IN RETROSPECT
Ramacciotti Wholesale Commission, 1930s
Millstone, east of Hancock
Martin Showalter farm
Arlington Apartments, 1947
Remembering Frank Woodring
magazine shares the stories that showcase all that we are
AsHagerstown
and aspire to be, In Retrospect has been crucial to telling the story of how we got here. From the very first issue of HM, Frank Woodring graciously shared history highlights from his collection at the Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine. For each issue, he submitted a photo and short paragraph that captured a moment from our past. It was always a joy to open an email from
Frank, who sadly passed away on Jan. 26. I never knew what time and scene he would transport me to— towns of yesteryear like Millstone and Battletown, the small grocery store of an Italian immigrant who introduced bananas to Washington County, wonderful tales of the Western Maryland Railroad, including one that involved escaped pigs when a train car derailed. When a 1947 photo of a tornado-damaged building prompted me to mention wanting to rubberneck as I passed the spot on my drive home, he cheerfully reminded me to be sure to pull over first, lest his police officer son had to respond to an accident.
Frank was always warm and engaging, characteristics that helped him draw memories from local residents over the years he and his wife, Suanne, published the Cracker Barrel. As the writer and editor, as well as handling advertising and bookkeeping, Frank was the heart and soul of the magazine, Suanne says. She plans to keep the magazine going, and continue sharing stories through In Retrospect in these pages. And as she does, we as a community will reflect on longago days as well as days not so far past, and remember Frank.
“ In Retrospect” is courtesy of the Maryland Cracker Barrel magazine, the“ Sentinel of Washington County’ s Heritage.” Since June 1971, the quarterly publication has focused on local history and may be purchased at any of the more than 30 sites in Maryland and Pennsylvania or by subscription. Subscriptions($ 13.78 annually) may be obtained by calling 301-582-3885 or writing to: Maryland Cracker Barrel, 7749 Fairplay Road, Boonsboro, MD 21713. photo: Mary Pat Kelley— Photography by Dale
120 May / June 2013 Hagerstown: The Best of Life in Washington County & Beyond