Events for November 2024

June 22 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Join the WCHS Saturday, June 22, 5-9PM for our Ransom of Hagerstown Dinner-Auction Fundraiser! This fundraiser held at the Women’s Club of Hagerstown will commemorate the 160th Anniversary of the Ransom of Hagerstown. 

During the event, enjoy a cocktail hour featuring Stoney Creek Bluegrass Band, followed by dinner catered by Hicksville Barbecue. During dinner guests will hear an address delivered by keynote speaker Stephen Bockmiller, author of Follow the Money: The 1864 Confederate Ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland. Dinner will be followed by dessert, more music, and silent auction and raffle baskets winners.

Help the WCHS save history with your ticket purchase, which supports our goal of raising $20,000. This amount symbolizes McCausland’s original 1864 ransom demand. Your support helps us continue our efforts to preserve Washington County’s history through educational programming, exhibits, lectures, events, and more.

Individual tickets are available at $50 for WCHS members and $65 for non-members. Tables and other sponsorship opportunities are available; please call the WCHS offices at (301) 797-8782 or email at info@washcohistory.org for more information.

$50 – $65

Miller House Museum

135 West Washington Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740
Hagerstown, MD 21740 US + Google Map
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May 27, 2024
Published by Robin Brooks at May 27, 2024
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Ransom of Hagerstown Dinner-Auction Fundraiser

Join the WCHS Saturday, June 22, 5-9PM for our Ransom of Hagerstown Dinner-Auction Fundraiser! This fundraiser held at the Women’s Club of Hagerstown will commemorate the 160th Anniversary of the Ransom of Hagerstown.  During the event, enjoy a cocktail hour featuring Stoney Creek Bluegrass Band, followed by dinner catered by Hicksville Barbecue. During dinner guests will hear an address delivered by keynote speaker Stephen Bockmiller, author of Follow the Money: The 1864 Confederate Ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland. Dinner will be followed by dessert, more music, and silent auction and raffle baskets winners. Help the WCHS save history with your ticket purchase, which supports our goal of raising $20,000. This amount symbolizes McCausland’s original 1864 ransom demand. Your support helps us continue our efforts to preserve Washington County’s history through educational programming, exhibits, lectures, events, and more. Individual tickets are available at $50 for WCHS members and $65 for non-members. Tables and other sponsorship opportunities are available; please call the WCHS offices at (301) 797-8782 or email at info@washcohistory.org for more information.
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May 21, 2024
Published by Robin Brooks at May 21, 2024
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The Updegraffs wore a lot of hats — and manufactured most of them

Article Author: Abigail Koontz (This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail May, 2024) Hats have long fulfilled many roles, from functionality to symbols of self-expression and social status. One iconic hat of the last two centuries is the top hat. Two 19th-century silk top hats in the Washington County Historical Society’s collection offer glimpses into early local hat manufacturers — particularly the hatter George Updegraff. When top hats emerged in the 1790s, descending from earlier styles like the 17th century Pilgrim hat, they were made from felted beaver fur. Beaver felt top hats were initially expensive status symbols, but they were also functional, as beaver fur shed water. Beaver fur was so popular the European beaver population had been depleted by the mid-1600s. French fur traders sought beaver pelts in North America, trading with native populations for furs or hunting down beavers along rivers. Trappers moved further west, decimating beaver populations and spreading malaria through native populations, until reaching California by the 1820s. As pelts flooded American markets, the prevalence of American beaver felt top hats grew, influenced by European fashions. Washington County was no exception. On Aug. 12, 1823, the Maryland Herald announced that the hat manufacturing firm, Updegraff […]
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January 9, 2018
Published by Keith Baumbach at January 9, 2018
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Tips for the At-Home Archivist

By Anna Cueto Prior to becoming the curator for the Miller House Museum, I trained at the University of Pittsburgh to become an archivist. It’s one of the top archives programs in the country, and I say this not to completely toot my own horn, but because attending the program taught me some extremely valuable information about handling items like film, photographs, and documents. And I like sharing that information with people, but with one large change: I like to teach people how to archive on a budget. The holidays are a perfect time to think about archiving or preserving your family photographs, movies, and other memories, because often, you already are planning on seeing the people who hold most of the information that you need! So with the holidays in mind, here is a short guide to gathering, organizing, and storing your family photographs like an archivist. The first and most important thing is to evaluate what you have, what you would like to save, and how you are currently storing it. Artifacts are like people – they do not like to be too hot or cold, too wet or too dry, and they really do not like being […]
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