When it rains,It Pours by James Rada, Jr. A freak storm hit Frederick County and Adams County in Pennsylvania on June 18, 1996, and stalled over the region as it dumped rain. When the storm ended on June 19, it had dropped 11 inches of rain in Northern Frederick County. “A series of storms, like…

The Year is…1909 Were Emmitsburg Residents Pioneers in Aviation? by James Rada, Jr. On Friday morning, December 24, 1909, residents of Adams County looked up and saw something flying overhead in a northeasterly direction. “They say the machine was flying high and fast and that it had a tail. Some thought it was a baloon…

by James Rada, Jr. The Pandemic to End All Pandemics — Part 2 Few people saw Spanish Flu as a threat at first. Although more people than usual got sick in the spring of 1918, they recovered for the most part. That was the first wave. The second wave hit in the fall of 1918.…

Wayne Powell On October 18, 2019, a wonderful man, much loved by an extensive range of people, left us. His passing will have a profound impact on the greater Emmitsburg community for decades to come. His name was John S. Hollinger and his life’s journey touched many—in fact, many who likely never knew his name.…

Well-thrown Lasso Saves Boy from Icy Death by James Rada, Jr. Charlie Jones, a twelve-year-old Thurmont youth, spent one December afternoon in 1915 walking through the forests around Thurmont, gathering pine boughs and other greens to use to make Christmas decorations. With his bag full of greenery, he headed home. Though young, Charles was the…

James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg Mayor Richard Sprankle’s remarks dedicating the VFW Memorial Community Pool in 1975 were all wet. Literally. “At the close of the dedication ceremonies, Sprankle and new Park Commissioner Eugene Rosensteel were tossed into the new $250,000 Z-shaped pool, which has been named the ‘VFW Memorial Community Pool,’” the Frederick Post reported…

James Rada, Jr. Although it is referred to as the Gettysburg casino, a newly proposed plan to place a racetrack and casino in Freedom Township would actually be closer to Emmitsburg than Gettysburg. David LeVan, who has tried unsuccessfully twice before to put a casino in Adams County, has proposed a horse racetrack and casino…

by Brian R. Waesche Twenty-nine years ago, on Wednesday night, December 30, 1987, a crowd gathered outside the Thurmont home at 108 Park Lane as firefighters from five Northern Frederick County companies reported to a blaze that engulfed the large, historic home. Among the crowd, Randy Waesche; Gettysburg Times reporter, Erin Dingle; and Thurmont natives,…

Jet Explodes Over Emmitsburg by James Rada, Jr. On the evening of August 30, 1950, a thunderstorm rolled into the area, but above the rumbling of thunder, many people heard something else. John Hilbert’s farm was 2.5 miles northeast of Emmitsburg, along what is now MD 140. His wife heard the wind whipping up around…

by James Rada, Jr. 1909 — Emmitsburg’s Third Great Fire Emmitsburg has a long history of both fires and fire protection. The Great Emmitsburg Fire of 1863 is considered the most serious fire in the town’s history. By the time the flames sputtered out, twenty-eight houses and nine businesses had been damaged or destroyed. Three…