The “Ritchie Revitalization” Continues
James Rada, Jr. Although Fort Ritchie closed as a military base in 1998, its best days may still be yet to come. The area began as the Buena Vista Ice Company, the southernmost ice company in the country. Then, in the early 1900s, it became a Maryland National Guard camp, and then an Army camp…
Looking Back
The Woodpecker vs. Fort Ritchie Sitting atop South Mountain, Fort Ritchie helped save the world from the Nazis during World War II. However, the camp didn’t fare as well against woodpeckers. Fort Ritchie’s history dates back to 1889 when the Buena Vista Ice Company of Philadelphia purchased 400 acres on South Mountain. The company developed…
New Ritchie History Museum at Fort Ritchie Celebrates Grand Opening
The new Ritchie History Museum at Fort Ritchie celebrated its grand opening earlier this month with much fanfare and a number of notable visitors. Yumi Hogan, wife of former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, was among the first to see the new museum; her interest particularly of the sizable Korean War exhibit, created by Commander Ron…
Looking Back 1889
The Mountain Seaside by James Rada, Jr. It was supposed to be a Maryland seashore on a mountaintop. In 1889, the Buena Vista Ice Company bought 400 acres of land where Fort Ritchie would eventually be built, and set aside 20 acres for a lake. “The business had counterparts on the East Coast below the…
