This Month In Frederick County History

February

From John Ashbury's - '... and all our yesterdays'

February 1

The education of the children of Frederick County has a rich and storied history. The man who built the first house in Frederick Town in the 1740s - John Thomas Schley - was a school teacher by trade, and attained a remarkable reputation for his scholarly pursuits.

During the 1800s, one-room school houses sprang up all over the county, but it wasn't until February 1, 1955, that the last of these facilities closed.

In the 23-year history of Phillip's Delight School, located in the Catoctin Mountains about six miles from Thurmont, there was but one teacher - William McGill.

Born at Catoctin Furnace, McGill spent his life there and traveled to Phillip's Delight by bicycle most of the time. When the weather was "iffy," he would walk; and when it was real bad, he drove a car.

When the Board of Education announced it was closing the school, the parents of the eight remaining students protested vehemently, not so much because their children would have to ride a bus into Thurmont for school, but primarily because Mr. McGill would no longer be the instructor.

McGill said he had fun teaching the students in the old logging trail school, but that, at times, it was hectic, especially when he had as many as 84 students.

"Got arrested twice for fighting with my pupils," he recalled. "They were as old as 21 in those days and didn't have a whole lot of respect until I drilled it into them."

McGill kept his students out of trouble by keeping them busy with their lessons, and at chores, such as chopping wood for the pot-bellied stove, and carrying water from a spring a quarter mile away.

According to the school board the cost of transporting the students to Thurmont for school was only 1/8th as costly as keeping the school open. The day before the actual closing a bus was placed in service to carry the high school students to Thurmont. For several years they had ridden in a station wagon which picked them up at Phillip's Delight.

On the last day there were no classes. Students in grades one through seven were picked up by the bus and taken to Thurmont, ending an educational era in Frederick County.

February 8

Perhaps we are more conscious of our history than our forefathers were just 111 years ago. Today we extol our history and glorify it, even the things that weren't so prominent, but which shaped the future we live.

Frequently our forefathers paid little attention to the preservation of those structures where our history was made. Of course, buildings like Roger Brooke Taney's home on South Bentz Street, and the courthouse on Court Square were exceptions.

A case in point is the tavern where Col. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and British General Edward Braddock met to plan the British assault on the French-held Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburgh.

On February 8, 1913, final plans were announced for the construction of a new milk processing plant on the north side of All Saints Street just west of its intersection with South Court Street. At the time Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church was still holding services at The Old Hill Church on East All Saints Street.

George M. Oyster, of Washington, who operated a plant in Walkersville for several years, negotiated the purchase of the land with the idea of building a plant capable of processing 2,000 gallons of milk per day.

Earlier in the week news columns had been filled with the story that this plant would require the demolition of the tavern, which had been in ruins for several years and had become an eye-sore. It was located on the banks of The Carroll Creek, a hundred feet from West All Saints Street. But the milk plant would need driveways on both side which would accommodate trucks and wagons.

The new building itself was to be 70 by 30 feet and was built right on the southern building line of the lot. It had a terra cotta tile exterior and a cement floor. At the time the Historical Society of Frederick County took no action to preserve the tavern, saying there was no historic record that it was actually the meeting place of the three famous men.

Miss Nellie Carter Garrott, the society's secretary, issued a statement which indicated that the first public record on the property appeared in 1764, a full nine years after the April 23, 1755, meeting of Washington, Franklin and Braddock. She said that on May 11, 1764, Daniel Dulany (the younger) conveyed a leasehold right to Lot 22 to John Kimball for one penny and 4 shillings annual rental. This was the lot upon which the old tavern, torn down in 1913, was situated. The milk plant opened in mid-April 1913 and operated there for many years.

February 15

During The Civil War, many residents around Frederick County lost livestock and property to the armies of both sides. George Blessing was more determined than most to protect his farm.

When he and his daughters returned from caring for the wounded at the Battle of Antietam, he had stumbled across six rifles. He took them home, cleaned them and put them in the back of a closet.

A year later they would come in handy. Blessing, who was born February 15, 1794, was 70-years-old when Confederate troops crossed his property on July 9, 1864, on their way to Frederick. Several neighbors had enlisted Blessing's help in order to hide their horses from nearby troops.

A squad of Confederates entered Blessing's farm, which was three miles west of Myersville, and began to investigate the contents of his barn, when Blessing shouted: "The first man who touches that door again is a dead man."

When the rebels ignored the warning, Blessing and his son Tom fired together. The soldier at the barn door took two mini-balls in his right arm, and the squad, unable to determine the size of the force, began to ride away. Blessing fired again, mortally wounding the captain of the unit.

A half hour later, twenty-five rebel cavalrymen rode onto the Blessing farm to determine the size of the force. Blessing shouted the order that the first man to stir would be shot.

The Confederates began to shoot in the direction of the voice, and Blessing was grazed on one ear, his only wound despite the more than 50 shots fired in his direction.

Blessing's aim was truer and he wounded the rebel leader. Confused, the Confederates rode away.

Later, a large armed contingent could be seen approaching the farm, but rather than Confederates seeking retribution, it was Cole's Rangers - one hundred Union cavalry who had come to the rescue.

Weeks later the story of Blessings' encounter with the Confederates was reported in the New York Tribune. When Blessing saw the title - "The Hero of The Highlands" - he laughed and said to his wife, "what nonsense, if they mean me."

The Examiner of Frederick reported the death of George Blessing in its issue of December 24, 1873.

It reads: "The highly esteemed gentlemen died at his residence near Wolfsville, Catoctin District, in this county, on Thursday last (December 18) in the 80th year of his age. Mr. Blessing was our best citizen and will be remembered as `The Hero of The Highlands,' in connection with the barnyard fight with the rebels in 1864."

The Examiner went on to detail the story from its editions at the time, but the editors also included a copy of a letter written by Blessing to correct their report of the incident. The day after his death, Blessing was buried in Harmony.

February 22

Frederick County firefighters have a long, storied and distinguished history. Frederick City is home to the oldest, continuously operating volunteer fire company in the State of Maryland - The Independent Hose Company, now located on Baughman's Lane just south of Rosemont Avenue, after 116 years downtown.

Back on February 22, 1878, The United Fire Company purchased "The Lily of The Swamp." The purchase committee of the fire company had been instructed to buy an engine that "would throw more water" than the engines of the other two fire companies in Frederick.

Fifty-four years later, on February 22, 1932, Uniteds took out the old steam pumper for one last "fire." It was a grand celebration of the old reliable piece of fire fighting equipment.

A shell-building was constructed on the city parking lot off South Court Street. At precisely 1:30 p.m., an "alarm of fire" was sounded and "The Lily of The Swamp" was pulled from the station house on South Market Street. Up the street she went, pulled by several members of Uniteds.

William E. Hahn, one of the "horses" tripped and fell. The engine passed over his body, breaking his arm. But the rest of the men continued to Patrick Street, west to Court and down Court to the "fire."

Hoses were laid to Carroll Creek and preparations were begun to "get the steam up." In about 10 minutes, the old "Lily" began pumping water on the "fire." In less than 25 minutes from the first "alarm," the fire was out and "The Lily" was back in her station house.

At 3 p.m. an extensive parade went up Market to Seventh Street and back. That evening, in the halls of the United Fire Company, a banquet was held just prior to the presentation of "The Lily" to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where it was to be on permanent display.