The rails and covered bridges of Frederick County are framed by the waters of the Potomac River to the south and the Mason-Dixon line to the north. The county rests at a crossroads of Maryland cultures and history, and journalist Marie Anne Erickson sought out the oldest members of this diverse community to record their colorful stories. Twenty years after the articles appeared as the "Crossroads" series for Frederick Magazine, Ingrid Price has compiled her mother's fascinating essays for the first time. Stories of Civil War battles and Prohibition-era raids share the pages with memories of sledding by moonlight and the hunt for the mythical Snallygaster in Erickson's spirited history. From Brunswick to Mount Airy and from Emmitsburg to Point of Rocks, discover an affectionate and occasionally offbeat portrait of Frederick County.
Marie Anne Erickson was a beloved local history columnist in Frederick County. She was prolific, producing hundreds of articles and features for local press. In addition to her work for Frederick Magazine, the author wrote for Saxophone Journal and Bluegrass Unlimited. Her articles and editorials also appeared frequently in the Frederick News-Post. She was the Tourism Council of Frederick County's Ambassador of the Year in 2007. Although Ingrid Price has called New York City home for more than thirty years, she thinks of Frederick as her hometown. Ingrid is the older daughter of Marie Anne Erickson and Ray S. Price. She is now a costume designer for film and television, and recently produced a short film with husband Davis Hall. Assembling 'Frederick County Chronicles: The Crossroads of Maryland, ' as a tribute to her late mother provided the unexpected joy of rediscovering the place where she grew up. Christopher Haugh is a documentary filmmaker and the Scenic Byways and Special Projects Manager for the Tourism Council of Frederick County.