Williamsport High School - Guneukitschik Yearbook (Williamsport, MD)

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THE C 0 CANAL CANAL STATISTICS The following are some statistics on the Potomac River: RIVER DISCOVERY: First detailed re- port in 1608 by Captain John Smith MOUTH: Chesapeake Bay between Point Lookout, Md. and South Point, Va. LENGTH: Approx. 400 miles, ranks 25th in length among U.S. rivers enter- ing tide waters. WIDTH: At mouth of estuary it is 11.3 miles, average width between Harper’s Ferry and Washington, D.C. is 1,500 feet. DEPTH: Deepest point is 107 ft. near Morgantown, MD. RECORD FLOOD: In 1936, the highest flood recorded since 1733 was 49.9 ft. above normal on March 19, 1:00 AM, 1936. In November 1985, the river crested 53 ft. in Paw Paw, West Virgin- ia, 36 ft. in Williamsport. LOWEST FLOW: 1930-32 and 1961-62 droughts. COMMERCIAL USES OF RIVER: Shipping in estuary from D.C. to Chesa- peake Bay; fishing in estuary; recrea- 0 tion and resort areas above Washington, fi DC. Limited hydro electric power use. AVERAGE RAINFALL: 35 to 45 inches £ annually. 60 inches at higher elevation. An epitaph on a stone grave- marker, near the Canal reads: “Reader, whosoever thou art, as I am now, you soon will be; thy life must shortly end. Prepare in time that God may be thine everlasting friend.” i 1 I lili

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i i i WILLIAMSPORT’S LIFE LINE: Left: Dam 4 and power plant A The C O Canal began in 1828 and was complet- ed in 1850. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal paral- ! lels the Potomac River from Washington D.C. to jLCumberland. Maryland, a distance of 185 miles. w Seventy-five locks of about an 8 foot lift were needed. The Canal can be traveled on horseback, bicycle, and by canoe on the river. The first perma- nent settlement on the river was St. Mary’s in 1634, a colony of Maryland granted to Lord Balti- more. George “Hooper” Wolfe, born 1894, in William- sport, MD, less than 200 feet from the Canal, near the Conococheague aqueduct, and was known as Mr. “C O Canal”, or “Mr. Williamsport” because of his knowledge on the Canal and Town. He wrote a book that can be found in our W.H.S. library, entitled I Drove Mules ON the C O Canal. As a very yound man, and mule driver on the Canal, he was privileged to take part in some of the very historical events that occurred on the Canal.

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♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ X ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ lilLLLLlifcJblltiJV LUIlLL a continued tradition In the primitive days in this locality, not much attention was paid to education. Some families had private tutors. From traditions, we learn the first school was in the rear of the Market House in 1831, another in the building located on the corner of Salisbury and Conococheague Streets, and burned in 1839. Teachers names of the foregoing are forgotten. This corner was known as the Burnt Corner until 1880. The next school was taught in the room above the banking room, in the bank, adjoining the Market House, in the years 1831-34. From that time, all records relating to schools have been lost. During the time of the Civil War, school was taught in a building owned by Russell Zimmerman on Soiuth Vermont Street. The schools were supported by patrons, the tu- ition was paid monthly, quarterly, and at the end of the term. At the close of the Civil War, the Public School System was inaugurated. The Market House was the site of the first Public School building in 1867. The scholastic year began September 1, and ended in April following the 15th which was divided into 3 terms of ten weeks each. The required hours of schooling were divided into two sessions: (9:00 Am to 12:00) and the afternoon from (1:00 to 4:00 PM). Pupils were under their teachers jurisdiction from the time they left till they returned. Anyone wishing to teach was required to take an exam to show that they were qualified. Mr. J.F.A. Remley was the teacher of the Gram- mar School at a salary of $100 per term of 10 weeks. Mr. E.H. Freind taught the intermediate department, and Miss Ella Hollman and Miss Mag- gie Clark, the lower classes. The room consisted of desks placed against the walls and benches, without backs for support. Many more teachers followed then because of an influx of pupils it was found that the School build- ing, built on East Salisbury Street in 1867, was found inadequate because of the influx. A building was then built on the site of the old Shoop and Lef- ever Lumber Yard, on East Church Street in 1897. It then burned on January 9, 1923. WILLIAMSPORT HIGH SCHOOL Because of an increasing number of pupils en- rolling in high school, a new building was needed, which included a large auditorium for school af- fairs and public use. The building was completed in the spring of 1921. The first Commencement exer- cises were held that year on June 2. In 1924, a Primary Department was built on the site of the building destroyed by fire on East Church Street. The faculty and curriculum compared favorably with others in the county. WILLIAMSPORT SPORTS Shortly after the close of the World War I, the Public Athletic league, as it was known, sponsored high school soccer in the various counties of Mary- land. Williamsport welcomed this new form of ath- letics by capturing the championship of Washing- ton County in 1921. The coach, Samuel Plummer, who later became Principal. Again in 1928, the Blue and White of W.H.S. led the field to capture the championship. The school’s first baseball team, coached by Ralph Beachley, in 1924, won the baseball’s unoffi- cial county High School championship without los- ing a game. The following year, a league was start- ed, but the team always came second to the Hagers- town High Club. In 1932, the team tied with Hagerstown High for the championship but went down to defeat in the playoffs.