The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1945-01-18

WIN was NAASS ess8$$ess&# III ,&eS$SeS$S&8
Mary SIN t. h, Z ~
some 40 years
ago., had the leading part in a High
School play, acting opposite Robert
McCauley, but in our writeup we
failed to say so. Well, Mary had the
part alright, and acted it most adj
mirably. IF this won't fix things up
we suppose we will have to submit
to the hairpulling. BY the way
Mary, you'll find it pretty big job
with so little handhold.
Owing to the fact that the Wash
ington County Historical Society is
planning another big free exhibit OF
historical objects on Tuesday, Wed
nesday and Thursday, Jan. %, "a
and 25, some historical data in re-
gard to the organization will per-
haps be of interest to the public.
The Society was formed under the
laws of Maryland on or about Aug.
81, 1911.
The certificate of incorporation
was certified to by the following:
George A. Davis, Thomas A. Poff-
enberger, D. Milton Reichard, D.
Elmer Wolf, w. R. Hamilton, DR.. ].
Mcpherson Scott, John Philemon
Smith, Vernon N. Simmons, Maude
E. Bomberger Henneberger, Mary
Josephine Bomberger, Mary L. Tit
comb, Frederick j. Hahn, William
P. Lane, E. P. Cohill, DR.. D. c. r.
Miller, Thompson A. Brown, John
Naufear, Charles D. Wagaman, C..
Harry Keller, Abraham c. Strife,
William ]. Witzenbacher, DR.. ]. w.
Aumrichouse, Lauran c. Smith, E.
Clayton Wyand, Rev. DR.. j. Spang-
Ter Kieffer, Harvey S. Bomberger,
Henry A. McComas, Henry Davis.
The directors for the first year
were: Col. William P. Lane, Rev
DR.. J. S. Kieffer, DR.. J. Mcpherson
Scott, George A. Davis, T. A. Poff-
enberger, VIM. ]. Witzenbacher and
Alexander Neill, Jr.
This was given as the purposes for
which the incorporation was form
ed: ''The collection and preservation
of matters of historic interest, the
encouragement and cultivation of
interest in historic research and the
dissemination of historic knowledge
among the people of Washington
county, especially Of local charac-
ter, the Identification and marking
of spots of historic interest and such
other purposes as may be incident
to the work of the society"
A number of things done by the
society are very noteworthy. A
landmark easily seen as one travels
Route 40, approaching Boonsboro
from the north, or leaving Boons-
boro coming toward Hagerstown, is
the first monument erected to the
memory of George Washington 1t
stands on rocky eminence on
South Mountain 1t is surmounted
by fine observatory. which was
dedicated July 4, 1886. It was first
erected in 1927, when there were
still living many soldiers who had
fought with Washington in the bat
ties of the Revolution. On a hot
Fourth of July these citizens of
Boonsboro (members of the Odd
Fellows LODGE trudged laborously
to the summit with some hammers
and tools, but these men were arti-
zans and possessed with energy, zeal
and patriotism, and soon erected a
monument out of the virgin mount
ain rock But the elements were
too much for it and in 1888 it was
restored a second time.
The nationwide celebration of the
bicentennial of Washington's birth
in 1882 renewed local interest in the
monument. The monument had
been decided to the Washington
County Historical Society, but that
organization, without funds, was un-
able to give it proper care. In 1884
a proposal was made by the late
Harvey S. Bomberger, the society's
president, to deed the property to
the State, under the care of the De-
partment of Forestry. The proposal
was accepted by the Board of Re-
gents of the University of Maryland
and by the Board of Public Works
for the State, thus giving the trans
fer all legal sanction. Now this
monument and park make place
of historic interest, visited each year
(under normal conditions) by tour
lists from every State in the Union.
Following many months of plan
ming, the National Antietam Com
memoration got under way on Sept.
3, 1887. The commemoration ran
for two weeks, during which time
no less than a quarter of a million