The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-03-03
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 8, 1911
WESTMINSTER OF SIXTY YEARS
AGO.


This is the first of a series of arti-
cles which will appear in the Advo-
cate, in relation to Westminster and
Carroll county. The thought in con-
nection with this series j., that many
t things touching our county and it,
county seat, will be presented, which
will freshen the memory of the older
part Of our population. and at the
same; time bring, to the attention OF
the rising generation, some things
that they did not before know. In
this way we hope to make these arti-
cles interesting to old and young
alike.
Sixty years ago Westminster was
town of not more than a thousand in
habftants. lit received its first act of
incorporation i'm 1887, and wa raised
to the dignity Of city in 1S49. IL
was built along the line Of the Balti-
more and Reisterstown Turnpike, and
its long street was a Turnpike Road.
There were few houses except those
along this thoroughfare. The streets,
or l should have rather said the
street, for there was but one, and the
sidewalks and alleys were allowed to
take care OF themselves, except as
property owners chose TO look after
them.
There were no street or pavement
grades, and the owner could lay before
his premises, as a walk, either brick,
stone, boards, or tan, or have nothing
as best suited his taste or his pocket
book. The bed of the street was
taken care of by the turnpike COM
pany, just as any other part of the
turnpike road.
There were no houses on what Is
now Main street, from the property
owned and occupied BY MIR. Oscar ID.
Gilbert, and the present residence Of
MIR. Jos. wv. Smith, except adilapidated
one and a half-story weatherboarded
house, painted red, which stood on the
site of the Westminster Savings Bank.
On the other side of the street no
houses from the premises now owned
and occupied by Mrs Mary Wilson, to
street, except an old log stable that
belonged to the house just opposite.
Post and rail fence was on both sides
OF this entire stretch and on the north
east side was tan walk, which was
considered a pretty fine affair. It at
least kept the pedestrian out Of the
mud in dry weather. All of what is
now known as Liberty street, Bond
street, John street and Carroll street,
was simply old fields. Liberty street
was then known as the GOOSE Pond
Lane" and took it's name from the
fact that where the Railroad Depot
now stands and for some distance be-
low it, had been brick yards, the ex-
cavations now being filled with water.
The geese OF the town, and there were
lots of them, raised for food and
feathers, were in the habit Of holding
their daily convocations in these
ponds And so it was Goose Pond
Lane" until the city fathers laid it
out as Liberty street.
The West-end of the town was al
ways called "Irishtown." Why, we
have not been able to learn. There
was no milk sold upon the streets at
that time, and IL was not until years
after, that MIR. John Englar, farmer
near the town, started the milk bust
ness in Westminster. And as for ice
cream, an article that most people,
and especially young people, think the
world was never without, and never
could have gotten along without,
was not known at all in our town at
that time. The fact is, Milton Pain
ter, Of Owings Mills, was the first per-
son who sold the dainty article in
Baltimore l
The means OF transportation be
tween Westminster and Baltimore was
very different from that OF today. "A
line Of stage coaches ran between
these points, leaving Westminster at
4 o'clock in the morning, reaching
Baltimore at 8 a. m. Returning, leave
Baltimore at 3 p. m, arriving in
Westminster at 9 p. m. Only those
who were compelled to do so, travel
ed in that day. TO get up on winter
morning and start on a trip to the
city. in cold coach, you will say at
once, there wa not much fun about
that H@ HA-M "NHH#
There was no railroad, no tele-
graph, no telephone, no gas lights, no
electric lights. Street lights were
not even thought Of, and the man who
had not confidence in his sure-footed-
ness carried lantern. This was his
privilege, there being no ordinance
against it, and this he did. IN
The younger readers of this article
will wonder how the people OF that
day got along at an, just nj thu PEG
ple of that time wondered how their
fathers cot along, and just a. the PEG
pie of sixty years hence will wonder
how we got along.
The moral of the whole situation
is, to make the best use of what you
have and he satisfied