1896 – too much Married by James Rada, Jr. Sigmund Freud once said, “If you want your wife to listen to you, then talk to another woman; she will be all ears.” If that’s true, just imagine how attentive Phoebe Stouffer was in 1896 when she saw her husband talking to his other wife, Mary…

by James Rada, Jr. The Mount During the Civil War In the years leading up to the Civil War, Mount St. Mary’s College enjoyed prosperity. The college celebrated its golden anniversary in 1858, and student enrollment was around 200 young men. “The Mount was thriving, as was most of the South thriving before the Civil…

by James Rada, Jr. More Accomplishments of HARNEY UNIVERSITY Note: This is the third in a series about the “achievements” of Harney University. While Harney University achieved legendary status in just about every field of study in the early 1900s, things didn’t start off that way. The faculty, which included Jacob Turner, Jerry Overholser, Daniel…

More Accomplishments of HARNEY UNIVERSITY by James Rada, Jr. During the early part of the 20th century, the highly successful Harney University was known for the many great achievements of its faculty. If it was to be believed, the reputation of the school outshone any other college in the country. If it was to be…

THE MAGNIFICENT HARNEY UNIVERSITY by James Rada, Jr. Note: This is the first in a series about the “achievements” of Harney University. Emmitsburg is known for being the home of Mount St. Mary’s University, but for a while, another nearby university regularly made the newspaper with stories of great innovations in science and technology that…

The Year is…1879 A Pleasant Fall Ride Through Emmitsburg by James Rada, Jr. In early October 1879, Samuel Motter, publisher of the Emmitsburg Chronicle, took a ride around Emmitsburg with a friend. “All the world knows that the drives, calculated to afford pleasure and delight, are very numerous around Emmitsburg, and the heart which is…

The Year is…1899 A Spurned Love Affair Turns Deadly by James Rada, Jr. On April 22, 1899, 16-year-old Orpha Harshman of Wolfsville started off on a two-mile walk to her sister’s house. She took a shortcut across a field that would cut the journey in half. Her stepbrother, Edward Morgan, 25, watched and followed. He…

Galt Starts the Effort to Recognize Thomas Johnson by James Rada, Jr. Thomas Johnson was the first governor of Maryland, serving from March 21, 1777, to November 12, 1779. “John Adams said that Governor Thomas Johnson of Maryland was one out of four citizens of Maryland and Virginia without whom there would have been no…

1971: The Mount Goes Co-Ed by James Rada, Jr. Although Mount St. Mary’s University was named for a woman, she wouldn’t have been able to attend the college until 1971. It was only in its 164th year that the college decided to admit female students. Some females from nearby St. Joseph’s College had been attending…

by James Rada, Jr. Author’s Note: The following is an article I wrote ten years ago for The Dispatch newspapers. I’ve reprinted it with a few tweaks and added an update at the end. When I originally wrote this, no one knew what had happened to Tolbert Dalton. I wish I could take credit for…

by James Rada, Jr. Early Public Education in Emmitsburg Emmitsburg has always had plenty of schools. Of the 158 one-room schools in Frederick County in 1890, more than 20 were near Emmitsburg. This doesn’t even include the private and parochial schools in town at the time. In a 1908 Emmitsburg Chronicle article, an old-timer recalled…

Emmitsburg Baseball Celebrates 60th Anniversary   Deb Spalding In 1955, Articles of Incorporation for the Emmitsburg Little League stated the objective of the league to be, “to implant firmly in the boys of the community the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and reverence so that they may be finer, stronger, and happier boys and…

Emmitsburg Editor Tries His Hand in Politics by James Rada, Jr. Sterling Galt purchased the Emmitsburg Chronicle in 1906. He was the fourth owner of the 27-year-old newspaper. Back in those days, small newspapers had few employees. The owner was the publisher and the primary reporter. The debut editorial stated the goal of the newspaper…

by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg Gets Three Burgesses in Four Months Emmitsburg once went through three burgesses in the span of four months in 1939. It began when Burgess Michael J. Thompson died unexpectedly on May 31. He had gone out walking through Emmitsburg, including stopping at the Hotel Slagle, before heading home. He had…

by Jim Houck, Jr. Note: This is the story titled “History of the Francis X. Elder Post, No. 121 American Legion From its Beginning,” as written by “Abigail,” a writer for the Emmitsburg Chronicle. The article was published in the Emmitsburg Chronicle in 1940. Original Post Founded In 1920. Present One Originated in 1936. Lester…

Mount St. Mary’s and the Civil War by James Rada, Jr. In the years leading up to the Civil War, Mount St. Mary’s enjoyed prosperity. The college celebrated its golden anniversary in 1858, and student enrollment was around 200 young men and growing. “The Mount was thriving, as was most of the South thriving before…