Author: Robb Helfrick

The seeds of John Poniske’s affinity for history were sown in the land of Lincoln. Poniske grew up in Springfield, Ill., the same city Abraham Lincoln adopted as his adult home. While in Springfield, Lincoln polished his skills as a lawyer, orator and future statesman. He departed for Washington, D.C., in the spring of 1861 to assume leadership as the 16th U.S. President. John Poniske left Springfield too, embarking on a successful career as a U.S. Marine, journalist and teacher. Throughout these experiences, Poniske honed his talents and sculpted a creative identity. During that process, he recognized history’s power to…

Looking back to tragic historic episodes, and recalling American places that rebounded from disastrous fires, two notable cities immediately come to mind. From October 8-10, 1871, Chicago was stricken with panic after a fire sparked inside a barn, then spread across the city. One legend pins the blame on Mrs. O’Leary’s cow knocking over a lantern. The city was devastated. Thirty-five years later, a major earthquake ruptured gas mains in San Francisco, causing disastrous fires that almost destroyed the bayside city in April 1906. With grit and determination, both cities eventually rebuilt, becoming prominent contemporary centers of commerce and culture.…

As Major League Baseball celebrates its 2024 All-Star Game, a look back into local sports history recalls a memorable league that helped define the national pastime. In 1915, a baseball organization called the Blue Ridge League was created in Hagerstown. Six local teams competed, and their talented rosters gave tri-state baseball fans glimpses of future stars. One hundred years ago, the 1924 Martinsburg Blue Sox took home the trophy, winning their third consecutive championship. Charles Boyer founded the Blue Ridge League (BRL), and later, James Jamison Jr., a Hagerstown businessman, was its respected League President. The first towns representing the…

Eight teams competed this past weekend for two 2024 Boro Classic titles in the 10 and under, and 8 and under, age groups. One team dominated the 10U class of six teams, while two 8U teams competed in a simpler bracket to decide that championship. These competitive squads, consisting of regular season All-Stars, not only battled their opponents, but intense July heat. As the 10U tournament started on Saturday morning, all half-dozen teams from Pen Mar, Fairfield, Mercersburg, Fulton County, and Waynesboro (with two squads) had high hopes, but two heavyweight contenders emerged during the first two rounds of games.…

On July 4th, 1863, 50,000 defeated Confederate soldiers under General Robert E. Lee’s command initiated a complex escape route from Gettysburg. Union forces would nip at their heels as rebel columns retreated from the battlefield with wagon trains that measured a combined 60 miles long. 161 years later, a spirited group of Confederate reenactors restaged a portion of that tumultuous retreat, named “Thunder and Mud”, by marching eight miles from Fairfield to Monterey Pass. Their biggest challenge on July 6, 2024 wasn’t bolts of lightning or muddy roads (or a chasing army firing at them), but they battled oppressive heat…

Monterey Pass Battlefield will host a unique living history weekend on July 6-7 that will engage history lovers with new lively interpretations of 1863 battle. The centerpiece of these events will be “Thunder and Mud”, an ambitious recreation of the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg battlefield. Columns of soldiers will march eight miles from Fairfield PA to Monterey Pass, reenacting here for the first time how transportation logistics were crucial components when tired, hungry, and injured Civil War armies departed from fields of battle. Monterey Pass Battlefield is a 125-acre natural, cultural, and historical park in Washington Township. Located near Blue…

As another national birthday is celebrated, Cumberland Valley residents have much to commemorate, with an impressive array of local people, places, and past events that helped define our country’s 247-year legacy. Sparked by that patriotic thought, what follows is an unofficial ranking of the best of local history: created as an alphabetical listing with entries that come to mind as those 26 letters are counted down. This grouping isn’t the definitive list of every historic treasure in the tri-state region. But this A to Z list recalls many legendary components that enriched the area in past years, along with many…

Every community always has citizens in need. A lost job, sudden illness, lingering disability, or low income put tremendous stresses on good people. Then, basic needs often taken for granted can become illusive. Human necessities like nutritious meals, warm clothing, essential healthcare, or protective shelter, can often feel like impossible challenges to individuals or families passing through difficult phases in life. In Waynesboro, a benevolent organization has tapped into the community’s generous spirit by sponsoring and managing programs for these people in distress. Waynesboro Community and Human Services (WCHS) was formed in 2011, but the original roots establishing this charitable…