LocalNews1 has partnered with The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack to bring you a story every Monday taken from current or past editions of the Almanack. First published in 1797, it’s the second oldest almanac in the United States and has been in continuous publication for 230 years and is the only almanac in the United States still published by the founders’ direct descendants.
One of the most interesting sections in the 2026 Almanack is a section that offers some insight into the history of the Gruber Almanack. Here are a few excerpts from the 2026 edition.
“John Gruber had mentored many young men, teaching them the skills of printing and publishing. The most notable were Ambrose Henkel, founder of The Henkel Press, New Market, Virginia, and Adam John Glossbrenner, sergeant-at-arms of the United State House of Representatives elected to the 39th and 40th Congresses.”
Henkel’s life and experiences with Gruber were important chapters in the creation of the Almanack.
“The Reverend Ambrose Henkel was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, on July 11, 1786. In 1802 at the age of 16, he traveled, on foot, to Hagerstown to learn the printing business from prominent printer, John Gruber. It was said that at the beginning of his apprenticeship, he was asked what the weather would be six months later, on a day in July. Gruber then published that prediction in the Almanack for that day, telling Henkel that if the forecast were incorrect, he would be fired.”
Henkel’s forecasts were accurate, at least enough for him to stay on with the legendary printer for several years before raising enough money to start his own printing company back home in Virginia.
Another famed printer and publisher that learned from Gruber was Adam John Glossbrenner, and his story is as compelling as that of Henkel.
“Adam John Glossbrenner was born in Hagerstown on August 31, 1810. After learning the art of printing from Gruber, he soon became the publisher of the Western Telegraph in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1827 and 1828. He later established the York County Farmer in 1831 and became a partner in the York Gazette in 1835.
In 1836, his career took an interesting and unexpected turn away from publishing and toward politics. He began by serving as clerk in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1836, then clerk of the United States House of Representatives during the 28th and 29th Congresses (1843, 1846) and in the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C., from 1848 through 1849.”
These are just a few highlights of the history of Gruber and his students. There is much more to the story in The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack. LocalNews1 has partnered with Gruber’s Hagerstown Town & Country Almanack to bring you the most relevant, timely and informative content about and around Washington and Franklin counties.
