July 14, 1996

25 Years Ago

Blount Denied County Backing – Gordon Blount, president of B.J.N. Enterprises, would-be developers of an airport-industrial park complex in Carroll county, failed in a bid Thursday to get a firm commitment of county backing despite what he thought was an earlier endorsement. The county commissioners told Blount Thursday that they were interested in developing an airport in the county, but that they would not give Blount support in his project because they had not investigated possible county development. The commissioners told the airport developer that they could not give anyone a “free hand.” In the company’s prospectus, the company stated, “It is to be noted that local county officials have already voiced their support of this project.” Blount told the commissioners he was under the impression after meeting with them the first time that the county was interested in his proposal, rather than developing county-owned land for use as an airport. He said he was surprised a month ago when commissioner John D. Meyer went on local radio and said the county intended to develop it’s own
land for an airport. Blount said that because of this announcement his company had been unable to sell sufficient stock to proceed with their plans. The commissioners said earlier, and repeated yesterday, that they would be unwilling to allow private interests to control an airport facility in the county because the county could lose the facility. They did say they would like to lease county land to private interests to operate the airport as a “fixed base operator.” Democratic Advocate July 15, 1971.

50 Years Ago

To Collect World War II Records – Historical Society of Carroll county has begun the collection of World War II records for Carroll county, Dr. Nelson B. Lasson, Director of the Maryland War Records Division announced. This group is acting as the county representative for our statewide agency. Dr. Arthur Tracey is heading the local project. Within the next few weeks, Dr. Lasson said, “the heads of each bureau, division or department of the county government will be asked to fill out questionnaires which, on completion, will show both the contributions of the county to the war and the effects of the war upon the county’s normal activities. Such records form an important phase of the story of Maryland in World War II which will be of vital interest to the future scholar. “Moreover, such leading figures in the counties, as presidents of colleges, superintendents of hospitals and nursing schools and historians or commanding officers of National Guard units will be approached for information by members of the local cooperating group,” the Director continued. “From these agencies and institutions, copies of
periodic reports issued during the war years, of special war projects, and of any available photographs of war activities will be urgently solicited in addition to the information supplied by thequestionnaire.” Democratic Advocate, July 12, 1946.

75 Years Ago

Four Stills in Church – Four stills, a quantity of corn whisky and 150 gallons of mash were seized by police officers Tuesday morning in the Disciples of Christ Church (colored). Deacon Willie Brown, in whose room the distilling was being carried on, was arrested. Brown admitted in police court that for $25—into the taking of which, he said, he had been tempted by the devil—he had allowed one Henry, also colored, to make use of his room in the church for moonshining. He denied, however, that he had taken part in the making of the whisky. When the officers raided that still the deacon hid under the church. In order to give him an opportunity to bring the mysterious Henry to Court Police Justice Simmons continued the case until Friday. Union Bridge Pilot, July 8, 1921.

100 Years Ago

Noise at New Windsor – Probably in all the past history of New Windsor there has never occurred another occasion when the town was the scene of such pandemonium-like racket and noise as prevailed there for several hours Tuesday night. The event was a chalithumpian serenade given by several hundred people to George L. Stocksdale of the Westminster bar, and his bride. Mrs. Stocksdale, before her marriage, which occurred a week ago at the Hotel Rennert, in Baltimore, was Mrs. Eliza Jane Smith, widow of William T. Smith, a former prominent citizen of New Windsor, an ex-member of the House of Delegates and of the Orphans’ Court bench of this county. The sound of the calithumpian was heard miles away, and its duration appeared endless, although it only continued about three hours. Every imaginable device that could add to the din was employed, and to the uninitiated it seemed as if bedlam had broken loose in reality. The performance was varied by a blockade of vehicles stacked together in such a manner as to obstruct the highway, and was concluded with half an hour’s continuous shrieking of the steam whistle of a traction engine, brought on the ground to swell the melody of tin horns, trombones, horse fiddles, gongs, human yells and the like. American Sentinel, July 4, 1896.