Near Frederick, MD, I stumbled upon Engine No. 85, a 1928 Vulcan Iron Works tank locomotive that once haulted stone and anthracite in the Coal Region until 1964. Now lovingly restored as “Mack,” it steams on excursions - bringing Coal Region history back to life. Read more of the story.
On Saturday June 14, I was asked to give remarks about the history and context of the American flag over the last 250 years of history. These are the words I shared in historic Mullinix Park in Frederick, Maryland.
A haunting interview from 1861 reveals Private John Lanahan’s remorse after fatally shooting Major Arnold Lewis in a whiskey-fueled rage. Discover how an Irish immigrant’s fleeting moment of violence led to a shocking public execution – and a cautionary tale for other Civil War soldiers. Read the full story.
Walkersville Branch Library is hosting a presentation about Frederick County, Maryland's role in the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Visitors to Antietam battlefield in 1862 took unexploded shells home as souvenirs. The results were disastrous, and often deadly.
Robert Gould Shaw wrote this letter to his mother while sitting in his guard tent three miles east of Frederick, Maryland early on Christmas Day 1861.