Frederick County, Maryland, In Images Of America
The Images of America Series offers a way to get to know many American places, familiar and unfamiliar, through its many books of photographic histories. I have some familiarity with Frederick County, Maryland, the subject of this volume, but I don't know it well. Frederick County is located in northern Maryland, a relatively short distance from my home in Washington, D.C. I have visited places in Frederick County many times over the years. A favorite trip was to Catoctin Mountain Park to hike and swim. I also was a frequent visitor to the Cozy Inn, a wonderful homey restaurant in the town of Thurmont adjacent to the park. The Cozy Inn closed in 2014. It wasn't mentioned in this book, while the Catoctin Park received only a brief discussion. There is a lot to cover in an American county founded in 1748.
Founded in 1892, The Historical Society of Frederick County drew on its extensive archives to prepare this book of images and text. In his introduction to the volume, project manager, Duane Doxten, states accurately that the volume consists of "snapshots" of Frederick County over time rather than a history. He describes the work as "more of a hors d'oeuvre to whet the appetite than an entree to fill you up." The book offers glimpses of Frederick County and its people and activities but left me wanting a more cohesive presentation. Two years after the publication of this volume, The Historical Society and Images of America published a follow-up volume in the same format: "Frederick County Revisited", which broadens the story told in this first book.
This volume includes images from the mid-19th to the early 21st century Frederick County together with annotations. The short chapters are arranged to highlight different activities in Frederick County in different places, rural and more urban. The book felt episodic but it gave a glimpse of the people and places of the county over time. The volume offers a sense of people in everyday life, while the county's more famous citizens receive mention in passing. In its first six chapters, the book explores farming, business endeavors, transportation, community service, educational institutions, and places of worship in Frederick County over its long history. I particularly enjoyed the images and discussions of the early railroads and trolleys.
In the final four chapters, the book becomes livelier and gives more of a sense of community rather than simply of individuals involved in their own separate activities. Thus, the images show parades, festivals, and commemorations, in which the residents of the City of Frederick or other places in Frederick County come and act together. This is followed by images of Frederick's Civil War history, including the famous Barbara Fritchie story and images of soldiers and supporters of both North and South. There is a short chapter of images of famous people from the county, and the book concludes with a chapter of images from specific towns and communities.
I was glad to learn something about Frederick County and to see the dedication of the Historical Society in pursuing its mission of preserving the County's history and sharing the history with others. The United States has many unique places, people, and stories that deserve commemoration. This volume on Frederick County did indeed "whet the appetite", as promised in the book's Introduction, to learn more about Frederick County and its history. I enjoyed seeing the people, activities, and histories in this short book of images but would have welcomed a more unifying thread to the account.
