Jonathan Hager

Today's newspaper headlines talk about civil strife in Afghanistan, Somalia, Chechnya, Nigeria, Iraq and more than a dozen other countries. But more than 150 years ago, before the American Civil War, local newspapers published stories about civil strife in Maryland and West Virginia. The newspaper accounts caught the attention of John Bryan, historic sites facilitator for the City of Hagerstown. "During some research I'd done on Hagerstown, I had come across some ... interesting back and forth in the newspaper about the political feelings across the region," Bryan said.

Mayor: Robert E. Bruchey II, 301-739-8577, ext. 110 City Council: Martin Brubaker, 301-739-8577, ext. 118 (City Hall) Kelly S. Cromer, 301-797-1377 (work) Lewis C. Metzner, 301-739-7400 (work) Penny M. Nigh, 301-790-3839 (home) Alesia Parson-McBean, 301-739-8577, ext. 118 (City Hall) Meetings: The City Council holds a work session at 4 p.m. on the first three Tuesdays of each month, and a regular session at 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

Editor's note: After consulting with local historians, we've chosen 10 events that shaped Washington County over the last hundred years. The list is not intended to be comprehensive. Its aim is to tell the story of the county over the 20th century. Top 10 events in Washington County during the 20th century: 1. City Park purchased (1915) 2. Flu epidemic of 1918 3. Hagerstown Fairgrounds peaked (1910s and 1920s) 4. Flood of 1936 5. World War II 6. Interstate highways built (1958 through 1968)

HAGERSTOWN -- Eleven-year-old Sarah Grubbs thought she was a little too warm in her Capri jeans and tank top in Saturday's bright morning sun. Five minutes wearing a shift, petticoat, bodice, modesty cloth, apron and bonnet gave her a new perspective. "It makes you appreciate your clothes that much more, huh?" said Jennifer Kram, recreation assistant for the City of Hagerstown. Kram had dressed Sarah in colonial attire as part of "Behind the Scenes at the Hager House," a program designed to teach not only about life in colonial times, but also about museum work and living history interpretation.

HAGERSTOWN - A man who dresses in black, 19th-century clothing is said to have been spotted on the Hager House porch, and a woman wearing a veil over her face has been seen sitting on a tombstone in Rose Hill Cemetery. The man in black at the Hager House is one of two apparitions that people have said they have encountered at the home that Jonathan Hager, the founder of Hagerstown, presented to his bride in 1740, said John Bryan, historic sites facilitator for Hagerstown. People also have reported seeing a woman wearing Victorian-style dress in the upper hallway of the house in City Park, he said.

Local historians got a chance Monday to go inside the 1774 Kammerer House, which is to be demolished soon. An owner's offer to salvage pieces of the limestone farmhouse, such as the original door and handmade paneling, doesn't make up for its imminent loss, historians said. "Speaking as an individual, this makes me sick that the house is being torn down," said Lee Stine, president of the Washington County Historical Society. The property is owned by the nonprofit Hagerstown/Washington County Industrial Foundation Inc., known as CHIEF.

HAGERSTOWN A man who dresses in black, 19th-century clothing is said to have been spotted on the Hager House porch, and a woman wearing a veil over her face has been seen sitting on a tombstone in Rose Hill Cemetery. The man in black at the Hager House is one of two apparitions that people have said they have encountered at the home that Jonathan Hager, the founder of Hagerstown, presented to his bride in 1740, said John Bryan, historic sites facilitator for Hagerstown. People also have reported seeing a woman wearing Victorian-style dress in the upper hallway of the house in City Park, he said.

dank@herald-mail.com Hagerstown Mayor William M. Breichner will lead a group of 21 area residents to Hagerstown's Sister City, Wesel, Germany, on Wednesday. This is the 50th anniversary of the Hagerstown-Wesel affiliation, and groups from each city will visit the other this year. Breichner said establishing the affiliation was "pretty progressive back then," considering that just a few years earlier Germany was a World War II enemy. "The whole process was a healing process," Breichner said.

By LAURA ERNDE / Staff Writer photo left: RIC DUGAN / staff photographer photo below: RICHARD T. MEAGHER / staff photographer The sound of a sledgehammer marked the beginning of the end for the Kammerer House on Monday morning. A five-member wrecking crew started, piece by piece, dismantling the 1774 limestone farmhouse built by Johan Ludwig Kammerer. [cont. from front page ] "So there she goes. We tried, but finally time runs out," said Merle Elliott, president of the Hagerstown-Washington County Industrial Foundation Inc., which is selling the property to Citicorp Credit Services Inc. There were no onlookers when the crew started about 8 a.m. At the end of the work day, several people who stopped by found that Allegany Wrecking and Salvage of Hagerstown had taken off most of the roof.

Here are some facts about Hagerstown and its sister city, Wesel, Germany: Granted official township rights in 1241, Wesel is 761 years old. Hagerstown, incorporated in 1762, is 240 years old. On July 27, 1962, Hagerstown and Wesel made the world's first intercontinental phone call, using the Telstar telecommunications satellite which went into orbit 17 days earlier on July 10. Since 1952, five Hagerstown mayors have...

The Jonathan Hager House and Museum opened Friday, April 5, and will remain open through December. This year, the home, in Hagerstown's City Park along Key Street, will be open for extended hours on the weekends. The Hager House is open for self-guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The home is also available for tour by appointment Sunday through Thursday. On June 5, 1739, Jonathan Hager purchased 200 acres of land and dubbed his tract “Hager's Fancy.” Placards throughout the home tell the story of Hager's family and their way of life during Hagerstown's earliest years.

The society also lost its president of six years when Edward Tenney died in 1942. The previous president, Harvey Bomberger, had served for 25 years. The group was accustomed to great continuity. Mary Vernon Mish lived on the West Virginia shore of the Potomac River across from Williamsport. She was so involved in historic preservation on both sides of the river, in Berkeley County, W.Va., and Washington County, that she was the apparent choice to succeed Tenney. Interestingly, Mish was the first and only woman to serve as president of WCHS.

The Jonathan Hager Society, Children of the American Revolution celebrated its 50th anniversary at a meeting of the Conococheague Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution on Dec. 8. Courtney Conrad, honorary past president, presented a plaque to Diane Sanford, regent, Conococheague Chapter and Ruann George, regent, Maryland State Chapter of the DAR in honor of the occasion and to thank them for 50 years of sponsorship. The society, which was formally organized and chartered on June 21, 1959, conducted its first meeting on Saturday afternoon, July 25, 1959 at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts.

There's a chill in the air, but is it just the autumn weather? Or is there a ghost lurking nearby? Walking tours of "haunted" towns, haunted corn mazes and a haunted theater are just a few of the haunted happenings in the Tri-State area this season. But some ghostly sightings won't be seen this year. There will be no Fright-Night in Chambersburg, Pa., this season, according to www.fright-nights.com. It will return in 2010. There's also no Terror Behind Bars at the former Franklin County (Pa.)

Today's newspaper headlines talk about civil strife in Afghanistan, Somalia, Chechnya, Nigeria, Iraq and more than a dozen other countries. But more than 150 years ago, before the American Civil War, local newspapers published stories about civil strife in Maryland and West Virginia. The newspaper accounts caught the attention of John Bryan, historic sites facilitator for the City of Hagerstown. "During some research I'd done on Hagerstown, I had come across some ... interesting back and forth in the newspaper about the political feelings across the region," Bryan said.

It seems like it was just summer and already the ghosts are jumpin' in the Tri-State area with several haunted activities under way and more beginning soon. New this year is Terror Behind Bars in Chambersburg, Pa. The fundraiser uses the former Franklin County Prison, zombies and riots to scare up money for two charities. Here's more information about haunted happenings in the Tri-State area. Washington County Ghost walk Fort Frederick Ghost Walk at Fort Frederick State Park on Md. 56 near Big Pool (Exit 12 off Interstate 70)

HAGERSTOWN -- Eleven-year-old Sarah Grubbs thought she was a little too warm in her Capri jeans and tank top in Saturday's bright morning sun. Five minutes wearing a shift, petticoat, bodice, modesty cloth, apron and bonnet gave her a new perspective. "It makes you appreciate your clothes that much more, huh?" said Jennifer Kram, recreation assistant for the City of Hagerstown. Kram had dressed Sarah in colonial attire as part of "Behind the Scenes at the Hager House," a program designed to teach not only about life in colonial times, but also about museum work and living history interpretation.

HAGERSTOWN - A man who dresses in black, 19th-century clothing is said to have been spotted on the Hager House porch, and a woman wearing a veil over her face has been seen sitting on a tombstone in Rose Hill Cemetery. The man in black at the Hager House is one of two apparitions that people have said they have encountered at the home that Jonathan Hager, the founder of Hagerstown, presented to his bride in 1740, said John Bryan, historic sites facilitator for Hagerstown. People also have reported seeing a woman wearing Victorian-style dress in the upper hallway of the house in City Park, he said.

Mayor: Robert E. Bruchey II, 301-739-8577, ext. 110 City Council: Martin Brubaker, 301-739-8577, ext. 118 (City Hall) Kelly S. Cromer, 301-797-1377 (work) Lewis C. Metzner, 301-739-7400 (work) Penny M. Nigh, 301-790-3839 (home) Alesia Parson-McBean, 301-739-8577, ext. 118 (City Hall) Meetings: The City Council holds a work session at 4 p.m. on the first three Tuesdays of each month, and a regular session at 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

Whether it's houses, cornfields, factories or hayride routes, the ghosts don't appear to be picky about location. Tri-State area residents have plenty of opportunities to see how far their stomach will drop this spooky season thanks to a variety of haunted happenings. Washington County KOA Kampground added four animated props to its Creekside Manor Haunted House, so there are 13 animated props from The ScareFactory in Ohio. The house, which takes about 15 minutes to tour, is appropriate for ages 12 and older.