Back When: The Story of Historic New Market, Maryland - Joseph F. Seng. Back When author, Joseph Seng, makes a strong case for the historic town of New Market, Maryland, being a particularly unusual, colorful, and interesting place. He sets the stage for this story by describing what the world of the 1790s was like when pioneers Nicholas Hall and William Plummer founded the town. Seng's fifty interviews with long-time residents, including two direct descendants of Nicholas Hall, greatly augmented his research. More than 100 photos, some taken in the late 1800s and early 1900s, show what life was like back then. Strategically located on "The National Pike," New Market became an important stopover point for farmers driving their livestock and goods to market and for pioneers heading westward to settle new lands. Six major Civil War battles took place within forty miles of New Market between 1861 and 1864. Long-time residents interviewed by the author describe farm life in the early and mid-1900s, including their personal experiences with "thinning corn" and canning beans, as well as playing baseball in a very popular local league. One fascinating tale concerns German prisoners of war working on a New Market farm during World War II. Today New Market is a Mecca for antique collectors and other visitors who come to enjoy weekend shopping and the annual celebrations of "New Market Days" and "Christmas in New Market." These events delight town folks and visitors alike, even as inevitable growth and changes are contemplated.
(2005), 2007, 5½x8½, paper, 242 pp.
ISBN: 9780788435997
101-S3599
