"State Firemen Visit Westminster" Carroll County Times article for 6 June 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal The annual Maryland State Firemen's convention was a major event for the host community. In addition to the prestige for the local fire company, the event drew thousands of visitors from throughout the state who pumped cash into the local [...]
"Married When Unconscious?" Carroll County Times article for 30 May 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal Carroll's judicial history is liberally sprinkled with interesting court cases. A simple charge of non-support against a recently married husband in 1921 resulted in a novel defense as reported in the December 23, 1921 issue of the Westminster Democratic Advocate newspaper: "MARRIED WHEN [...]
" Low Crimes and Misdemeanors in 1879" Carroll County Times article for 23 May 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal When Carroll County was founded in 1837, one of the first responsibilities of county government was the erection of a court house and a jail, evidence that crime and punishment was a concern. The historical record is [...]
"Baking Bread was a Weekly Activity" Carroll County Times article for 16 May 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal Baking bread, pies and cakes was a local household activity from the settlement period in the eighteenth century until into the early twentieth century. Friday was the traditional baking day and most local families baked in a brick [...]
"Corn Hooch Discovery" Carroll County Times for 9 May 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal Although Carroll County voted to be "dry" a few years before Prohibition, not everyone supported the ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Cases on bootlegging were common throughout the 1920s and Prohibition remained a popular political topic. An article from [...]
"Bicycling Photo Essay" Carroll County Times for 2 May 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal Bicycling has been a popular leisure activity since the late nineteenth century when organizations such as the Cycling Ramblers organized events. In 1887 the group had 15 uniformed members and was organized like a militia company of its day. Westminster jeweler A. H.Wentz [...]
"Carroll's Early Telephone History, Part II" Carroll County Times Article for 25 April 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal Last week's column, presented the first half of a history of the telephone industry in Carroll written by Emma J. Grady in 1937. Her history continues with the development io telephone service and concludes with the state of [...]
"Carroll's Early Telephone History, Part I" Carroll County Times Article for 18 April 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal Although our high tech telecommunications industry is a modern achievement, it may surprise some readers to learn that telephone service came to Westminster in 1884. An early history of the telephone in Carroll County was written by Emma [...]
"April 1924 Fires" Carroll County Times Article for 11 April 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal Fire has traditionally been the most serious catastrophic threat faced by residents of our local communities. Since in the early nineteenth century, volunteer fire departments have been the first line of defense against fire. The members of the Westminster Fire Department [...]
"Easter Cards" Carroll County Times Article for 4 April 1999 By Jay A. Graybeal This Historical Society's collection contains numerous examples of Easter cards received by local residents from the 1880s to the 1920s. The earliest examples were printed on heavy stock and were designed to be kept in the recipient's scrapbook. By the turn of [...]