Carroll Yesteryears 26 July 2020 Remembering the Johnson-Gilmor Raid Through Carroll in 1864 By David Buie Although the month of July marks many historic events, it is understandable why few people remember the Johnson-Gilmor Raid through Carroll County of 1864. The raid was staged to divert Union attention away from Confederate General Jubal Early’s attempt to [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 12 July 2020 “Reminiscences” of Tragedy By Mary Ann Ashcraft In 1910, James Lebbius Switzer (1837-1930) wrote a series of “Reminiscences” for the Union Bridge Pilot newspaper about growing up in Carroll County in the 1840s and 1850s. The following true story appeared in the May 27 issue. “What says that South wind as [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 28 June 2020 Historical Society’s Role in Preserving Westminster’s Beauty By Mary Ann Ashcraft Preserving the beauty of Westminster’s East Main Street has always been a challenge. Businesses, churches, and residents must accommodate advances in street lighting, paving, and other forms of modernization while maintaining the character of the very oldest part of the [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 14 June 2020 The Adventures of Two Early Settlers: In 18th and 19th Centuries, Travelers Went From Carroll To Calcutta and California By Mary Ann Ashcraft Thanks to excellent research by historians, this article tells the stories of two intrepid travelers who ventured far from Carroll County in the 18th and 19th centuries. Charles [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 24 May 2020 Architect Made Lasting Impact By David Buie Driving through Carroll County, one might notice some similarities in architecture to York, Pennsylvania. Those similarities exist due to one architect, John Augustus Dempwolf, who is responsible for the design of St. Mary’s Lutheran Church in Silver Run, major renovations to Trinity Lutheran Church [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 10 May 2020 The Fight for Their Country: Three African Americans from Carroll County, Three Different Civil War Experiences By Mary Ann Ashcraft From time to time those of us writing articles for “Carroll’s Yesteryears” have recounted the stories of local African Americans who fought for the Union Army or Navy during the Civil [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 26 April 2020 History Shows Harney Flourished Before Fire Disaster By David Buie Just a half a mile from the Monocacy River is the town of Harney located at the northwest edge of Carroll County. To the west, it is easy to see the Blue Ridge Mountains and, at night, the lights of Emmitsburg [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 12 April 2020 Complaints About Politics, Politicians Were Alive and Well in Late 1700s By Samuel M. Riley You’ve heard it before: “Fake News!” Complaints about “Special Interests” or “too much money in politics,” with allegations that the wealthy are attempting to “buy the election.” Why are politicians saying such horrible things about each [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 22 March 2020 Chautauqua Experience Flourished Locally for Many Years By Beverly Humbert Western New York has been the home of the Chautauqua Movement since 1874. Originally founded as a Sunday School training ground, today it offers a unique mix of performing and visual arts, lectures, concerts, interfaith worship, and educational programs each summer. [...]
Carroll Yesteryears 8 March 2020 From Clothes to Prohibition to the “Red” Movement By Mary Ann Ashcraft We are so lucky in 2020 to be able to access a great deal of interesting history thanks to the internet. In writing Carroll’s Yesteryears articles I often rely on old newspapers available online. It becomes easier each year [...]