I will need to come back to this post and fill in more details, but I wanted to put a placeholder here to remind myself to discuss this project.
I volunteered, full-time, from October through December (2017). I spearheaded the effort to take the Carroll County Genealogical Society's holdings (books, journals, maps, etc) and inventory, catalog and publish the findings online. The project was a success and after months of data entry - the library webpage has been officially released to the public. More info on this project later.
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Remember the Union Bridge Fireman's Carnival? Well, we went back to check on things I had bid on in the silent auction (some Union Bridge newspapers and a book "125th Anniversary Union Bridge Fire Company; Carroll County, MD.") and Mrs. Keeney hurried over to us. Kris said we weren't even there 2 minutes before she spotted us, ha. She said she had a man there that knew my Great Great Grandfather!
We followed her to the dining area as he was eating lunch. I identified that I did not wish to disturb the poor guy as he was eating and she shooed my comments off easily. She introduced us as he was brushing crumbs off his face. I reiterated that I did not wish to disturb him while he was eating. He brushed my comment away as if it were a silly fly, and invited us to sit down with him. Mr. Wilson joined the Union Bridge Fire Company in 1945. In June of 1946 the entire company travelled to Frederick for the Maryland State Fireman's Convention parade. Mr. Gordon Fogle drove their 1938 Seagrave (500 GPM) Pumper there, and HH Bond sat in the front the way there and throughout the parade route. Mr. Wilson remembered HH Bond to be a soft-spoken man to whom everyone listened to. "When he spoke, everyone listened," he recalled, and added "but he would listen to you too. Even if he didn't agree, he would listen." It was an honor to be able to shake Mr. Wilson's hand and to think that his hand probably at least once shook my Great Great Grandfather's. It was amazing to hear his stories. I listened with interest at how his life in Union Bridge was and we both commented on 'today's younger generations' and how different they are. We have plans to meet up next week, at the local diner Buttersburg Inn, where I will bring my Great Grandmother's photo book to show him the old pictures of the town before he was born. I can't wait! But I need to try to get it in shape so it doesn't fall apart so easily (that's today's plan). My partner came home and said that he heard on the radio that Union Bridge is having a carnival the rest of the week! So, of course, we ate supper and went down to Union Bridge. It was lucky we did, too, as today was the parade.
We got to the firehall and community center about quarter after 6 pm. We walked around the silent auction (I put 3 bids in for things) and I went to work trying to find anyone who could point me in the direction of information about my Great Great Grandfather, Harvey Hicks Bond . Three ladies later- I was in front of a guy who, when I said I was the great-great-granddaughter of Harvey Hicks Bond, he knew who he was!! I was so excited at the spark of recognition in his eyes that I could have hugged him right there. He was a previous Union Bridge President, and he said to give him about 2 weeks (as the carnival is currently going on) and contact him. He will get in touch with the lady who is in charge of the UBFD history. He said that HH Bond was a fire chief (the 2nd fire chief for the Union Bridge Station), and that his name was in the community center on a large wooden plaque. He said he believed that HH Bond lived in the 'house next to the church on S. Benedum St' (next to St. James Lutheran Church). So, after we left the carnival, we drove past the house, and I took a pic of it. The gentleman also said that several years ago a living relative of HH's presented the UBFD with a picture and (something else I can't remember atm). I got excited and asked if there were any living relatives. He wasn't sure, but said that maybe it was a sister or something. So now I wait two weeks to bug this poor guy again. My partner said for me not to worry, that everyone whom I came into contact with today wasn't bothered at all by me. He said I 'have this way' about me- a je nai se qua. That I am charming when I am asking about my family history. Ha. I said I just hope I didn't bug them too much. The Union Bridge Pilot was a weekly newspaper that ran on Fridays from 1899 - 1913. The last issue was v. 14, no. 31 (May 30, 1913). The newspaper changed it's name to The Pilot and continued to run on Fridays from 1913 - 1969. My grandfather, Harvey H Grimes, told me that his mother (Italy) used to get the Pilot in Bessemer, PA. It was a way to keep in touch with what was going on in Union Bridge and surrounding areas. Institutions that hold copies of the newspaper include:
Well, my connection at the Western Maryland Railroad Museum came through for me in FLYING colors! He found a picture of my Great Great Grandfather John W Grimes, in a band outside of the Western Maryland Railroad Union Bridge, Maryland station! Notice the building in the background? That is the one I took a picture of and walked around in my adventures in October! Woo Hoo!
We are not sure what the name of the band is, but I will research bands in the area- there can't be that many, right? [Update: there are many bands.. MANY MANY- now we know what people did before television, they went to listen to a band.] Also, I forgot to put this info up earlier:
I believe JW was a letter carrier for the railroad before 1920. In an article I found on Friday April 2, 1920 the Union Bridge Pilot said that "John Grimes began work on Monday as a gateman at the depot." and that someone else had "taken the job of carrying the mail between the post office and the station." Other records my contact found stated:Based on the info in the newspaper account shown, J. W. Grimes started as Gateman at Union Bridge sometime around April 2, 1920, so he must have had another WM Ry job from November 1, 1918 until he became a Gateman as shown in the April 2, 1920 newspaper account. The Rosters were usually issued annually, so his assignment as Gateman would not have shown up until the January 1, 1921 issue.
and after he passed away someone else took the job:
I need to make a donation to the museum. I keep forgetting... |
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