The Democratic advocate., 1908-06-12
LOVELY Westminster
A fine old MARYLAND COUNTRY
TOWN
Amid the Green Rolling Hills Of
Carroll County
From Sundays Baltimore Sun.

From Sundays Baltimore Sun.
Westminster, despite it's long record
as compared with many American
towns, is in no sense of the word his
torfc. 1t has been the stage for nc
great drama; it has been the scene
of no momentous struggle, either
political or military, and it has not
raised up for the historical student
any monuments to cause discussion.
In brief, Westminster has lived q
good, solid, commonplace life, and
it gives the impression, figuratively
speaking, Of prosperous country
merchant, with decidedly too much
energy ever to join the ranks Of the
retired.
According to reliable authorities
although they do find few dissenters
the place was originally called Win
chester. 1t seems that William Win
chester laid out a town in what is
now the east end of Westminster In
1854, calling the main avenue, which
was even then the highway Of travel
King street, and the settlement be-
came known by the name of it's foun-
der.
But the history of the town goes
somewhat past this, inasmuch as the
records show that Whites Level
which was Identical with the later
Winchester, was granted to John
White as early as 1888.
AS the country developed CONNER
cially the location of Westminster
proved an advantageous one for a
town. 1t was upon the highway be-
tween east and west. 1t was far
enough from Baltimore and the other
seaboard towns to win for it favor
as halting place for the traveller
after a good days journey.
In consequence of it's advantage as
a stop-over town to both the man 60
ing west and traveller eastward, West
minister or Winchester, soon developed
the tavern feature of the settlement
For it's hostelries were not slow to
recognize the fact that to prosper they
must present an additional temptation
for the traveler-although he might
feel neither the need for rest or nour-
ishment-to drop anchor when he
reached Westminster.
Parenthetically, it may be mention
ed that Westminster has never ceased
to pride itself upon the manner In
which it acts the public host. There
is many larger town that would grow
vain over the profusion as well as
the standard of the public houses to
be found at the county seat of Carroll
In early days numerous wagons
carrying great cargoes OF passengers
and freight, wound their way over the
highway into Westminster, halted there
for an hour or night, or longer, and
then took to the road again. Their
passengers and drivers made the town
merry with their presence and they
also made the town prosperous with
their patronage.
In short Westminster became a
halfway town of no little Importance
But, with it all, there was no pheno-
menal growth, and at the time
Winchester was created into county
seat the population was only about
500.
Thereafter, of course, the town de-
veloped rapidly. It became more than
a feeding station; it had now an oc-
cupation or profession of its own
which gave it source of income out
side of that won by being host. Az
a county seat Westminster attracted
people who would not ordinarily
have passed through it, but who now
came to Transact public business.
The ambition of the residents Of
what is now Carroll county to found 9
new and Independent government was
entirely legitimate. 1t was COM
mon thing in the eighteenth century
for growing communities to feel the
need of more representative govern.
ment than could be afforded then
under a system that had been goot
enough when their territory wai
sparsely populated. But most of this
struggle for division Of the various
counties had been fought out priol
to the opening OF the nineteenth
century.
AS the nineteenth century advanced
the people living near the boundary
between Baltimore and Fredericl
counties felt that there were man!
inconvenience imposed upon then
because of the great expanse of thes'
two counties and the rapidly increas
ing population. The respective count!
seats were too distant to be conven
iently reached, the court dockets were
constantly overcrowded, so that lega
business could not be transacted will
anything approaching promptness.
From these conditions sprang th'
agitation for the creation of nev
county. There were three proposals.
to cut piece off of Frederick, to slic,
piece off of Baltimore county, AM
each of the three proposals looked t.
the creation of the slice into a nev
county.
The plan took definite form in 1888
when the people of the proposed nev
county were called upon to decide l
they wished for a separate govern
mental organization. The proposed
new county went too far into tn
heart of both Baltimore and Fredericl
counties, and the plan was defeated a
the polls because the people living OF
extremes on the stretch of territor.
had a feeling of affection for the oil
county that prompted them to offe
strong opposition.
The advocates of separation, al
though astounded by the defeat Of ,
measure for which they had though
there could be nothin but success
profted by their reverses.
They made a second campaign for .
division, but now they excluded from
the supposed new county those sec
tions of Baltimore and Fredericl
counties that were most securely wed
ded, by patriotic affection, to the ole
governments, and the second campaign
resulted in victory.
The bill creating the county wa!
finally signed in 1887, but the name
of the county, instead Of being West
,,oincter as originally Manned was