20-40-100 Years Ago -- Feb. 12

Feb. 12—100 Years Ago

Feb. 12, 1923

Today is being observed everywhere as the anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who rose to the position of president of the United States and made the greatest executive the land has known with the exception of George Washington, the father of the country. The day is being observed in the schools of the land and in public gatherings.

Following the great battle of Antietam, President Lincoln on October 1, 1862, stopped in Frederick en route to the battlefields of Antietam and South Mountain. On his approach to the city, an artillery salute was fired by Battery K of the First New York Artillery. A big crowd gathered on West Patrick street to greet the president. He gave a brief speech and then drove to the Baltimore and Ohio Railway depot, where he entered a car and then responded to demands for a speech with the following [in part]: " ... I return thanks to our good soldiers for the services they have rendered, the energy they have shown, the hardships they have endured and the blood they have shed for this union of ours, and I also return thanks, not only to the soldiers, but to the good citizens of Frederick and to the good men, women and children in this land of ours, for their devotion to the glorious cause. ..."

Saturday evening, the dining room of Coblentz Hall [at Hood College] for the first time was turned into a beautiful ballroom, the occasion being the annual junior prom. The grand march, which was led by Miss Elizabeth Apple of the senior class and Miss Sara Myton of the junior class, in its column formation of fours and eights practically filled the spacious floor and formed a most picturesque feature of the evening.

40 Years Ago

Feb. 12, 1983

By 8 p.m. Friday night, 28-36 inches of snow blanketed Frederick County, making it the worst snowfall in recorded history. And, it was still coming down ... getting deeper and deeper. ... Hundreds of stranded motorists were sent to fire halls and American Legion homes seeking warmth. Road crews worked 'round the clock to get some handle on snow removal.

Oddly enough, Saturday marks the previous record. Beginning Feb. 11, 1899, 22 inches of snow fell over a three-day period. Although it occurred 84 years ago, it is remembered by senior citizens, and is still pronounced by meteorologists to be the worst blizzard that ever swept across the North American continent. In the main streets of Frederick, there were piles of snow ranging from 6 to 10 feet high, seen in a photograph. Written on the back were the words ... "the thermometer was from 10 to 20 degrees below zero and some places in the county registered 30 below, the coldest weather ever known in this part of the country."

Considering the amount of snow that fell in the Frederick area Friday, livestock and dairy farmers were getting their daily chores done. "It (the snow) is more an inconvenience than anything," said Frederick County Extension Agent Ken Wisner, "especially to the dairy farmer. The farmers are trying to get manure out, feet out and the cows milked and, with weather like this, it makes for a few extra steps." For dairy farmers, the biggest obstacle comes Saturday morning, when they attempt to make it passable for milk trucks on their lanes.

(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

Feb. 12, 2003

"I'm young, I'm here and I'm ready to go," Delegate Patrick Hogan joked Tuesday in Annapolis. The youngest member of the House of Delegates to wander the halls of the State House, it's his birthday Saturday. He'll roll over to the ripe age of 24. Mr. Hogan, a Republican, isn't new to the field of politics, it's sort of a family tradition. His father is Larry Hogan, a former Prince George's County executive and congressman. His mother is Ilona Hogan, a former county commissioner. His half-brother, Larry Hogan Jr., was recently named appointments secretary to Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

Town commissioners on Tuesday refused for the second time to endorse a proposal to change the name of Catoctin Mountain Park to "Catoctin Mountain National Recreation Area." The commissioners held their ground despite heavy lobbying by Tim Magrath, a field representative for U.S. Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes who plans to ask Congress for the name change. Commissioner Ronald A. Terpko said the words "recreational area" bring to mind a child's playground, not a national park. "'Recreational area' to me is just a swing set," said Mr. Terpko.