Claire Doll
MSMU Class of 2024

Nestled on the Western edge of Carroll County, made up of beautiful, winding backroads and rolling farm fields, of flowing creeks and clear blue skies, is Union Bridge. Incorporated in 1872, this quaint little town in northern Maryland holds a significant amount of history, a history that has gone unrecognized amidst the fast pace of a growing, changing world. Mayor Perry Jones and other members of the town council joined to reflect on the founding of Union Bridge—stories, firsts, and accomplishments—to view the future with high hopes and gleaming brightness. Although the town is celebrating their 150th anniversary, its history extends long before May of 1872, delving deep into a past of railroads, famous figures, devastations, and more, all beginning with the initial settlements in what we now know as Union Bridge.

It is springtime, as seen by the golden sun setting through thick leaves of trees as chanting sounds through the forest. The Native Americans begin to spread their settlements, as one certain tribe, the Shawnees, select a site by creating a path full of snapped tree branches and finding their destination composed of a running brook of water that gathered into a swamp. On these eight acres of land, the Shawnees build wigwams—tents made from the branches of saplings—to prepare for the harshness of winter. Then, when the land isn’t sufficient anymore, the Native Americans leave.

Homesteaders. Traders. Trappers. Stories surrounding this settlement of Maryland Tidewater circle the land. In 1659, John Hance Steelman is named Interpreter in Chief for the northern area of the Province of Maryland, where he establishes a profitable trading post at a location on Little Pipe Creek, right below a swamp: the same Little Pipe Creek we see in Union Bridge today, with an ebbing flow of water running just below the bridge. John Hance Steelman is named the first trader in this part of the country, attracting many friends, trappers, and Natives to what was famously and successfully called "Hance’s Branch."

From the mid-1700s to nearly the end of the century, a large portion of the town was covered by forest, whereas the northern portion of the land—now called meadow land, along Pipe Creek—was swamp. In this time, many firsts sweep the little area: Benjamin Farquhar, grandson of the pioneer William, built a sawmill and oil mill to improve the water-power flax, which was on the site of what was once the Union Bridge Hotel, north of the railroad tracks; it was also formerly used by the Western Maryland Railroad Co. in operating machine shops. Additionally, Jacob R. Thomas, a resident of the town, built a reaping machine with an automatic attachment to gather the cut grain into sheaves, which allowed both summer and harvest seasons to benefit from the operations of the machine. The industry and ingenuity of these pioneers—from paved wagon roads winding through the swampy land and a bridge arching over the creek—represented the hardworking labor of the citizens. This then posed the question: How could this bridge be distinguished from other bridges? What could the bridge be called to encapsulate the spirit that went into building it? The name "Union Bridge" was suggested by builders to represent the united labors that worked to connect both sides of the creek.

Jacob Switzer purchased 128 more acres of land, adding the part of town that is now west of Main Street and north of Elger street. Thick forests and swamps turned into rich and productive farmland, due to the demand for agricultural products from the war with Great Britain. Because of the settlement’s continuous growth, it required better postal facilities. The name "Union Bridge" was chosen to designate the area’s locality. At a session of the General Assembly in Maryland in 1872, an act was passed creating a new election district from parts of Uniontown, Middleburg, and New Windsor districts, called Union Bridge, district No. 12. The first polls then opened, allowing for elections to be held in the town; in fact, the first voting ever done in Union Bridge was for President and Vice President and members of the Congress of the United States.

At this very same session in the assembly, "An Act to Incorporate the Town of Union Bridge, in Carroll County," was passed. Reuben Sayler was elected the first mayor; John Hartsock, Philip B. Myers, Joseph Wolfe, and J. Calvin Wentz were the first elected Councilmen; John B. Eppley was its first bailiff; Joshua Switzer was its first clerk and treasurer. Union Bridge gained the dignity of a town with municipal authority, and soon after, on March 31st, 1874, a resolution was passed to name the streets in Union Bridge.

From 1826 to 1874, the town contained 65 dwelling houses inhabited by two or more families, with a population of 550. Union Bridge developed with hotels, private boarding houses, high schools, general dry goods, grocery, hardware stores, a drug store, and overall many different trades and occupations to promote the growth and prosperity of the people. The earliest inhabitants of this town held the reputation of being called "sentimentalists," in which they believed that the inscription on that venerable old bell—"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof"—meant what it said; during the dark, terrible time of human slavery, the townspeople fearlessly outspoke in their opposition to slavery. No human being was ever held in slavery on the grounds of Union Bridge.

William H. Rinehart, a famous American sculptor, was born near Union Bridge, gaining his early education at the Friends School of Union Bridge and progressing as a stone cutter. Recognized as a craftsman and artist, Rinehart learned all he could at the Maryland Art Institute and ventured off to Italy, creating pieces exhibited at the Peabody Institute and inspiring the establishment of European sculpture scholarships. In 1895, the Rinehart school of sculpture was opened in connection with the Maryland Institute.

One significant piece of Union Bridge’s history is the coming of the Union Bridge railroad in 1862. That May, the railroad reached Union Bridge, and the first ever passenger entered the town over the Western Maryland Railroad. Many had hoped for the establishment of Union Bridge’s railroad, as it improved the commercial life of the town and provided ample transportation for employees and travelers. Added to the railroad in 1875 was a separate passenger station house and depot, as well as an additional produce and freight depot built by William Zimmerman and H.D. Hartsock on the west side of Main Street. In total, a sum of one hundred thousand dollars funded the construction of the Western Maryland Railroad into Union Bridge. However, the railroad was much needed, resulting from the efforts of several builders including Nathan Haines, member of the Society of Friends.

On December 3rd, 1868, a great fire destroyed all the shops, buildings, and local improvements of the railroad. The name "Canary" was given to the first locomotive that reached the town in connection with the building of the railroad, as the engine house was the only building that survived the fire. The "Canary" remained all through that early period of the railroad’s experience in the town, in fact inspiring the name of a short street that ran parallel with Whyte Street between West Broadway and Locust Street.

The Union Bridge fire contributed to the new construction of the Western Maryland Railroad buildings, located now at their new quarters. The buildings include a passenger depot, an office building, and a baggage room. The buildings were made with careful precision, the outside woodwork painted white and the interior of cypress finished natural in hard oil. The Western Maryland Railroad Station is now a museum operated by the Western MD Railroad Historical Society, preserving the history of the railroad for all to see.

Because Union Bridge’s history is long and brimming, it is no surprise that the Civil War plays a role in the town’s past. The Union Bridge section raised Company "F," 7th Regiment Volunteer Infantry, United States Army, in August 1862. Composed of 67 men and officers, this section had action in Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. The 2nd and 5th Army Corps passed through the town on June 30th and July 1st, 1863, followed by Battery "A" of the 2nd Regiment U.S. Artillery on July 4th. Major General John Fulton Reynolds, citizen of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was killed at the very beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg by a sharpshooter’s bullet; his body, which was "smuggled very quietly to the little Town of Union Bridge,", was taken to the undertaking shop, packed with ice, and shipped on the Western Maryland Railroad.

Several citizens of Union Bridge have contributed to the education of Union Bridge. One very important figure in Union Bridge is Professor Elmer Ambrose Wolfe. Wolfe had attended the University of Maryland, Pennsylvania College, and Yale College, adding majorly to the educational value of the town. Elmer was principal of the Union Bridge High School for a total of fourteen years; his efforts drove several community affairs, including the Swarthmore Chautauqua, Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and Grange. The Elmer A. Wolfe High School Building was named in his honor.

Additionally, Dr. Thomas H. Legg, physician for the Cement Company and Western Maryland Railway Shop, served ten years on the Carroll County Board of Education and was president for four. Member of the Union Bridge Fire Company, Union Bridge Methodist Church, Eastern Shore Society of Maryland, National Honor Society of the Alpha Kappa Kappa, Rush Medical Club, and medical staff of the Frederick Memorial Hospital, Legg had received a certificate from the School of Medicine as recognition for being in the medical practice for fifty years. Having attended Western Maryland College, Columbus Avenue School, George Washington University, and University of Maryland, Legg also served as mayor of Union Bridge for some time.

Union Bridge’s history reflects greatly on its present. Because of the great Union Bridge fire in 1868, the town purchased two extension ladders, two hook ladders, and fifteen rubber buckets as precaution for the future. The first organized Fire Company was incorporated in 1887; thirty men had pledged as firemen, allowing the town to provide two hose reels and a hook and ladder wagon. In 1889, the fire company then bought the hardware store of William Wood on Main Street, turning it into the fire hall until 1967 when the new fire hall and social hall combination was built on the carnival grounds on Locust and Whyte Streets. Since 1972, many pieces of apparatus have been purchased for the fire company, including a sea grave pumper, an ambulance, a Cadillac ambulance, a Chevrolet utility truck, a New Oldsmobile, and a new siren system.

Another important part of Union Bridge’s history includes the Ladies’ Auxiliary to the fire company. In 1939, nineteen women were named charter members of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, including Mrs. Mildred Brust, President of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association, and Mrs. Bessie Marshall, Chairman of the State Hospital Committee. Over the course of twenty-eight years, the ladies were able to provide improvements to several areas of the social hall, such as enlargement of the dining hall and kitchen, the purchase of more modern facilities, additional tables, chairs, coffee urns, and other conveniences. In 1967, even more technologies—a dishwasher, freezer, compartment stainless steel refrigerators, gas ranges, stainless steel tables, built-in cabinets, and more—were purchased with the move of their new social hall. Because of the new and improved room, activities such as Bingo, dinners, and banquets have been able to support and provide funding for the firemen, exhibiting the true community-like spirit of Union Bridge.

Union Bridge’s community center plays a big role in promoting social life to the town. In 1963, eleven acres of ground were donated, allowing for the design and payment for the construction of the community center. Since this time, more than $2,800 has been raised by services groups, organizations, and high school class reunions, which ultimately allowed the community center to develop with more convenient and appealing facilities. Additionally, the community center has sponsored countless projects including the Fire Department Building Fund, Ambulance Fund, Scholarship Fund, Summer Recreation Program, Daycare Center, School Lunch Program, and other programs to those in need. In 1966, a project called "Operation Concern" sought to remind boys stationed in Vietnam that they were not forgotten. Graduates of Elmer Wolfe or Francis Scott Key High Schools serving overseas received boxes filled with homemade cookies and useful items, demonstrating the spirit of a town with an interpersonal concern for others. If interested in serving the people of Union Bridge, the community center is filled with opportunities and is always longing to hear new ideas and project proposals.

In 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated in the House of Representatives so young boys could provide civic enthusiasm and promote peace and service within the world. From 1919 to 1922, no documented record of a troop in Union Bridge exists. However, in 1923, a new troop was organized as Troop 323 with William E. Ebbert as Scoutmaster. Bradley L. Bowman, then, became the first Scout in Union Bridge to become an Eagle Scout. Following his honor of achieving this highest ranking, he went on to become a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, and then found work at the Union Bridge post office. Other accomplished Eagle Scouts of Union Bridge include Thomas Kiss (still residing in Union Bridge) and Paul Selby (residing now in Baltimore). In 1928, a Scout Band was organized under the leadership of Scoutmaster Wilbur Brandenburg and Assistant Scoutmaster Carroll Easterday. The band performed at festivals, parades, and special town events. Since the founding of the Scouts in Union Bridge, there have been several Scoutmasters. Troop 330 has existed for thirty-three years, representing the enduring and determined spirit of both Union Bridge and the citizens within it.

In addition to a Pre-School Mother’s Study organized in 1959, Union Bridge also began a Lions Club with the goal to provide enrichment to the people of the town. The Union Bridge Lions Club is very distinguished because it sponsored three clubs, including the Taneytown Lions Club (1947), the New Windsor Lions Club (1948), and the Libertytown-Unionville Lions Club (1949). The Union Bridge Lions Club has dealt primarily with health needs and concerns of the town and has also been able to provide scholarships for graduating students. The Club is thankful for the community’s support as well as the cooperation of businesspeople in Union Bridge. Additionally, Union Bridge’s Athletic Association was formed in 1954 due to the vast interest in organizing a Babe Ruth and Little League Baseball Club. The club would sell booster cards and hold bake sales to boost finances, allowing for the funding of little leagues, uniforms, equipment, and more. The Union Bridge Homemakers Club, another community club, was organized in 1924, promoting lessons of homemaking and educational opportunities. With these stories and more, it is clear that the history of Union Bridge would not be complete without the countless clubs and associations that ultimately promote a sense of community and belonging.

In 1868, Union Bridge was in need of a church; after all, the town was rapidly growing, and in order to promote congregation and worship, the townspeople would need a facility to do so. Therefore, the Union Bridge Methodist Episcopal Church was constructed, first attached to the Liberty Circuit and composed of the churches at Middleburg, Keysville, and Double Pipe Creek.

In 1881, the idea of a Lutheran church in Union Bridge was proposed, and the first Lutheran service in Union Bridge took place in a hall above a store. The construction of a Lutheran church then began; the cornerstone was laid in 1883, and in 1884, the final cost of the church was $4,000.

The Pipe Creek Congregation voted to hire a full-time pastor in 1946, as the people of Union Bridge had longed for its own congregation, one separate from the Pipe Creek Church. This big step in developing Union Bridge succeeded the construction of the Union Bridge Church of the Brethren in 1953. Reverend Glen Baird was employed as pastor, and since the re-dedication of the church in 1971, a new organ, a large upstairs youth room, and a new carpet in the sanctuary have been provided. These new facilities and many more have been used and enjoyed by the Scouts, 4-H Clubs, Homemakers Club, Community Choir, Cub Scouts, Pre-School Mothers Study Group, and Daycare programs.

The Union Bridge Banking and Trust Company was founded in 1899 at its present location on Main Street. The increased business in town demanded the enlargement of the bank building and working space. Two more bank offices were approved and built. In 1957, the proposal by the Farmers and Mechanics-Citizens National Bank of Frederick called for votes on the voluntary liquidation of the Union Bridge Banking and Trust Company, which then merged with the Farmers and Mechanics-Citizens National Bank of Frederick. The Union Bridge Bank Office promotes full banking service to the townspeople. Since its remodel in 1971, the bank has features including convenient customer parking, a drive-in window, room for six teller stations, new counter equipment, two executive offices, a new lounge, heating and air conditioning systems, and redecoration of the bank. The modernization of the bank as well as the functioning of the bank workers allows the Union Bridge Office to maximize service to its customers. On December 8th, 1972, the Farmers and Mechanics Bank of Union Bridge was robbed by five men who were caught by police just an hour later at the Westminster Shopping Center. The men stole about $20,000 from the bank, and all five were charged with armed robbery.

Another great aspect of Union Bridge is the number of functional and providing businesses.

The Wright Furniture Store, one of the well-known shops in Union Bridge, began in 1928 on West Broadway; since then, the store has experienced rapid growth, allowing it to serve the people of Frederick and Carroll Counties. "Buy the Wright Way," the shop says; owner Raymond K. Wright held the perspective that community should be prioritized and improved with the promotion of better things—including furniture. Wright also owned the Reformed Church on West Broadway as well as the Wright Funeral Home on South Main Street.

Another well-known business—Yingling Brothers, Inc.—was organized in 1935 and incorporated in 1960, composed of a partnership of four brothers with about one hundred years of combined experience and knowledge in the meat business. The company expanded into the wholesale meat business, providing for stores, restaurants, and schools within fifty miles of Union Bridge, earning three-quarter million dollars per year. Livestock for the business was purchased from farmers in Union Bridge. However, after ten successful years, the main building of Yingling Brothers, Inc. caught fire, destroying the building and has not been restored since.

Mitchell Transport, Inc., subsidiary of Leaseway Transportation Corp. in Cleveland, Ohio, began in Union Bridge in 1959 as carrier for the Lehigh Portland Cement Company, known then as Carroll Transport Inc. Renamed in 1962 to its current name, Mitchell Transport Inc. performed most of the accounting and keeping of records for terminals from the Northwest all the way to New England and Florida. Operating tractors and trailers, Mitchell Transport also handles oil tanks to bring oil to fire kilns at the Lehigh plant, travelling about five million miles per year.

The Union Bridge Hardware Company, built in 1900 by Repp and William Haines, housed blacksmith work in 1952 and sold furnaces, horse collars, equipment and plow shears. Today, the business sells mowers, paint and glass, houseware, gifts, sporting goods, and general hardware.

Union Bridge’s Electric Manufacturing Company, incorporated in 1915 by Washington County residents Clarence E. Easterday, Orville E. Shifler, and Leon R. Yourtee, capitalized at $15,000. The only electric service into Union Bridge at the time was a streetlight, so the electric manufacturing company provided a generator to produce electricity as well as a house wiring campaign to add domestic customers. The company worked with the H. & F. Railway Company in 1919, and in 1923, the company built a line between Union Bridge to Uniontown via Linwood.

The building that houses the Union Bridge Locker Plant holds a history itself, long before the incorporation of the business itself. In 1914, a group of men—C. E. Easterday, Jacob S. Gladhill, O. J. Stoneseifer, E. M. Warrenfeltz, and O. E. Shifler—formed the new Union Bridge Electric Mfg. Co. with builder Mr. Shifler. The plant they built consisted of a 90-horse power gas producing engine and generator, offering service for both day and night. Orville Shifler, also called "Buzz," became interested in the locker business around the same time that frozen food was growing in popularity. With his brother Leroy, Buzz began the locker plant, selling lockers and home-freezers and offering the service of processing chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese.

"Solomon’s Folly," now known as "Hard Lodging," was really inspired by the beauty of a big, old red brick house near the Western Maryland Railroad and Pipe Creek, surrounded by the natural woods and the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thelma Walden Littlefield, who lived in Middleburg, Carroll County at the time, promised to live in the beautiful house someday. Forty years later, in 1947, she did exactly that, returning to the gorgeous landscape and restoring the house, nicknaming it "Solomon’s Folly." Now married as Mrs. Shriner, Thelma characterized the house as a frontier home of post-Revolutionary Days, adding candlelit windows, iron pots to cook, warm fireplaces, and more. The house still resides in the heart of Carroll County’s beauty.

Other historical businesses include Myers’ Super-Thrift (1965) as well as Stauffer’s Drug Store (1900).

Along with the fire of Union Bridge in 1868, Union Bridge also faced great disaster in Tropical Storm Agnes of 1972, causing $10 million in damage. Images of twisted railroad tracks and broken, washed-away bridges painted devastation.

However, even though Union Bridge has experience so much, it is still hard to believe that in 1972, Union Bridge celebrated its centennial celebration. One-hundred years ago from 1972, "An Act to Incorporate the Town of Union Bridge" began everything we know today. The centennial celebration included a big parade of people dressed in 1800s clothing with an old steam operating threshing rigs, antique cars, bands, girl and boy scouts, and more. A beauty contest and free movies were also promoted for the celebration, and games and contests allowed children to participate as well. Additionally, a dance held at the community center, a house and garden tour, and an antique auto display added to the celebration.

Now, fifty years from 1972, Union Bridge is celebrating 150 years as a town. It is difficult to sum up this amount of history in an article, let alone a sentence, but Union Bridge resident Wilbur M. Fritz writes: "The word ‘Home’ is a four-letter word spoken by all of us, used in everyday talk, not meaning much, but to all service men returning it is the greatest four-letter word in the world." Union Bridge—a town, a community, a settlement—is first and foremost a home to its people, and a home to its enriched past, bright future, and beautiful present.

In fact, located on South Main Street is a restaurant called Original Pizza. Inside the shop, Union Bridge’s history is captured like a moment in time, a collection of history splattered on the walls. It’s things like this—the spirit of a little pizza store tucked on street corner, with a passion for preserving history and value of the town—that distinguish Union Bridge and ultimately make it possible to celebrate 150 years.