19500000 Baugher’s restaurant Westminster, MD circa 1950
An aerial photo of Baugher’s restaurant from approximately 1950:
Dayhoff Carroll: www.kevindayhoff.org Westminster Md Online - The Winchester Report, by Kevin Earl Dayhoff: Runner, writer, artist, fire and police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist, and artist Westminster, Hampstead, Manchester, Taneytown, Union Bridge, Mount Airy and Sykesville in Carroll Co, Maryland... and Frederick Co. Westminster Fire Dept., Firefighters, police officers, Carroll Co Sheriff's Office, Md St Police. Chaplain duties, Religion, Grace Lutheran Ch.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Baugher’s restaurant Westminster, MD circa 1950
Sunday, June 29, 2008
20080625 The hogs and parking meters of Westminster’s past history
June 25th, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff
The last church service was held on February 4, 1968. The structure was demolished in early March 1977 and replaced with the Westminster Branch of the Carroll County Public Library in March 1980. (The image is from an old file collection. The photographer is unknown. Kevin Dayhoff)
Writer’s note – a shorter version of this column appeared in the print edition of the Westminster Eagle on June 25, 2008.
June is “invasion month” in the city of Westminster. Over the years, a sampling of the invasions over the years has involved bugs, hogs, parking meters, dust, flies, manure, and Southern troops have made historic appearances in the city and caused quite a ruckus.
Ay caramba – where to begin?
Throughout history there have been many critter problems in Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do with the city’s hog population.
Many thanks go to Laurel Taylor, the Westminster City Clerk who gave me a hand a while back in getting to the bottom of the controversies.
As early as October 1, 1860, an ordinance was enacted by the Westminster mayor and common council, which prohibited “the running at large of hogs and swine” in the city.
On October 9, 1860, “the price per head for the impoundment of errant swine was reduced from $2.00/head to $1.00/head. The daily fee for impoundment was reduced from $1.50 to $.50.”
The following year, on June 12, 1861 the minutes of the common council proceeding note: “Moved and seconded that the Ordinance relating to Hogs running at large in the City of Westminster be enforced and that after the 1st of July 1861 all hogs or swine found in the streets will be taken up and disposed of as directed by Ordinance heretofore (illegible - passed?) by the Board and that ....Joseph Shaw publish a Notice of the same to the Citizens of Westminster prior to 1st July 1861.”
Dogs running loose seem to have also been a problem because in 1866, an ordinance took effect that prohibited dogs from running at large in the City unless they were muzzled.
The minutes of the meeting at which that Ordinance was adopted contain a warning: “Attention is hereby called to the Ordinance already existing relative to swine running at large, which will be rigidly enforced.”
However, the problems associated with hogs persisted and in October 1895 a special council meeting was called after “Dr. J. Howell Billingslea and a committee of citizens who went before them to urge immediate action in the interest of the public health,” according to an October 12, 1895 article in the now defunct American Sentinel newspaper.
The newspaper article noted that Dr. Billingslea was “convinced that the hog pens, even when kept as clean as possible, are disease breeders and a constant menace to the health of the people in towns of any considerable size, a fact about which there can hardly be a dispute…
“January 1st, 1896, is spoken of as the period at which the prohibition will likely go into effect. While such a measure will work hardship, probably in many cases, it seems to be necessary to the preservation of the health of the community.”
The article did not go into detail as to what “hardships” would occur.
In June 1946 another controversy erupted in downtown Westminster – parking meters.
On May 24, 1946, the now defunct Democratic Advocate reported that parking meters “from Charles Carroll Hotel to Anchor street, (became) a reality Tuesday morning when a force of men started drilling holes for the erection of the meters.”
The proposal by the city to install parking meters was quite controversial and the subject of litigation. However, the newspaper reported, “The injunction was denied by Judge Clarke, some time last April, and an appeal was under way but later dropped by the opposers…
“Charles Armacost, popular contractor of Finksburg, has charge of the placing the meters in position. The work is being done very rapidly.”
Of course, parking in downtown Westminster ebbs and flows in controversy. I can recall more than a few spirited conversations about the parking meters well into the late 1950s and 60s.
For many of us, one enigma remains and that is why parking was removed from the south side of Main Street in front of where the downtown branch of the Carroll County library is located.
Many of us who grew up in Westminster recall parking on that side of the street – in front of where St. John Catholic Church was then located. The came along “progress” and a center turn lane – that is hardly ever used - was added for the entire block and the parking removed.
Nevertheless, in spite of the critter challenges and the parking meters, the city has survived. Whether we will survive the city’s current “tax, borrow, and spend” initiatives remains to be seen.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
####
www.kevindayhoff.net
http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/
http://gizmosart.com/dayhoff.html
Blog Net News Maryland: http://www.blognetnews.com/Maryland/feed.php?channel=33
E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com
His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed
“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams
20080625 The hogs and parking meters of Westminster’s past history
20080625 The hogs and parking meters of Westminster’s past history
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
20080512 West Middle School to celebrate its 50th anniversary
20080512 West Middle School to celebrate its 50th anniversary
Westminster West Middle School to celebrate its 50th anniversary
By Kevin Dayhoff May 12, 2008
This Saturday, West Middle School, 60 Monroe Street in Westminster, will celebrate its 50th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
Currently one of nine middle schools in the county for grades six through eight, it was originally built in 1958 alongside the William Winchester Elementary School on a 24-acre portion of the old Albaugh and Babylon farm.
When it was first constructed it was named the Westminster Junior High School and it housed grades seven through nine.
This Saturday the festivities will include 1950s food refreshments, videos and interviews and an antique car show. If you are one of the more than 20,000 students who attended either the middle or junior high school there, this is a wonderful time to revisit. The event is open to the public.
For more information please call the school at 410-751-3661 or go the school’s 50th anniversary web site at: www.carrollk12.org/wml/anniversary.htm.
Kevin Dayhoff can be reached at: kdayhoff@carr.org
####
Posted by Kevin Dayhoff at 5/13/2008 01:32:00 AM
Labels: Carroll County Public Schools West Middle School, Carroll County Public Schools Westminster Jr. High School, History Westminster
Dayhoff Art writing essays and articles
Thursday, August 17, 2006
20060816 Vota for Mona
Thursday, August 17, 2006
“Vota for Moana”
© Kevin Dayhoff
August 16th, 2006
This is the season for signs.
Recently your intrepid blogger found this group of signs at
Mystery surrounds just what Ms. Mona Lisa is running for.
In a related matter, we asked
Asked if he knew just what office Ms. Lisa was running for, Mr. Ruchlewicz responded, “Don’t know. Don’t really care as long as the mysterious sign brings money into
Jeff Glass, Westminster’s assistant director for parks, buildings, streets, water, wastewater, kitchen sinks, development review, planning, fly swatters, public works, utilities maintenance and the soundtrack division of old silent movies said, “It’s like a Norman Rockwell moment.
Asked how long the sign for Ms. Lisa has been at the intersection, “Don’t know. Been kinda busy recently,” remarked the assistant director for parks, buildings, streets, water, wastewater, kitchen sinks, development review, planning, fly swatters, public works, fleet management, kite flying, road sign, grass clippings removal, utilities maintenance and the soundtrack division of old silent movies.
Marianne Sheehan, the administrative assistant for the assistant director for parks, buildings, streets, water, wastewater, kitchen sinks, development review, planning, fly swatters, public works, fleet management, kite flying, road sign, grass clippings removal, utilities maintenance, letters and art, heavy metal music and the soundtrack division of old silent movies, remarked that the sign “looked good in that location and that it went well with the overall ambiance of downtown Westminster.”
Wayne Reifsnider, the assistant superintendent for streets, buildings, and parks said, “Well, ya know… Well, it’s a free country and people have a right to put up signs on private property, ya know. But I don’t know, ya know. Then on the other hand, well, ya know, it’s a neat sign and I just do my job. Mind my own business, ya know. Well, I best be moving along. See ya.”
More on this developing story as it unravels.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
Posted by Kevin Dayhoff at 8/17/2006 01:12:00 AM
Labels: Art, Dayhoff literature of the absurd, Elections 2006 Carroll Co., Humor Political
Friday, July 30, 1999
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/
E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.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/