Part 2: West of Frederick by Richard D. L. Fulton For hundreds of millions of years, the land that Maryland presently resides upon had rested predominantly at the bottom of the ancient oceans. Around 335 million years ago, two continental plates—one referred to as the African Plate and the other known as the North American…

Danielle Jackson 2023 FFA Butchering Day Held February 10 at Catoctin High School Photos by Danielle Jackson The scent of wood burning under kettles, the sound of fire crackling, and the sharpening of knives permeated the early morning air at the annual Catoctin FFA chapter, and alumni Hog Butchering Day. The traditional event took place…

James Rada, Jr. Two hundred years ago, Western Maryland was the American frontier. With a sparse population spread throughout hills and valleys and only rarely clustered in cities, the Appalachian Mountains formed a mental, if not physical, border to the United States. Yet, the land beyond the mountains to the Mississippi River was also part…