1828.. News about Princess Anne's new newspaper; 1902.. A beautiful Eastern Shore wedding is described; 1996.. Old bell is back at Salisbury church after more than 100 years; 1959.. Governor may okay a bridge to Assateague; 1974.. Somerset County's farmer of the year is named; Circa early 1960's.. "Chop Hop" ad.
It's all a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye!
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!
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"Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore." Our tradition runs deep. Excerpt from a letter to the editor from a visitor to Newtown, (former name of Pocomoke City) published in the Baltimore Sun, April 28,1847.
This place (Newtown) is a pretty snug little village, containing about 500 clever and hospitable inhabitants; it has good wide streets, quite clear of that "eye sore," known mostly over the Peninsula by the name of "deep sand"; the houses, though built of frame, are generally built substantially and with some discretion and taste; there are two neat, new, and quite handsome frame churches in it; as for the merchants of the place, suffice it to state that they are very clever and hospitable. F. Mezick, Esq., the landlord with whom I stopped, and his very obliging and jolly assistant, are richly deserving of a passing notice, for the good treatment and the extension of the many civilities to "the stranger."
(Reader-friendly viewing of news archives/historical archives material)
January, 1930
Marylander And Herald (Princess Anne)
Somerset County Makes Great Strides In 1929
Following the custom of years, The Marylander and Herald this week publishes a brief summary of important events in the life of Somerset County during the year just closed.
During 1929 the farmers of Somerset enjoyed one of the most prosperous years in the county's history. Crops were good and prices on all farm products were at a high level. Strawberries prices held up well throughout the season, and the prices paid for beans, tomatoes, and potatoes were the best in several seasons.
Roadwork during 1929 was carried on at several places in Somerset, more roads being constructed last year than in any year past- over a mile of concrete was constructed in Mt. Vernon District, a mile at Rehoboth (Rehobeth), a mile at Fairmount; and a mile in East Princess Anne- over four miles of concrete in all. In addition to this the County Road Engineer Robert S. Jones built about two miles of slag road, the longest stretch of which was constructed in the Revell's Neck neighborhood.
In Princess Anne many changes are noted. New business houses were opened and old ones remodeled, new lines added, and the community as a whole greatly benefited.
The Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce sponsored many worthwhile matters, and are responsible for the erection of a public drinking fountain, and for the first concerted effort toward a community Christmas event.
During the year a Junior Firemen's organization was perfected and band of forty-two pieces organized. Also a Women's Auxiliary of the Firemen was organized and played an important part in the affairs of the Volunteer Fire Company.
Princess Anne and the county as a whole enters the New Year full of confidence in the continued growth and development of this favored section of the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula.
February, 1958
Salisbury Times
SNOW HILL, MARYLAND SCHOOL VACATION
The following students are spending their vacation between semesters with their parents: Lois Dickerson, James Freeney, Tom Shockley, Spratt Ploxice of the University of Maryland, College Park; Fooks Truitt and James Wasche of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; Peggy White and Phyllis Scarborough of Hood College in Frederick; Ann Vincent, Ann Grant and William Kerbin of Western Maryland, Westminster; Joan Cowen, Robert Bowen, Albert Cherrix, Michael Coffin, State Teachers College in Salisbury; Others are Carroll Waller from William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia; Paul Cordry, Steve and Allen Boyer, Swarthmore; Carolyn Hottinstein, Emily Brimer, Edgar Dryden, Robert DeVaux from Washington College in Chestertown; John McHale, Drexel Institute in Philadelphia; Albert Blann and Jerry Lank, Goldey-Beacom, Wilmington; and Don Hallet Doughty at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.
January, 1884 (Time Machine archive)
(Peninsula Enterprise- Accomac)
Notwithstanding the disagreeable weather on Monday night (Christmas Eve) it was very lively in this locality. The firing of guns and pistols began at early bedtime, and continued during the night. Many delicious meals were prepared and eaten, and not a few persons participated in drinking eggnog.
June, 1896 (Time Machine archive)
(Peninsula Enterprise- Accomac Court House, Va.)
Destructive Fire at Parksley.
Most of the Business Houses Destroyed -- Loss About $55,000 -- Small Insurance.
The greater part of the business houses of the thriving town of Parksley was destroyed by fire last Wednesday afternoon. The fire started in the barrel factory of L. F. Hinman on the north side of Bennett street about 3:30 o'clock and in less than an hour the whole block on Dunne Avenue to Cooke street, except the hardware and building material store of E. T. Parks & Co., was in ashes.
The losses heavy as they are, would have been greater but for the hard work done to check its progress. Mr. John D. Johnson and others fought the fire on the roof of his livery stable when it was no longer safe to continue the fight on the ground and saved it -- and the three stores on the south side of Bennett street were only saved by the bucket brigade which kept the houses wet.
The fire was due to the carelessness of a cooper in Hinman's barrel factory and could have been extinguished if he had been in the factory at the time it started.
April, 1899
The Evening Times (Washington, D.C.)
Married Before Daybreak
Pocomoke City, Md., April 5- Miss Barnes and Mr. Sterling, both of Hunting Creek, Va., came to Pocomoke City on the midnight express Monday night and were married at 1:30 o'clock yesterday morning at Bethany Methodist Protestant parsonage by Rev. J.D. Kinsor. The bride is a beautiful blonde of less than seventeen summers and the groom is about nineteen years of age.
Footnote: Pocomoke City was a destination for many young Virginia couples seeking marriage. The Virginia age requirements for marriage were stricter than those of Maryland.
Anticipating the new year a hundred years ago, just as today, it was "out with the old, in with the new" but Word War I was weighing heavy on the new year's prospects.
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yaho o.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!
PPE remembers JMMB.
