LITTLE BITS  &  BIG PIECES
Here we have Little Bits of interesting TRIVIA & CURIOSITIES
&
Some Big Pieces of HISTORY that may help in understanding the land and the environs of our Ancestors.

Reminisces of Flora Blanche Martens Winebrenner

Old Midland Bank Building

First National Bank of Midland

Midland ~ Around Town

Midland, MD. History

Midland Centennial

Midland Centennial - Clary Miller

Midland Opera House

"From Up the Crick"
by Mary Coleen (Burns) Buckley

Page 2     Page 3     Page 4     Page 5

MINING
A great site dedicated to Mining!
There are pages for various states that you may want to explore also, but this link will take you directly to
Maryland Mines where many of our ancestors toiled.
Pennsylvania and West Virginia should also be of interest.
I believe there is a link at the bottom for the "home" page where you can find other articles and states.
Maryland Mines
(Courtesy of Rose Mary Snyder)



Lonaconing Silk Mill
From the Daily Mail UK

Inside the forgotten mill which helped clothe America: Amazing pictures of silk mill untouched since it last worked in 1957
•Eerie photographs show the abandoned belongings left behind by workers when Lonaconing Silk Mill closed
•The crumbling factory in [Lonaconing] Maryland, USA opened in 1905 but by the 1950s was considered clunky and outdated
•It finally closed its doors in summer 1957 after seeing its 300-strong staff dwindle to just a few dozen workers
•Drink cartons, old shoes and calendars dated July 1957 were all left behind by workers on their final shift
•See pictures from inside the mill & read more

 (Courtesy of Marion Chappell)



The C & O Canal

A three-part Thomas Edison movie from the early 1900's, showing the C & O Canal.
Each link is for a different part of the movie, lasting about 5 to 6 minutes each.
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3
(Courtesy of Shawn McGreevy)



Online Funeral Home Obituaries

There are a couple of funeral homes in Allegany County which will let you  sign up to receive an email when they post an obituary. 
The ones I know of  are:
 Wilhelm-Eakin  Funeral Home, Midland and Lonaconing
  Scarpelli Funeral Home
 
 Also, the following funeral homes have webpages where you can look at
 current obits: 
 Burdock-Fredlock Funeral Home, Oakland, Maryland
  Boal Funeral Home, Westernport and Barton
  Durst Funeral Home, Frostburg
  Upchurch Funeral Home, Cumberland and Fort Ashby
  Adams Funeral Home, Cumberland
(Courtesy of Shawn McGreevy)

Newman Funeral Home in Grantsville

supplies obituaries, but they can't be  copied directly from the site;
in other words, you have to type them  yourself:
 
Hafer Funeral Services also has obits online:
(Courtesy of Sheryl Kelso)

Frostburg video

If you haven't already viewed this film, it is well worth the time to watch, for the historical value.
You will recognize some of the people in the film.
The film is from a Frostburg State University grant . . . although somewhat lengthy, it has some wonderful,
interesting historical information and great photos . . . if you haven't seen it, I hope you take time to watch it.
(Courtesy of Sheryl Kelso)

ACCIDENT School
Garrett County, MD.

Allegany County ~ 1845

The Coal & Iron Interests

A Sketch of Prosperity from the
 Washington Union Newspaper

ARCHAIC DISEASES & MEDICAL TERMS

If you've come across your third great grandfather in the census listed as a "drayman"
and want to know what he did for a living, check this listing of
ARCHAIC OCCUPATIONS to find out.

"Days Gone By" ~ Wills Mountain Inn
~J. Suter Kegg, 1994

Experienced genealogists use clues found in one record
to find other records about the same individual.
This article describes some of the clues found in census records.

FINDING CLUES IN THE CENSUS

FLOUR SACKS AS GARMENTS

Many a little girl of yesterday wore dresses and bloomers fashioned of the indispensable Flour Sack.

FORT CUMBERLAND ~ 1788

from "History of Western Maryland", Vol. 2 pp. 1343 and 1344

Prehistoric History of Western Maryland

FOSSILS AND FOSSIL IMPRINTS

GRIEVANCE CLUB

We don't know for sure what it is, though it seems to be
a "Tongue In Cheek" meeting of members for their own amusement.

Sometimes it seems life was so much slower, simpler, nicer, and
uncomplicated before the twentieth century.
But your great grandparents didn't have it so easy!
"Home Sweet Home.....in the Nineteenth Century"  by Karen Frisch

HOME SWEET HOME

LIFE WAS GOOD IN BLACK & WHITE

Remember life in the 1950's?

This will bring back some memories!

A History of Lumber, Saw Mills and Shingle Making

from “BROWN’S MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS”
prepared and written from 1880 to 1895. 
Jacob Brown: the sole Author

LUMBER INTEREST OF WESTERN MARYLAND

Maryland Route 36
Take a trip through Allegany County

 

MINERS' HOSPITAL

at Frostburg

Wiy U Kant Fynd Yer Ansesterz
RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees ~ Guide No. 8

MISSPELD KNAMES ~ A COMMUN PROBBLEM FOR REESERCHORS

MT. SAVAGE

Main St. Photos from the Early 1900's

HARRY BEAL ~ FIRST NAVY SEAL

 

If you know about the types of photography used at various periods,
it can be very helpful in dating old pictures of your ancestors.

PHOTOGRAPHY AS A TOOL IN GENEALOGY

  A History of Will's Town
by Hazel Groves Hansrote
The Land of Will's Creek from 1728

Ye Good Ole Days!
Whether true or not, who knows?  Here is some trivia about life in
16th Century England that allegedly gave us terms we use to this day!

WAS IT REALLY THE GOOD OLE DAYS??

MERRY OLDE ENGLAND ~ 1500's

ZAIS Oil Wick Miners' Lamp