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Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems - www.kevindayhoff.com Address: PO Box 124, Westminster MD 21158 410-259-6403 kevindayhoff@gmail.com Runner, writer, artist, fire & police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist & artist: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, technology, music, culture, opera... National & International politics www.kevindayhoff.net For community: www.kevindayhoff.org For art, technology, writing, & travel: www.kevindayhoff.com

Showing posts with label History Westminster 1890s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History Westminster 1890s. Show all posts

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Eagle Archive: Indoor plumbing captured the imagination of Westminster in 1891

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Eagle Archive: Indoor plumbing captured the imagination of Westminster in 1891

By Kevin Dayhoff, kevindayhoff@gmail.com April 30, 2012

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/news/community/ph-ce-eagle-archives-0429-20120430,0,6008258.story

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2012/05/eagle-archive-indoor-plumbing-captured.html

Labels: Dayhoff Media Explore Carroll, History 1890s, History 1890s Carroll Co, History 1890s Westminster, History Westminster 1890s

When spring rolls around, many of us have home improvement projects to tackle. But few of those result in community-wide interest or historical significance. (Unless, that is, you count the alligator-filled moat I was thinking about installing.)

But on April 29, 1891, Dr. Jacob J. Weaver Jr. of Uniontown began the construction of an indoor bathroom — and kept a detailed dairy of the project to preserve for history.

Of course, having an indoor bathroom was a big deal in those days.

"The idea of an indoor bathroom was almost unknown until the early 20th century," according to historian Jay Graybeal, who wrote about Weaver's bathroom construction diary a number of years ago for the Historical Society of Carroll County.

Today, the historical society has Weaver's diary on file, in case you'd like to consult his plans. His project was completed on June 2 at a cost of $554. Your results may vary.

We should note that the First National Bank of Westminster made sure Weaver was "flush" with cash — the bank loaned him $500 for the project earlier in April.

On April 26, 1927, the City of Westminster was also looking forward to a few improvements. It was on that date that the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation to allow the city to borrow a total of $75,000 at a rate of interest not to exceed 4 1/2 percent.

The legislation specifically noted "that the money derived from the sale of said bonds shall be used and applied exclusively to the paving and improving of the streets, curbs, and gutters of the town, heretofore decided upon by the Mayor and Common Council of Westminster." … http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/news/community/ph-ce-eagle-archives-0429-20120430,0,6008258.story

Eagle Archive: Indoor plumbing captured the imagination of Westminster in 1891

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Friday, August 27, 2010

DAYHOFF: Clock docs make house call to fix historic Westminster clock tower on Main Street

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DAYHOFF: Clock docs make house call to fix historic Westminster clock tower on Main Street


DAYHOFF: Clock docs make house call to fix historic Westminster clock tower on Main Street

Eagle Archives

By Kevin Dayhoff

Posted 8/08/10




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(Enlarge) Wayne Reifsnider, assistant superintendent for the City of Westminster Street Department, works to replace the hands of the 1896 Westminster town clock in the early morning hours of Aug. 3. Reifsnider was assisting a crew from Precision Repair, a timepiece restoration company, which performed a bit of delicate surgery four stories above Westminster's Main Street as part of an overall restoration project for the historic clock. (Photo by Kevin E. Dayhoff)
In the early morning hours of Aug. 3, the old clock atop the old Westminster fire hall -- which served Westminster from 1896 to 1998 at 66 E. Main St. -- got a brand new shiny pair of hands. The venerable timepiece has been a fixture in town since it was dedicated at 3:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 1896.

City of Westminster workers used a crane from Thomas Bennett and Hunter, a local road-building firm; and Dave Booth of Precision Repair, a timepiece restoration firm, to accomplish the delicate surgery performed four stories in the air.
Clock doctor Booth was assisted by Wayne Reifsnider, assistant city Street Department superintendent. Meanwhile, Superintendent Larry Bloom, along with Jeff Glass, the city public works director; and city workers Shawn Lockard and Alan Miller, served as ground support.
Keeping the old timepiece working has been challenging for the city workers in the last number of years.
Miller said it was good to get it worked on, as he looked briefly up at the old clock. Lockard added, “I’m glad that we’re finally getting it fixed.”
Booth and Reifsnider subsequently jumped into the steel cage and away they were whisked into the air four stories to replace the clock hands on the old historic clock that has been a fixture in the center of town since it was dedicated at 3:30 in the afternoon on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1896...


Wayne Reifsnider, assistant superintendent for the City of Westminster Street Department, works to replace the hands of the 1896...


A YouTube of the event may be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvICD3mOouw

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Wayne Reifsnider works away at replacing the clock hands of the 1896 Westminster town clock Tuesday morning 

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Left to Right: Wayne Reifsnider, David Booth, and Alan Miller examine the new powder coated aluminum clock hands that were later installed on the face the historic Westminster clock Tuesday morning. 20100803 clocktowerhands (2)
  
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City workers used a Thomas Bennett and Hunter crane to replace the clock hands on the face of the 1896 timepiece that overlooks Westminster.  20100803 clocktowerhands (5)

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Left to Right: Wayne Reifsnider, Shawn Lockard and Alan Miller prepare a steel cage that was used to hoist workers up four stories to do repairs on the old town clock Tuesday morning. 20100803 clocktowerhands (9)

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City workers had to use a big Thomas Bennett and Hunter crane to perform repairs on the clock tower Tuesday morning.

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Wayne Reifsnider works away at replacing the clock hands of the 1896 Westminster town clock Tuesday morning.

DAYHOFF: Clock docs make house call to fix historic Westminster clock tower on Main Street

August 8, 2010

There are three versions of my story on the Westminster clock tower.


There was a short version published in my Sunday history column, “Archives,” that appears in the Baltimore Sunday Sun.  It only appeared in the print version of the newspaper.

Then, there is a much longer version of the piece that was submitted, but edited a good bit for length.  I will eventually put that on my website…

A YouTube of the event may be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvICD3mOouw



Westminster MD Clock Tower Fund

Keeping the old timepiece working has been challenging for the city workers in the last number of years.

The project was part of an ongoing restoration of the clock, which at 114 years of age has indeed suffered the ravages of time. To make matters worse, several years ago a few youngsters broke into the clock tower and vandalized the historic icon of the community.

Although Booth is donating his time, other expenses incurred in the clock repair are being covered by private donations collected by a fund spearheaded by Westminster councilwoman Suzanne Albert.

For more information, please see my Explore Carroll article on the clock tower repairs here: http://tinyurl.com/2bnrsrg or here: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2010/08/dayhoff-clock-docs-make-house-call-to_10.html

If you would like to contribute, send a donation to the Westminster Clock Tower Fund at the Community Foundation of Carroll County, 255 Clifton Boulevard, Westminster, Md. 21158.

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
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Wednesday, February 04, 2009

When 'breaking news' was all about horse and buggy accidents

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When 'breaking news' was all about horse and buggy accidents

February 4, 2009

Eagle Archives By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 2/01/09

More than 100 years ago, horse and buggy accidents were a staple of the "breaking news" diet of local newspapers.

One example occurred Feb. 1, 1896, when the now out-of-print American Sentinel carried a brief about a horse and buggy accident involving a mail carrier. Under the heading of "Taneytown Items," the paper reported:

"On last Monday afternoon when Mr. John Shriner, who carries the mail from this place to Harney, was leaving for home, his horse became frightened and, in some way, fell to the ground, breaking one shaft off his cart. When the animal regained his feet the broken shaft struck him on the heels causing him to run away.

"After he had run some distance the cart was upset and threw Mr. Shriner to the ground with great force. He was dragged some distance and finally delivered from his dangerous position by the horse getting loose from the cart, which was badly wrecked.

"Mr. Shriner was badly bruised and scarred, and has not been able to attend to his duties since the accident, but is now slowly improving and will soon be carrying the mail again."

So let me get this straight. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow are problems for postal carriers, but apparently being dragged by a horse is?

Years ago, Jay Graybeal wrote a column for the Historical Society of Carroll County about a number of horse and buggy accidents that were reported in the May 19, 1893, edition of the defunct Democratic Advocate. Apparently roaming farm animals were involved in several mishaps.

"Mr. Jesse Long, living near Tannery, was thrown from a wagon last Sunday evening. He was returning from Tannery Station, driving a young horse to a small wagon, when the bridle came off the animal's head. The horse started to run, and running against a cow in the road, upset the wagon and threw Mr. Long out. ... Dr. W. K. Fringer rendered medical services."

"On Monday morning as Mr. Wm. Burgoon, of Bachman's Valley, and his son were on their way to this city, the horse became frightened at a goat and ran off a bridge near the residence of Mr. Jacob Zacharias, on the Littlestown pike, and fell a distance of 14 feet down into a gully. Mr. Burgoon had a leg bruised, his son received a small cut near the eye, the carriage top was smashed and the harness broken."

Let that be a lesson. Don't let a horse get your goat ... or your cow.

Read the rest of the column here: When 'breaking news' was all about horse and buggy accidents

http://explorecarroll.com/community/2208/when-breaking-news-was-all-about-horse-buggy-accidents/

20090201 SCE When breaking news was horse buggy accidents sceked

SDOSM 20090204 Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/
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