A serial fiction story for your enjoyment written by James Rada, Jr. T h e C a t o c t i n B a n n e r b r i n g s y o u . . . 10: A Night on the Town Stacy Lawrence had reluctantly allowed her ex-husband, Jack,…

A serial fiction story for your enjoyment written by James Rada, Jr. T h e C a t o c t i n B a n n e r b r i n g s y o u . . . 9 : The Unwanted Guest Stacy Lawrence sat behind the steering wheel of her…

A serial fiction story for your enjoyment written by James Rada, Jr. 7: Making a Deal Stacy Lawrence and Bobby Hennessey set up a time to meet at the Kountry Kitchen restaurant the day following his job offer to her. Stacy had wanted time to think about the offer and think of any questions she…

written by James Rada, Jr. 2: Age Old Issues Stacy Lawrence and her 12-year-old son, Peter, climbed out of the tow truck when it stopped in front of the Super 8 Hotel. They waved to Jack, the driver, who had a friendly smile on his face as he drove away. Stacy put her arm around…

The British Invade catoctin mountain by James Rada, Jr. In the spring of 1941, the U.S. had yet to enter World War II, but other countries had been fighting for two years. Germany showed early dominance in the war, and it hadn’t been going well for the British Royal Navy. It had lost more than…

James Rada Jr. Photo of Black Bear on South Altamont Avenue in Thurmont by Bob Delphey Last month, a young black bear wandered onto the property of a Frederick hotel on Buckeystown Pike and climbed one of the trees. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources sent a team to tranquilize the bear and release him…

written by James Rada, Jr. A new serial fiction story for your enjoyment 6: Hot On The Trail Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Mechanicstown Sheriff Paul Cresap rode his horse into the collier’s camp on Catoctin Mountain. This was the fourth camp he had visited today. The colliers moved their camps from time to time…

Bessie Darling’s Murder Haunts Us Still by James Rada, Jr. Editor’s Note: We thought we would tell the notorious local story of love and obsession in honor of Valentine’s Day. It’s not that we think every potential mate is a psychopathic killer, but not every relationship has a happy ending. Of course, we hope your…

written by James Rada, Jr. A new serial fiction story for your enjoyment 4: The Fire Will Judge Abednego Hunt stood facing the wooden cross he had carved. He knew you were supposed to wear your Sunday best for funerals, but he only had two sets of clothes, and they were both work clothes. He…

The late George Wireman was a long-time writer for The Catoctin Banner. He also wrote for several other newspapers. He was Thurmont’s honorary resident historian, a local WTHU radio broadcaster, a volunteer conductor for the Walkersville Southern Railroad, and quite a character to know. He took great pride in building a huge model railroad display…

The Year is…1953 by James Rada, Jr. Being a Good Neighbor on Catoctin Mountain It’s nice to have good neighbors. It’s even nicer when the neighbor is the President of the United States. Works Progress Administration laborers built the 22 camp buildings at Camp Greentop between 1934 and 1938. The log buildings were a mix…

Blair Garrett Through rain, shine, sleet, or snow, first responders will be there in our time of need. The Thurmont Guardian Hose Company’s Annual Banquet was no exception, with several of the featured volunteers called away to combat a house fire on the Catoctin Mountain. But, the show must go on, and the banquet didn’t…

The Huckster Vs. The Highwaymen by James Rada, Jr. By the time the sun cleared the horizon in the east on March 27, 1899, J.T. Waesche was already at work. Waesche, who was a huckster, had harnessed his team and set out to cross Catoctin Mountain to sell his goods in Washington County. He traveled…

James Rada, Jr. As the leaves on Catoctin Mountain turned to yellow, red, and orange, Thurmont turned pink as the town supported activities to raise funds to fight breast cancer. During October, Thurmont becomes the “Gateway to the Cure,” as the town sells pink light bulbs, pink t-shirts, pink shopping bags, and more. In addition,…

The Catoctin Outlaws and the Origins of Blue Blazes Years before the Blue Blazes became part of Thurmont’s history due to the 1929 raid on the county’s largest moonshining operation, it made the newspapers for another raid, but this one was to capture wanted criminals. In 1913, the Catoctin Clarion reported “a gang of this…

Joan Bittner Fry The Lake View Hotel, C. J. Remsburg, Proprietor, Lewistown, Maryland, Long Distance Phone 840-2 While looking through my postcard collection, I came upon a small brochure about Lake View Hotel, and I quote the brochure: “Lake View Hotel is located midway between Frederick and Thurmont, Maryland on the Western Maryland and the…

Catoctin Mountain rose from a primordial lake to heights taller than Mount Everest. As time wore it away, many of its secrets were lost with its dwindling peaks. In the era of man, though, its history has been better preserved, although it still holds onto its secrets. In his new book, Secrets of Catoctin Mountain:…

by James Rada, Jr. Bessie Darling’s Murder Haunts Us Still When the mail train from Baltimore stopped in Thurmont on Halloween, more than the mail was delivered. George F. Schultz, a sixty-two-year-old employee with Maryland Health Department, left the train. Schultz hired Clarence Lidie and his taxi to give him a ride to the Valley…