25-50-100 Years Ago -- April 25

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

Apr. 25—100 Years Ago

April 25, 1923

Announcement was made Tuesday of the names of those in the graduating classes of the various high schools of Frederick county. The graduating classes of the county are considerably larger than last year. The largest class is that of the Frederick high school, with 120 members. Both Middletown and Brunswick also have large classes that of the former number being 40 while the Brunswick eleventh grade pupils number 30. Libertytown and Thurmont also have graduating classes. The names of the eleventh grade pupils of Emmitsburg high school have not yet been sent to the office of Superintendent Lloyd G. Palmer.

The worst forest fire of the year in this county broke out in the Catoctin mountain along Fishing Creek hollow early Tuesday morning and raged furiously until last midnight. A force of one hundred fire fighters brought the fire under control. About 1,000 acres of land from Fishing Creek hollow to the Hamburg road was burned over, it was said. At one time the entire mountain side was in flames and it was feared that the fire would reach the city water shed property on Tuscarora Creek.

One man is totally blind and never will see again, and six others, men and women, are partially blind, but are expected to recover from the effects of drinking moonshine whisky containing wood alcohol at a party staged on Hagerstown's Bowery early Sunday.

50 Years Ago

April 25, 1973

The world famous developer of the oral polio vaccine, Dr. Albert Sabin, indicated Tuesday that the work he has just completed at the Frederick Cancer Research Center may comprise his last laboratory research effort of his illustrious career.

The Penn Central Railroad Company has been given court approval to abandon its railroad tracks in Frederick and ownership of the tracks is expected to be assumed by the Baltimore and Ohio Co. (Chessie System), it was learned Tuesday. It was also learned that the city government will rebuild East Street as well as put in a new water line.

25 Years Ago

April 25, 1998

Hillcrest Elementary principal Carol Young received the Maryland Distinguished Principal Award on Friday in Ocean City. Ms. Young has been principal of Hillcrest since 1987 when the school opened. Hillcrest's enrollment is 850, the largest of any elementary school in the county. It also has a very transient population, with 30 percent of its students entering or withdrawing.

Frederick Mayor Jim Grimes earlier this week gave life to an old idea: the city could use a new City Hall along Carroll Creek. But no proposals are currently afloat. The mayor was speaking to the Chamber of Commerce of Frederick County when he said, "the old City Hall is totally inefficient."

(Editor's Note: The News-Post does not have access to archives from 20 years ago for April 16 through December 2003. The "20 Years Ago" summary will return Jan. 1, 2024.)