By Alisha Yocum Sixty years and three generations later, Catoctin Wildlife Preserve (CWP) is still sharing a love of animals with the community. Richard and Mary Anne Hahn first purchased the property at 13019 Catoctin Furnace Road in Thurmont in March 1966. The three-acre property was purchased from the widow of Gordon Gaver, who owned…

by Richard D. L. Fulton The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? – Edgar Allen Poe Ghost and spirit stories and ghostly hauntings are as old as civilization itself, with virtually every culture on Earth having stories…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird Here we are heading into October. Where has the year gone? School is back in session, Labor Day has passed, cooler days are here, and the leaves will soon be changing. One of the best things about living in this area is the experience of enjoying four distinctive seasons and the wonderful…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Flood Mitigation Project Approved The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners voted to approve funding for the Emmitsburg Road Flood Mitigation Project. The project will see the installation of two stormwater management facilities and a large culvert under Emmitsburg Road. The town had applied for a grant through the Maryland Water Infrastructure…

Seton Center’s Helping Hands Holidays program helps struggling families celebrate the holidays with a little less worry. The holiday season is often filled with family gatherings, shared meals, gifts, and traditions. But for families struggling to meet their basic needs, the added expenses of Thanksgiving and Christmas can make what should be a joyful season…

By James Rada Jr. Catoctin Mountain is now the setting for a fantasy novel by first-time author Lindsey Campbell. Catoctin Mountain Fever is a story of a healer woman, Airmed, who lives in the mountains above Thurmont, who gives much to the community but is also feared and ostracized. She has a variety of animal…

RelaYed by Becky Royer Smith, Submitted by Joan Bittner Fry If you’ve ever used Route 550 from Thurmont to Sabillasville, you probably became familiar with seeing Rowdy, the donkey. Rowdy was owned by Jim Royer, who lives just outside Sabillasville. He was a farmer for many years along with his father, Paul, who lived on…

by Richard D. L. Fulton Meade Takes Command Major General George Meade was assigned command of the Union Army of the Potomac during the Great Rebellion of 1861-1865 on June 28, 1863, after former commander General Joseph Hooker had resigned. Meade was officially placed in command of that Union army while encamped at Frederick, after…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird School is back in session. Please be aware of children crossing the streets and intersections, because they may not be watching for traffic as they should. Children will be walking, riding bikes, and possibly riding scooters. Also, keep in mind Maryland laws regarding passing school buses. In almost every instance, when a…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont New Police Officer Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird swore in Thurmont Police Department’s newest officer, Jaymes Phillips, at a recent meeting. Thurmont Police Chief Dave Armstrong also announced at the same meeting that Officer Mike Sutton had been promoted to corporal. He is now the first-line supervisor over the department’s specialty…

Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes Greetings, Happy Labor Day. Labor Day weekend always signals the end of summer, which I personally hate to see go. But all of you wanting cooler weather, Happy Fall. To all the students who have headed back to class, I hope you all have a wonderful school year. Drive safely out…

Owners of eligible historic properties in rural Frederick County will soon have the opportunity to apply for funding to help preserve and restore their historic buildings. Frederick County’s Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program will begin accepting applications September 1 through November 30, 2026. Grant awards are expected to be announced in early spring 2027. The…

After two beaver attacks were reported in Cunningham Falls State Park recently, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources closed sections of the park to investigate a “possible rabies outbreak within the local beaver population,” according to the DNR website. It remained closed for two-and-a-half weeks. The first attack occurred on July 26. A beaver bit…

by Richard D. L Fulton Now, therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the aforesaid Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, do hereby proclaim the existence of a state of Civil Defense emergency. – President Dwight D. Eisenhower The Cold War…

Baltimore Cathedral by Richard D. L. Fulton The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a series of 15-cent stamps, featuring examples of early “architecture of enduring beauty, strength and usefulness,” according to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, on June 4, 1979. The first set of four different stamps was issued on June 4, 1979, and…

James Rada, Jr. While the United States celebrated its 250th anniversary this year, Thurmont is celebrating its 275th anniversary. Mechanicstown, as Thurmont was originally known, considers 1751 its founding year. This is when the first permanent group of Pennsylvania German settlers, who established a community along Hunting Creek, set down roots. The first families—the Kriegers…

Submitted by Joab Bittner Fry The following report of the shooting of Edward O. Smith is taken from the Waynesboro Herald, August 9, 1906. Man Shot through the Heart Bloody murder has spread its lurid mantle over the little, quiet region between the ranges of South Mountain, known as Harbaugh’s Valley. There in the mountain,…

by Richard D. L Fulton The appearance of the ancestor of all canines, or canids, may not have occurred had it not been for an immense meteor which struck the earth some 66 million years ago, triggering a “nuclear winter,” lasting for more than 25 years, during a time frame known as being the Cretaceous…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird This year, the Town of Thurmont celebrates its 275th anniversary; and, yes, we are 25 years older than the United States of America. Way back in 1751, our forefathers decided to settle here because of the running streams, ample wildlife, and rich soils. After several years, the community adopted the name Mechanicstown…

by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg . Town Moving Toward Property Purchase The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners recently approved a resolution to make an application of the Strategic Demolition Fund to get funds to purchase 304 East Main Street. The property has been considered an eyesore on East Main Street for years, detracting from the town’s…