Horace Mann Bushman The First to Fall Horace “Bush” Bushman was born on August 6, 1916, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to parents Rufus Howard and Hattie R. Bushman, and had one brother, George Levi Bushman, whom his parents had given birth to three years earlier. Bushman graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1935, where he had…

by Richard D. L. Fulton Gettysburg Pennsylvania’s Fantasyland Fantasyland, the memorable amusement park of Gettysburg, was established in 1959 by Kenneth and Thelma Dick after essential acreage was purchased for $21,000 from LeRoy and Esther Apgar. Kenneth Dick reportedly stated that during the course of a local Kiwanis meeting, he had conceived the idea for…

Brother vs. Brother Leads to Death by James Rada When Cain slew his brother, Abel, it was over who was more beloved by God. When Samuel Shockey killed his brother, Jacob, it was over who a young woman named Iva Wills loved more. Iva was Jacob’s common-law wife or girlfriend, depending on who you asked.…

Part I Richard D. L. Fulton January 1921 saw the commencement of the pursuit of an unidentified beast among the rolling foothills of Appalachia in Adams County, Pennsylvania, a quest that resulted in the local inhabitants doing more damage to themselves than the sought-after creature. It did not take long for the local newspapers to…

by James Rada, Jr. The Daughters of Charity went to China in the early 20th century to care for the sick and needy and to spread the word of God. China experienced wars and unrest during the first half of the 20th century, with the rise of Communism; the Nationalist Party; and Chiang Kai-shek, China’s…

Emmitsburg Family Drowns in the Bay by James Rada, Jr. It was meant to be a pleasant outing, fishing on the Chesapeake Bay, on Sunday, July 17, 1960. The Haley family went out on the waters, but the boat was overloaded and sitting low in the water. The water was rough, and the “14-foot outboard…

by James Rada, Jr. 1915 — David Firor’s Missing Days On March 2, 1915, David Firor kissed his wife goodbye and told her that he would be back on the evening train from Baltimore. Then he headed into the city to buy Easter items for his store on East Main Street in Thurmont. That evening,…

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 James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg Waits Seventy-three Years for a New Post Office The effort for Emmitsburg to get its current post office took nearly thirty years. At that point, the people who had started the push had passed on. Many long-time residents of Emmitsburg will remember the post office when it was located on…