20-40-100 Years Ago -- Jan. 6

Susan Guynn, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·3 min read

Jan. 6—100 Years Ago

Jan. 6, 1923

Three people were injured Friday afternoon when the Baltimore and Ohio passenger train from Brunswick, bound for Frederick, struck the automobile of E. Brown Titus at the crossbar at Point of Rocks and dragged the machine 100 yards. Mrs. Titus, who was driving; Agnes, his 16-year-old daughter; and Charles D. Kendall, Washington, who was visiting Mr. Titus, were thrown from the automobile. Mr. Titus is the rural mail carrier at Point of Rocks.

Among the things that have served to bring Frederick into the limelight is the Frederick Boys' high school. The growth of this secondary school from its humble beginning in a single room with nine students in the fall of 1894 to a position that made it known throughout the East in 1922, when it was merged with the girls' high school into the Greater Frederick high school, the largest public high school in the state outside of Baltimore city, reads like a romance.

Frederick County's claim to the title "The garden spot of the state" are well founded. The county, occupying a spot in the northcentral part of Maryland, has long been recognized as possessing soil of native richness. The soils of Middletown Valley are considered better for corn and clover. The inter-mountain region is considered best for apples and the soils along the base of Catoctin Mountain are the best for peaches.

40 Years Ago

Jan. 6, 1983

Icy streets and roads bedeviled motorists Wednesday as the state police logged about 30 accidents in Frederick County. State police reported a rash of accidents Wednesday night as county roads and city streets turned icy.

Some state funds to Frederick County could be withheld unless the county's annual financial statement is sent to the Maryland Department of Fiscal Services by week's end. Frederick is one of three counties granted extensions for filing the reports, which were due Nov. 1.

A panel studying Frederick County's funding of volunteer fire and ambulance companies has suggested a change in the way tax dollars are doled out to the organizations. Presently, all companies get a flat base allocation from county government plus and an additional amount tied to the number of emergency calls they answer. The committee has recommended replacing the extra money per call concept with a plan to reimburse companies for the number of households in their primary response territory.

(Editor's Note: The News-Post does not have access to archives from 50 years ago for August 1972 through March 1973. The "50 Years Ago" summary will return April 1, 2023.)

20 Years Ago

Jan. 6, 2003

A heavier-than-expected snowfall Sunday caused scores of traffic accidents in Frederick County and neighboring areas, police said. "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say 100" accidents occurred Sunday, said Sgt. Steve Hassett of the Maryland State Police in Frederick. The National Weather Service had predicted 1 to 3 inches of snow for Sunday in Frederick. The amount as of 5:30 p.m. was 5 inches, according to meteorologist Chris Strong, citing a report from a veteran Frederick observer.

Ask Sen.-elect David Brinkley what legacy, if any, Gov. Parris Glendening will leave Frederick County when his two terms are up Jan. 15, and the Republican Mr. Brinkley will have to think a little before answering. "The one good thing is school construction funding ... and that's it." He pauses a second before going on. "Beyond that I can't think of anything." Mr. Brinkley's opinions of the governor are long-standing. He was taught government and politics by Mr. Glendening at the University of Maryland. "And he was very good at that," Mr. Brinkley said.