This Month In Frederick County History

April

From John Ashbury's - '... and all our yesterdays'

April 6

From what is known, there was no printing press in Maryland prior to 1777 beyond the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. It was then that Mathias Bartgis, who had learned his trade in Philadelphia under William Bradford, and perhaps from Benjamin Franklin himself, brought one to Frederick Town.

Bartgis was the son of Michael Bartgis and his wife, Catherine Echternach, and was named for his maternal grandfather. He was a soldier in the first year of Revolutionary War and is listed as an officer at The Battle of Germantown.

While it is not certain just when he came to Frederick with his Canadian wife, it is certain that he was here by the Fall of 1777.

In the early years he published legal forms and almanacs in German. It is likely that prior to the first edition of The Maryland Chronicle or Universal Advertiser on January 4, 1786, he published a newspaper in German.

When this English language paper began, Bartgis published the same newspaper in both languages. It does not appear that Bartgis had any help other than an apprentice or two during his early years in Frederick Town.

Frequently advertisements appeared in his newspapers for "A Young Lad, about 14 or 15, who can read well and write tolerably, in the English and German languages, as an apprentice to the Printing business."

Because bringing paper from the major cities was expensive, Bartgis operated a paper mill on the Tuscarora Creek and often advertised for rags. He did not limit himself to just Frederick Town, establishing the first newspaper in both York, Pennsylvania, and Winchester, Virginia.

His first Frederick Town newspapers were published until, at least, 1788. On May 22, 1792, Bartgis began another weekly newspaper, which continued in publication under various names until a year after his death on April 6, 1825.

April 13

In the 19th Century and through more than half of the 20th, many children were left as orphans when illness struck down their parents. Frederick came to the rescue of these children through several orphanages.

On April 2, 1838, Mrs. Eleanor Potts, a generous benefactor of the local Episcopal church, purchased a lot from the Lutheran Church at the southeast corner of what is today Maxwell Avenue and East Church Street for the sum of $1,000.

Eleven days later (on April 13, 1838) she deeded that lot to The Orphan House and Episcopal Free School Society of All Saints' Church, Fredericktown.

In May of that year the first meeting of the society was held, and Mrs. Catherine Ross was elected president after Mrs. Potts declined the office. Proceeds from the church's Sewing Society and generous contributions from prominent citizens of Frederick, were used to build the orphanage, which was constructed by George Cole.

For many years the Board of Trustees of The Episcopal Orphan House also conducted a free school in their building, allowing some non-orphans to attend. This practice was abandoned when orphans filled the facility to capacity.

During the first 77 years of operation, the Orphan House assisted 115 young girls. To meet expenses the Society adopted a scholarship program in which a citizen could select an orphan to sponsor for the sum of $50 per year.

When the orphanage closed, the society continued its "scholarship" program. Since then thousands of Frederick and Frederick County youngsters have received assistance from this organization for their college education. Today many families ask that contributions be made to this organization "in lieu of flowers" when a loved one dies.

April 20

The Trustees of the C. Burr Artz Library made a momentous decision on April 20, 1936, to destroy a Frederick landmark and build a new public library.

For many months the controversy had raged in Frederick. Should the C. Burr Artz Library renovate the Frederick Academy building at the southeast corner of Council and Record Streets, or demolish the 140-year-old structure and build anew.

Frederick's Mayor and Board of Aldermen, meeting in a special afternoon session April 20, 1936, passed a resolution asking the Artz Trustees "to deed to the city sufficient land along the western boundary of the Academy property to widen Record Street between Council and West Second streets." This action was seen as tacit approval by the city fathers of plans to raze the historic Academy building, which the trustees had purchased for $400 and the assumption of a $14,000 mortgage.

The trustees - Edward Delaplaine, Jacob Rohrback and August Brust - voted that night to authorize L. D. Keller, a Jefferson contractor, to demolish the building, and asked Charles Bowers, a prominent local architect, to prepare plans for a new library.

The new two-story building was completed on September 8, 1837 and opened to the public January 18, 1938.

Here the public was served by the C. Burr Artz Library for 44 years. In 1979 the library purchased the old Key Chevrolet property on East Patrick Street, and on March 29, 1982, the present facility opened. A large addition has since been added to this Patrick Street property.

April 27

Throughout the history of Frederick County, thunderstorms have always been a major threat due to fire caused by lightning.

As Harry Curry went to work as the custodian of St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church on April 27, 1937, he noticed a burning ember in the churchyard. He looked up at the steeple, and, although it was difficult to see in the heavy fog, he noticed billows of smoke rising from near the top. He informed the rector, the Rev. John Donlan, who told him to quietly sound the alarm. Curry went to the Junior Fire Company on North Market Street.

Upon arriving at the Second Street church, the firemen realized their ladders were not of sufficient height to fight the blaze from the ground. So they climbed the narrow steps inside the steeple, carrying their hoses. When they called for water, none reached the nozzle as their engine was not powerful enough to push the water 155 feet upward.

The Independent Hose Company was summoned with its 1,000-gallon tanker and the water rushed through Junior's hoses.

Ray Steele, a Junior's driver, said the copper dome on the steeple was the same color as Junior's engines - crimson red.

The church's clock had stopped at 5:29, which seemed to indicate that the steeple has been struck by lightning the evening before as a series of violent thunderstorms moved through the city.

The wooden cross at the very top was a major causality, its charred remains falling into the street below. The lightning struck the church on the 100th anniversary of its consecration.