Rain Didn't Keep the Fish from Biting at the Fort Ritchie Fishing Tournament
Over 50 participants gathered around Lake Royer in Cascade for the annual Fort Ritchie Community Center’s Bass Fishing Tournament on Saturday, May 18. The event was sponsored by Cobblestone Hotel & Suites and included prizes for the largest bass caught by youth and adults. The winners were: Adult Winners: Steven Pinkley—17 ¼” Steve Christian—16 ½”…
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…
Fort Ritchie Community Center’s Bass Fishing Tournament Results
Over 60 participants turned out for the Fort Ritchie Community Center’s Spring Bass Fishing Tournament. The tournament, which is sponsored by Cobblestone Hotel & Suites, is held on Lake Royer located on the former Fort Ritchie property in Cascade. Bobby Swomley of Williamsport won the event with a 15-inch bass. There was a three-way tie…
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…
The Tragic Drowning of Mary Finnefrock on Lake Royer
Precipitated by a Fatal Prank in 1901 Earl Eyler On a pleasant summer morning, August 18, 1901, Mary Finnefrock, with her companion, Mrs. Lewis Wecker, boarded an excursion train at York, Pennsylvania, bound for a day of fun and relaxation at the celebrated Pen Mar Park, not aware it would be the last day of…
Shaw Repeats as Champ in Community Center Fishing Tournament
Aaron Shaw of Frederick took the top honors in both the spring and fall 2018 bass tournaments, hosted by Cobblestone Hotel & Suites and held on Lake Royer at the former Fort Ritchie property in Cascade. The events featured adult and youth divisions. Joining Shaw on the podium for the fall tournament, held on Saturday,…
M & T Bank Invests in Community
M&T Bank contributed $6,000 to the Fort Ritchie Community Center in Cascade. The funds helped sponsor the 2016 Mountaintop Heritage Days event that celebrated the 90th anniversary of Camp Ritchie. “M&T Bank’s investment in the community goes beyond sponsoring Mountaintop Heritage Days,” said Buck Browning, executive director of the Community Center. “All of our programs…
mountain talk
Holiday Craft Bazaar at Fort Ritchie Community Center By Chris O’Connor Nothing says, “Let’s go Christmas shopping,” like balmy, seventy-degree weather on a Saturday in mid-December. Beverly Coyle, Fort Ritchie Community Center’s event organizer, stated that the turnout for the annual Holiday Craft Bazaar was impressive, though it generally is the best-attended of the three…
