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Conrad Maugans

3/11/2019

By Nancy Bruce

The Maugans family cemetery is located off Harp Hill Road. The stones have been removed but the Maugans remain. The first of this clan came from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1695. There were, and are, various spellings of the name: Maugins, Maugin, and even Morgan.

Conrad Maugans, known throughout his life as "Nick," was born in about 1732 and researchers have found records of his father's death in Wolfsville, Frederick County, and have thus attributed Conrad's birth to the Wolfsville area.

Who was Conrad Maugans? He was a man of determination and stamina. At one time, Maugans owned a part of the land grants with the colorful names "I'll Take It All" and "Tom's Farewell." However there was another parcel of land for which he and another man sought a grant. reportedly, Conrad walked all night to Annapolis to beat his competitor to it. When the other man arrived the next morning, he found Conrad at the capitol building with the deed in hand. This parcel became the Maugans' homestead and was known as "Conrad Travels At Night." Their log cabin stood over the spring. The Maugans Family cemetery is adjacent and the Conrad's remains still occupy the land for which he walked so far.

Below: The Will of Conrad Maugans; Right: John Robert Maugans (1860-1940). Resident of Ellerton and descendant of Conrad Maugans.

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The Browns Come to America

3/11/2019

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By Nancy Bruce

On St. Cecilius Day, 22 November, 1633, the fast and large ship, the London Ark and the smaller, slower ship, the Maryland Dove, set sail from the Cowes, at the lower end of the Isle of Wight. These two ships were on an expedition to found the first Roman Catholic colony and the first of the English proprietary colonies in North America. On 25 March 1634, these two ships landed at St. Clements Island, Maryland.

While there is no documented list of all the passengers on these two ships, there is evidence that one William Browne came on The Ark as a manservant and shoemaker to Captain Thomas Cornwalys. He is believed to be between 10 and 13 years old at the time. William accumulated a large estate. He had many slaves and thirteen hundred acres of land. There are records of William being sued many times and of him suing others frequently.

William Browne died 28 February 1665 leaving a son and a daughter as his heirs.

In the 1720s, a descendant, William Browne, moved to the Monocacy Settlement, where he served as constable. In 1742, this William Browne signed the petition for the formation of Frederick County.

Thomas Brown was the sixth generation of the family in America. Brown was a corporal in the 2nd Maryland Regiment during the Revolutionary War. He married Hannah Pittinger and fathered nine children. Thomas died in the late 1780s; his burial site is unknown.

Following Thomas's death, Hannah and the couple's children built a home along Monahan Road south of Foxville. As the family grew the village became known as Brownsville. When Hannah died she was buried on her homestead which is now known as the Brown's Cemetery. Some of the foundation rocks from her old cottage are still intact there.

Photo: A replica of the Maryland Dove at St. Mary's City, Maryland.

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Johann Tobias Horine

3/11/2019

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By Nancy Bruce

There were three Horine families who emigrated to America. All passed through or stayed in our area. One Horine who stayed was Johann Tobias Horine. He was born to Hans Adam Horine (1691-1772) and his wife Anna Catherine Crummin (1695-1790) on 5 May, 1725, in Grantschen, Heilbronn, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, and arrived in Philadelphia on 17 November, 1749, on the ship Dragon.

While in Pennsylvania, Horine married Elizabeth Possert (1730-1773), the daughter of Jorg Possert (1700-1733). The couple's first child, Adam, was born 11 January, 1753, in New Hanover Township, Pennsylvania. This was followed by five daughters born between 1754 and 1765, then two more sons in 1766 and 1769, and a final daughter in 1771. Some of the daughters, it appears, did not live to adulthood.

Horine family researcher Eric Davis relays two pieces family lore concerning Horine that are of interest, although probably mostly apocryphal. First, it is said that Horine was the first white man to cross the mountains to the Middletown Valley. Second, after his arrival, Horine found an open meadow. From it, he cut and built a haystack, dug a little den under it, and spent the night with his wife and little child, probably their son Adam. The valley was yet home to Native Americans and during the night, some found the haystack and danced a War Dance around it. Johann and his wife were frightened, fearing that their little child might cry or make a noise that would betray them to the hostile Indians. But the hay house proved a complete deception to the Native Americans, who never suspected that there were white people hiding beneath it. The next morning, they returned to the colony at Frederick, but later established a permanent home near what would become Beallsville, now Harmony, where in 1754 he acquired an 81-acre parcel called "Johnson's Delight" from Thomas Johnson. Additionally, he obtained a 303-acre parcel on 24 May, 1764. Horine also built and ran a distillery for a number of years.

His Will, probated after his death on 21 October, 1773, directed that he be buried in Jerusalem Cemetery. He also directed that his daughters attend a German school until they were able to fully read the language, and that his sons Tobias and Samuel attend an English school "and instructed on the same until they have knowledge of the Rule of Three, commonly called the Golden rule."

Photo: Boyhood home of Johann Tobias Horine in Flien, Germany.

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Hannah Cornelia Pryor

3/11/2019

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By Ann Longmore-Etheridge

She was born circa 1833 in Wolfsville and died November 5, 1882, in Anderson, Indiana. She married John Henry Kuhn on 10 November, 1855 -- the son of Wolfsville residents John Kuhn and Susan Schroyer.

A love letter from her suitor to Hannah -- who was in Benevolah, Washington County at the time -- still exists: "Aprile 25th 1855 ... John. H. Kuhn; His Love To Miz Hannah. C. Pryor; By these fiew lines I informe you that I am well at this time; And hoping that these fiew lines will finde you in the same state of helth; yet me an you are almost strangers; yet I will state to you that if we are almost strangers yet it is not said that we can not get acquainted if so your wish ma Be; And if my adreses are welcome to you Plese your honour I will heartiley Receive your answer to these Questions. As fare ase I know your friends [in Wolfsville] are all well at this time. As the Evening is short I will close these fiew lines And if to this question you will agree; Plese my Dear Miz and sende me an answer to Wolfsville Frederick County Maryland; Yours With Respect, John. H. Kuhn.'

Photo courtesy Melody Hull.

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The Children of George and Rebecca Leatherman

3/11/2019

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"Combined Ages of Brothers and Sisters is 407 years. The photograph above represents in the combined ages of the brothers and sisters, 407 years. In the back row are Carlton Leatherman, 81, and John Leatherman, 87, both of Myersville. In the front row from left to right are Mrs. Clara Grossnickle, 79, and Mrs. Melissa Harshman, 77, both of Myersville, and Mrs. Sarah C. Derr, 83, near Frederick. The picture was taken on Good Friday at the home of Mrs. Derr when she was hostess to her brothers and sisters and about 25 relatives and friends at a dinner. Two brothers, Charles Leatherman, 85, Keedyville, and David Leatherman, 73, Myersville, were unable to attend.

"They are the children of the late George and Rebecca Johnson Leatherman, Myersville, and have all been married and outlived their husbands and wives. They are all still active and take a lively interest in everyday affairs. They are all particularly fond of their gardens, which they tend without assistance. When he was 41, Carlton said he was examined by a doctor after an illness and was told he had only a few years to live."

Frederick Post, 28 March, 1940

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There Lived an Old Man in Our Little Place

3/8/2019

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Every village has its quirky characters. Myersville was once home to a cantankerous teacher, reverend, and still-breaker nicknamed “Buffalo Bill.”

“Myersville—Emphasizing the need for lights in the streets of Myersville, there was a stoning encounter on Saturday night, when Robert J. Ridgely, a school teacher at Burkittsville and a resident of Myersville, was stoned by four or five young men of the town. Reports have it that Mr. Ridgely stoned back, but as the teacher could not be located this morning, this could not be verified.

"Mr. Ridgley has an ugly cut over one eye, which bled profusely, and Wilber Shepley, one of those in the in the party stoning Mr. Ridgley, also has a cut, probably inflicted by a stone, although one report has it that Mr. Shepley sustained the cut by striking a telephone pole, while running.

“The stoning incident has aroused a number of people in the town, and it is stated that there is a stronger sentiment for electric lights, many residents claiming the affair would not have happened had the town been well lighted.”

The victim in this article, Robert Johnson Ridgley was born in Myersville in January 1867 to William Worth Ridgley (1822-1901) and his wife Martha Matilda Johnson (1834-1920). (Note: The family name is spelled variously as Ridgely, Ridgeley, and Ridgley. For consistency only, I am using the latter.) William Ridgley was well-known in the area for his success as a farmer although he was blind. His tenacity and determination were certainly inherited by his son.

As an adult, Robert Ridgley received a scholarship from the Maryland State Normal School in Baltimore, which later became Towson University, starting his studies there in September 1895. Before that, he was a teacher at Loys Public School. After his father’s death, he lived with his mother and a servant, Susan Shank, the latter of whom worked for Ridgley until at least until 1940.

To read the entire article by historian Ann Longmore-Etheridge, click here.

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Moving on From Myersville

3/8/2019

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Louisa Linebaugh was one of nine children, all born in Myersville. The years between 1860 an 1870 altered everything Louisa knew. At the start of the decade, she lived in a bustling family with every indication of prosperity—even in wartime, as her exuberant mid-1860s teenage fashion shows. But shortly after this carte de visite was taken, on 26 December, 1864, her father died at the age of 57, and the family in Myersville rapidly dispersed.

To read the article by historian Ann Longmore-Etheridge, click here.

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In His Own Words: Peter Recher’s Immigration to America

3/8/2019

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Peter Recher arrived in America in 1751. We know nothing of Recher’s life until his decision to immigrate to the Colony of Pennsylvania in 1751, when he was an unmarried 27-year-old. Remarkably, two letters sent by Recher to his family in Ziefen were translated and published by Klaus Hein in the October 1992 issue of Mennonite Family History. The first letter, written in 1751 provides a full and harrowing description of the effort it took to reach the ship Queen of Denmark on the English Isle of Wight then make the ocean crossing to Philadelphia. Recher would lead a full life in Pennsylvania and Maryland, where he settled in Wolfsville, dying there in 1791. He was the second person buried in Jerusalem Cemetery.

To read the entire article by Ann Longmore-Etheridge, click here.

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Rolling Along the Tracks of Myersville

3/8/2019

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From the Washington Post, 12 August, 1993

By Deb Reichmann

MYERSVILLE, MD. -- Like a ghost from the early 1900s, trolley car No. 150 slides silently along the former Hagerstown & Frederick Railway route that runs through C. Donald Easterday's back yard.

It is not really moving. Because of an illusion, the 75-year-old trolley with peeling aqua paint appears to be gliding along tracks where Easterday has showcased his piece of transportation history.

The best place to spot the illusion is from a hill on his 30-acre property near Myersville. Like a child with a new toy, the 59-year-old Frederick County Farm Bureau administrator drives his visitor in a golf cart down the trolley roadbed and up the hillside.

"I've had quite a number of people who say, 'Look at that trolley. It's moving,' " Easterday said. "I think they realize that it isn't. It's our position in relationship to the waiting station and the trolley. As we move, it gives the illusion that the trolley is moving too."

The Hagerstown & Frederick Railway was typical of hundreds of electric trolley systems across the United States beginning in the 1880s.

The trolley system, founded in 1893, linked Hagerstown and Frederick with Shady Grove, Pa., and the Western Maryland communities of Williamsport, Beaver Creek, Boonsboro, Braddock Heights, Jefferson, Middletown, Myersville and Thurmont.

Ridership on the trolley system started to wane in the late 1920s as more automobiles brought about better roads. Freight traffic, however, remained steady.

"It carried a lot of cantaloupes from Boonsboro to market," Easterday said.

To read the entire article, click here.

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The Stottlemyer Connection

3/8/2019

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By Dr. Harold Moser

From The Valley Register, 7 December, 1984. The article has been edited for clarity.

It is likely that Myersville is named after a Stottlemyer -- probably the immigrant David Stadelmayer, who was born in Munich, Germany, 11 August, 1732. He arrived here in 1750. He died in February 1791.

David Stadelmayer is thought to have been the first Stottlemyer to arrive in what would become America. He came aboard the ship Patience, whose captain was Hugh Steele, having sailed from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, and then on to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the English Colonies. An Oath of Allegiance was taken upon disembarking at the Philadelphia Courthouse on Saturday, 11 August, 1750, which was preserved in official documents: "Present: Thomas Lawrence, Esq., Mayor. The foreigners whose Names are underwritten, imported in the ship Patience, Capt. Hugh Steel, from Rotterdam, but last from Cowes in England, did this day take and subscribe the usual Qualifications. 124 By List. 266 Freights. ...David Stadelmayer..."

The 1910 History of Frederick County Maryland by T. J. C. Williams, explores the Stottlemyer ancestry, beginning with Henry F. C. Stottlemyer then regressing to his great-grandfather David, the immigrant. Afterward, the text describes David Stottlemyer, Jr., grandfather of Henry, and finally Henry's father, Daniel Stottlemyer.

"Henry F. C. Stottlemyer, a retired farmer residing in Catoctin District, Frederick County, Md., one mile northeast of Wolfsville, son of Daniel and Johanna (Recher) Stottlemyer, both deceased, was born on that part of the old Stottlemyer homestead on which he now resides, April 22, 1842.

"David Stottlemyer, great-grandfather of Henry F. C. Stottlemyer, who was born and educated in Munich, Germany, came to America in early manhood and settled in the southwestern part of the Middletown Valley. He was one of the early settlers of that section of Maryland where the remainder of his life was spent. He married and had five children among whom was a son named David.

"David Stottlemyer Jr., son of David and Margaret Stottlemyer, grandfather of Henry F. C. Stottlemyer, was born and grew up on a farm near Middletown, Md. He was a farmer and miller, and owned the property now known as the Keller Mill farm, near Middletown. Mr. Stottlemyer afterwards sold this place and bought a large tract of farm and timber land near Wolfsville, Md., where he spent the rest of his life. He was successful both as a farmer and as a miller, and was highly respected as a citizen. David Stottlemyer, Jr., was married to Margaret Maugruter. Of their eight children six reached adult age: 1. and 2. Jason and John, twins, both deceased; 3. David, deceased; 4. Daniel; 5. Joseph, deceased; 6. Margaret, deceased, married to the late George Lizer. Mr. Stottlemyer and his wife were members of the Reformed Church.

"The late Daniel Stottlemyer, father of Henry F. C. Stottlemyer, was born in September 1796, on a farm in the Middletown Valley, northwest of Middletown. He grew up on his father's farm, and remained on the home place until his father died when he inherited the part of the homestead now owned by his son, Henry. Mr. Stottlemyer made many improvements on the property and afterwards bought a farm of 60 acres, now the property of Daniel Harshman. This place also he improved, putting up a dwelling, a barn and all other necessary buildings. Some time later, he purchased 56 acres of farm and timber land, making his holding to consist of 300 acres. He was a skillful farmer and improved all the land that came under his care. His toil and patient care were richly rewarded. Mr. Stottlemyer was a Democrat, highly esteemed as a business man, and citizen. Daniel Stottlemyer was married to Johanna, daughter of John and ______ Recher. Of their thirteen children, ten reached maturity: 1. Jonathan, a farmer of Washington County, Md.; 2. Joseph, deceased, a farmer of Catoctin District, Frederick County, Md.; 3. Rosanna, widow of Daniel Biser; 4. Elias R., a retired farmer of Cavetown, Washington County, Md.; 5. Frederick, a retired farmer of Wolfsville, Md.; 6. Leah, deceased, married to the late Silas Buhrman; 7. Mary E., deceased, married to William Troxell, of Illinois; 8. Margaret A.R., widow of Lawson Palmer of Easton, Pa; 9. Lydia, deceased, married to the late William Hauver; 10. Henry F. C.

"Mr. Stottlemyer was a member of the German Baptist Church. His wife held membership in the Reformed Church. Mr. Stottlemyer died on April 21, 1874; his wife on July 5, 1895.

"Henry F. C. Stottlemyer was educated in the public schools of Catoctin District. He remained on the home place and after his father's death inherited the farm he now owns as his share of the estate. This farm, the old Stottlemyer homestead, is a valuable property. It is beautifully situated on the Foxville road, one mile northeast of Wolfsville. Mr. Stottlemyer has greatly improved the place. He remodeled the dwelling, added a second story, built a fine bank barn, and put up all the necessary farm buildings. His well-merited success is due to his faithful labor, and constant care. He is a Democrat, interested in county affairs, and is well-known and highly esteemed in the district.

"Henry F. C. Stottlemyer was married to Martha E., daughter of William B. and Elizabeth (Fox) Brown, whose father was a prominent farmer residing near Foxville. They have four children; 1. Worth B., teller in the Bank of Waynesboro, Waynesboro, Pa., and Treasurer of the Chambersburg, Greencastle, and Waynesboro Street Railway Company, Waynesboro, Pa.; 2. Claud U., General Manager for the Geiser Manufacturing Company at Louisville, Ky.; 3. Olga D., at home; 4. Irma M., at home. Mr. Stottlemyer is a member of the Reformed Church in Wolfsville, and is a liberal contributor to both church and Sunday School. He has served the congregation as deacon, and is now an elder and the Superindendent of the Sunday School."

(It is believed that the “Foxville Road," mentioned in the second to last paragraph, is today's Stottlemyer Road that leads to Foxville.)

It was in the geographic area of Middletown/Myersville/Wolfsville that the Stottlemyer mills, operated first by David & Maria Stadelmayer, and then by their children were situated. In fact, the Point Rock Mill's last owner was Marcellus Duvall whose wife, Cornelia Stottlemyer Duvall, was the great-granddaughter of our George Stottlemyer, son of David Stadelmayer the immigrant."

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Conrad Maugans

The Browns Come to America

Johann Tobias Horine

Hannah Cornelia Pryor

The Children of George and Rebecca Leatherman

There Lived an Old Man in Our Little Place

Moving on From Myersville

In His Own Words: Peter Recher’s Immigration to America

Rolling Along the Tracks of Myersville

The Stottlemyer Connection

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