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Item Count: 4558

Story Tells of Search for Boy

Publication Year: 2012

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

One of the perks of volunteering at the Historical Society’s research library is access to microfilm of local newspapers.

Christmastime Reflections on an Altruistic Life

Publication Year: 2012

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

One of the first demonstrations of her altruism came during the summer of 1863 when she sat beside the bed of a Union soldier, fanning him as he lay dying.

Starting Over: Excerpts From The Diary Of Clotworthy Birnie, 1810-1811

Publication Year: 2011

The Birnie Papers – which include everything from account books, diaries, letters, ledgers, and deeds to tiny scraps of paper

A Westminster Monastery

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Eleanor Darcy

On the corner of Willis Street and Court Place, just across from the courthouse, there is a small park, a memorial to Carroll Countians who fell in Vietnam.

Remember Stories of the Past

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

As we flip our calendars ahead to 2011, we cannot lose the past, especially the memories of it stored in the minds of people living today. Grandparents, parents, neighbors and friends are sources of history well worth preserving.

Maryland has History of Quakes

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

“An Earthquake. Mysterious Noises and Shaking of Houses, Indicative of An Earthquake.” That was the title of an article which appeared in Westminster’s January 8, 1887, Democratic Advocate.

Church Celebrates its Past

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Any institution which has been around for 250 years has good reason to celebrate. This year, St. Benjamin’s Lutheran Church, located on Krider’s Cemetery Road outside Westminster, is celebrating its 250th anniversary with a series of events highlighting aspects of its history.

Clues Put Together Man’s Past

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Reconstructing the life of someone born in 1778 is a challenge no matter whether that person was famous or an ordinary citizen.

School Board Minutes Show Carroll’s Black History

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

While searching for new material to celebrate Black History Month, I uncovered a valuable local resource - the “Journal of Proceedings of the Board of School Commissioners of Carroll County” – more likely known as the “school board minutes.”

Sign of the Times

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

As the United States pulls itself out of this “Great Recession” we have experienced the last few years, it is interesting to look back at earlier recessions and depressions to see how they affected Carroll County.

Lodge Nears 200th Anniversary

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Fraternal organizations such as the Elks, Jaycees, Odd Fellows and Freemasons have attracted members from Carroll County over the years, but perhaps no group has a longer history in the county than the Door to Virtue Lodge of Freemasons which is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2011.

Mill a Part of County’s Past

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Mills for grinding grain, sawing wood, fulling (thickening) wool and other purposes dotted the Carroll County countryside in days gone by.

Secession Spilled Over to County

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Little is remembered today about Dr. Bernard Mills and the role he played when Maryland was caught between allegiance to the North or South as the Civil War began in 1861.

Warm Weather Prompted Start of Westminster Ice Company

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

For centuries, people relied upon harvesting ice during the winter and storing it in ice pits or ice houses for use during the warm months. Ice cream was a treat everyone enjoyed, but it wasn’t possible without access to ice.

Bring Back Tradition of Flowers on Memorial Day

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Holidays are all about traditions and this Memorial Day you can help revive a tradition which began in Carroll County in 1868.

County Clothing Industry Expanded in Late 1800s

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

A lengthy article appeared in Westminster’s Democratic Advocate on November 13, 1897, announcing the opening of the Westminster Shirt Factory.

Carroll Turned to POWs During WWII Labor Shortages

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

As America sent millions of her young men off to fight in World War II, the shortage of manpower became more and more critical here at home.

Feeling the Pain of Civil War

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

When historian R. J. Rockefeller spoke at a recent Carroll County Genealogical Society banquet, he described the activities of Maryland soldiers from the 1700s through World War II, but he went one step further, pleading with listeners to do more than collect the names and dates of ancestors, their ranks and the battles in which they fought.

Learning the Story Behind Francis Scott Key

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Carroll County has both a highway and a high school named after Francis Scott Key, but how much do we know about the man himself?

Key was Complex, Patriotic

Publication Year: 2011

Author: Mary Ann Ashcraft

Two weeks ago, this column ended with Francis Scott Key as a young man married to his beautiful, wealthy sweetheart and ready to embark on a law career in Washington, D.C.