Dayhoff: Carroll County New Year Years Day Observances throughout the years

In December 1896, the big news in town was the opening of the new Westminster train station. From 1896 to 1961 the station was located between the railroad tracks and where the Westminster branch of the Carroll County Library is now located. On Oct. 3, 1960, passenger train service was discontinued. It could no longer compete with the same service provided by buses.

Today, very few remember that for about 100 years, from 1861 to 1960, a good bit of the economic vitality of downtown Westminster was supported by a thriving freight and passenger rail service.

A lengthy article in the Dec. 26, 1896, edition of the Democratic Advocate reported, “On Monday the new depot of the Western Maryland Railroad at this place, was thrown open for business… There is not a finer station in the State…” A big deal was made of the fact that the station had indoor bathrooms. “Toilet rooms for ladies and gentlemen open from each of the waiting rooms… and the mirror in the ladies’ department is already in active operation.”

The same newspaper on Dec. 26, 1896, carried the following admonishment, “Boys and youths should remember that the pavements in front of the churches and the vestibules of the same should not be used as loafing places on Sundays or Sunday nights.

“Either go in or go away. Interruption to the exercises will make offenders liable to arrest and punishment. Last Sunday evening there were crowds in front of both the Methodist Churches, and their conduct was disturbing to the worshippers.”

According to research by Jay Graybeal for the Historical Society of Carroll County, “New Year’s Day 1901 was observed throughout Carroll County as the beginning of a new century. The January 5th issue of the American Sentinel included descriptions of events from several of Carroll’s communities.”

In Westminster, at midnight 1901, “the bells in public buildings were rung and the Westminster Drum Corps began marching through the streets to the sound of its own stirring music. Two hours after the new century began most of the noises had ceased.

“Among the observances of the closing hours of the old century were religious exercises at several of the churches. At the Methodist Protestant and Centenary Methodist Episcopal Churches “Watch Night” services of an interesting character were held during the last hour.”

The Immanuel Methodist Protestant Church was located at 129 E. Main St. and the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church – now known as the Westminster United Methodist Church – is located 165 E. Main St.

In Manchester, “by nightfall our streets were alive with crowds bent on having a memorable time, while for several hours the firing of explosives became so general that there was almost a continuous roar… At 10 o’clock the exercises in the Lutheran church commenced and at 11:30 those in the Reformed Church, both of which were well attended.”

Many years ago, most of the newspaper accounts of Christmas in Carroll County were not published until after Christmas. Most of the advertisements for Christmas did not appear until well after the first day of December. Christmas was celebrated for a short period of time and folks quickly went back to work.

In 1941, after the Japanese attack Dec. 7 on Pearl Harbor, civil defense was on the minds of many in the community. Right after Christmas, “the local press carried a mix of holiday stories about community events next to wartime articles… [including] a nearly full-page announcement entitled “What to Do in an Air Raid” from W. Warfield Babylon, Air Raid Warden for Carroll County,” according to Graybeal’s research Graybeal for the Historical Society of Carroll County.

The advice in the announcement was to “Keep Kool: Above all, keep cool. Don’t lose your head. Do not crowd the streets, avoid chaos, prevent disorder and havoc. You can fool the enemy. It is easy. If planes come over, stay where you are. Don’t phone unnecessarily. The chance you will be hit is small. It is part of the risk we must take to win this war.”

How is that for Christmas cheer?

Christmas in Westminster almost did not take place in 1930. According to an article by Tom Doerr, “The Christmas Treat,” in a newsprint publication from the city of Westminster and the Downtown Development Committee, “The harsh drought of 1930, combined with the stock market crash and the early stages of the depression, caused Mayor George Matthews to cancel the treat that year.

“The four hundred dollars set aside for candy, fruit, and toys was donated to the Children’s Aid Society ‘to be used exclusively for providing fuel, food, and clothing for the families of the unemployed who may be in need,’ according to the [city] record[s].”

On Jan. 2, 1942, the Baltimore Sun published a brief article that reported that Carroll County was debt free.

“The Board of County Commissioners paid off $25,000 to make Carroll County debt-free. Carroll County was probably the only county in Maryland in 1942 that could claim such a distinction. With a tax rate of 90 cents on $100, Carroll had the lowest tax in the state with the exception of Queen Anne’s County. Two-thirds of tax money collected from county residents went to fund schools.”

Happy New Year.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. His Time Flies column appears every Sunday. Email him at kevindayhoff@gmail.com.