25-50-100 Years Ago -- June 15

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

Jun. 15—100 Years Ago

June 15, 1923

Farmers all over the county are feeling serious concern over the shortage of labor. Early in the spring the labor situation became such a problem that a number of farmers curtailed their corn acreage. In the meantime, the labor situation has become worse and at this time many farmers have no help except their own families. Because of the difficulty in securing labor, the owners of two of the largest farms on Carroll's Manor did not plant an acre of corn this spring. This is the first time in the history of the Manor, with the possible exception of the Civil War period, that the rotation crop of corn has not been planted on these farms.

The school year of 1922-23 in Frederick county is nearly completed and 11,000 youngsters are fairly counting the hours until their release. Examinations have all been completed and there remain only the closing exercises. Those for the seventh grade pupils will be this afternoon at the City Opera House, at which time certificates will be presented to those having completed in a satisfactory manner the prescribed studies for preparation to high school entrance.

50 Years Ago

June 15, 1973

New Market is the prime target of a decentralization movement by the Frederick YMCA, it was announced Thursday by YMCA program director Andy Edie. New Market, Lewistown, Adamstown, Sagner Apartments, Brunswick and Thurmont (in that order) have been chosen as primary targets for the summer recreation program, but Edie feels only New Market will get the program underway this summer. Specific skill courses and organized team sports will be offered to interested youngsters in the area.

Frederick held both the individual and team lead after the first day of action in the state high school golf championships being held at the University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park. Led by Don Hammond, Frederick holds an eight-stroke lead over defending champion Magruder. Hammond shot a 74, best among the 45 players in the field.

25 Years Ago

June 15, 1998

Flags often maintain their vigils for years at a time without as much as a second thought from many people. Sunday they received the recognition that they deserve at a ceremony held at the AMVETS farm east of Frederick in honor of Flag Day. Five-hundred thirty-eight flags were honorably retired and burned by AMVETS Post 2 yesterday before a crowd of about 100 people. Mark L. Hoke, the president of the Frederick County Commissioners and a retired colonel in the U.S. Army, was the guest speaker at the event.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark floated down the Missouri River, pushed their way over the Rockies and struggled on to the Pacific Ocean, exploring 2,000 miles of rugged West. But Lewis first spent a few days in Frederick, and therein lies a problem. It's not clear how many days Lewis was in Frederick, and what he did here. In the past, local historians claimed that Lewis planned his expedition in Frederick — a thriving town of 4,000 people in 1802 and 1803 — purchased some of his supplies here and stored them at the Hessian Barracks. But Stephen Ambrose, who wrote the best-selling "Undaunted Courage," said through his son, Hugh Ambrose, he doesn't believe the expedition was planned in Frederick.

(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.)