma, Charlotte. and Sophia made Maryland's top five. In 1912, one of The Baltimore Sun’s Sunday contests tackled the... Continue Reading →
New Windsor Mayor Neal Roop remembers the very spot where Fred Snyder’s barbershop chair sat in one of the rooms on the ground floor of the Dielman Inn. Standing in the now-empty space decades later, Roop commented how the room seemed so much bigger to him when he was a child. Snyder’s chair was one... Continue Reading →
High on a brick building overlooking West Washington Street is the faded sign for Eyerly’s Department Store, once a downtown Hagerstown institution. Charles Eyerly and his father started a dry goods firm in the late 1880s, according to a Morning Herald front page article detailing Charles’ passing in 1947. In 1900, George Eyerly turned over... Continue Reading →
The Baltimore Sun ran weekly writing contests that would solicit submissions surrounding a specific theme from children ages 15 and younger, with the top entries winning $5 and select runners-up receiving $1. In April 1912, one of the topics was to describe “The Most Memorable Easter in My Life.” It’s fascinating to see how the... Continue Reading →
There’s no shortage of reports of peculiar accidents in Maryland newspapers of yesteryear. Here are three accounts of bizarre situations occurring in Washington County that remind us that anything can happen as we move through the daily tasks of our lives: In December 1896, The Baltimore Sun reported “a strange accident” involving Charles Hoffman, a... Continue Reading →
In February 1887, someone entered Robert Klotz’s property on East Third Street in Frederick in an attempt to rob the chicken coop in his yard, reported The News. Much to the disappointment of the intruder, the coop was empty. Klotz was the proprietor of the Court Restaurant on the corner of Market and Church streets... Continue Reading →
Bygone Maryland 