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…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Municipal Parking Lot to be Improved The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved a bid of $170,995 to make improvements to the municipal parking lot. Huntzberry Brothers of Smithsburg will remove and replace the current asphalt; make street improvements to the surrounding streets and alleys; and add landscaping, benches, and trash…

Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes Summer is quickly passing by, and I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far. With the end of summer approaching, it means schools in Frederick County will be back in session by the middle of this month. I encourage you to take caution on the streets and roads as the children…

By Joan Bittner Fry “The eyes are the lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light of you is in darkness, how terribly dark it will be!”  – Matthew…

by Richard D. L. Fulton 50th Anniversary Lindbergh Flight “Our messenger of peace and goodwill has broken down another barrier of time and space.”  ~President Calvin Coolidge, regarding Charles A. Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight in 1927 A full-scale operative replica of Charles Lindbergh’s The Spirit of St. Louis landed at College Park on October 24,…

By Alisha Yocum The Catoctin Banner was excited to partner with the Town of Thurmont and the Town of Emmitsburg for our first-ever youth art contest! As our nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary, young artists were invited to showcase their creativity and patriotism through artwork celebrating the United States. The judges were impressed…

The Maryland 400 by Richard D. L Fulton “Here … two hundred and fifty out of four hundred brave Maryland soldiers … were killed in combat.” –1897 plaque placed near the Vechten Stone Farmhouse On August 27, 1776, a torrential thunderstorm and heavy rain,  followed by cold from a nor’easter and a thick morning fog,…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Changes to Municipal Parking Lot Plan Economic Development Manager Vickie Grinder provided updates on some issues that had arisen with the plan to make improvements to the municipal parking lot. The engineer working on the original plan left out stormwater management from the plan, which will add $75,000-$100,000 to the…

Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes Happy 250th birthday, America. I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July weekend celebrating 250 years of American independence, the land of the free, and the home of the brave. June’s two food truck events in the park were very successful, with a lot of the community out…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird I just returned from the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Conference in Ocean City. The MML offers municipal leaders and staff members dozens of courses and seminars on topics of interest to our communities. I attended seminars on Policing-Immigration-Community Trust, De-Escalation of Confrontational Situations, Stretching Revenues, 2026 Legislative Recap, 2026 Federal Briefing, Maryland…

by Richard D. L. Fulton “Welcome to Maryland” The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a sheet of 50 different 34-cent stamps on April 4, 2002, essentially commemorating the boom in state tourism, which traced its roots to the 1930s and 1940s, although early examples of tourism in Maryland date back to the 19th century.…

By Alisha Yocum Students at Thurmont Middle School recently brought laughter, music, and beloved fairy tale characters to the stage with their production of Shrek The Musical, based on the Oscar-winning animated film Shrek. The students performed three shows during the weekend of May 15-17, entertaining crowds of family members, friends, and community supporters. Audience…

Past and Present by Richard D. L Fulton The first feline, Proailurus, evolved some 25 million years ago and lived in Europe and Asia. Its Latin name, Proailurus, means “before cats,” but it has since become recognized as the earliest true cat, and was about the size of the modern house cat.  But an evolutionary…

ThurmontMayor John Kinnaird I was in the medical lab one day last week getting my monthly bloodwork. I need to go regularly to make sure the chemotherapy drugs I am taking don’t damage my kidneys. While I was there, I heard a technician ask another patient about their bad sunburn. The patient said that they…

by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Thurmont Approves FY2027 Budget The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The budget includes a $6 million general fund, a $12.2 million electric fund budget, a $2 million sewer fund budget, and a $1.2 million water fund budget. The town’s tax rate will remain…

SS Frederick Victory By Richard D. Fulton The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a series of commemorative covers on April 18, 2008, in recognition of the Victory ships launched during World War II, which were employed with the task of transporting supplies and troops to overseas ports during the war. One of the covers…