The county seat is a thriving town, situated near Antietam Creek, 8 miles from the   Potomac River and 86 Baltimore. The Western Maryland, Cumberland Valley and Baltimore & Ohio Railroads center here, each offering ample facililities for freight and travel with the cities of Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philidelphia, Washington, and New York. The location is picturesque and in the midst of a rich, lovely valley, surrounded by some of the finest and most highly improved farms. In the State. Its many natural advantages, attracting attention, manufactures have been established giving employment to a large number of people, adding much to the wealth  and population of this vicinity. The city is well built, lighted with gas, is incorporated and is controlled by a Mayor or City Council; it has a court house and jail and some fine churches, and several well conducted private and public schools.

CHURCHES AND PASTORS - Lutheran, Rev. S.W. Owen; Lutheran, (Trinity,) Rev. I. R. Williams; German Lutheran, Rev. J.G.  Reitz; P.E., Rev. W.A. Mitchell; Roman Catholic, Rev. Father J.M. Jones;  Presbyterian, Rev. J.U. Thompson; First Reformed, Rev. J.S. Keiffer; Second, Rev. U.H. Coon; M. B., Rev. A.S. Hank; Brethren, Rev. C. M. Hott; Christian, Rev. L.H. Stein, and M.B., (colored,) Rev. J.W. Beckett.

BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES - K of P Valley 70, I.O.O., F-Potomac 81, and Gilead Encampment 6,A.F. & A. M- Friendship 81, and Ithiel Chapter 27, I.O.R. M-Antietam 46, K. of H- Washington333. K.M.C.-Black Rock 1., Young Men’s Christian Association.

ASSOCIATIONS - Mechanic’s Loan and Savings, Washington Co. Savings, Enterprise Loan and Building, Hagerstown Gas Light, and Rose Hill Cemetery.

TOWN OFFICERS – Mayor – Wm. S. Swartz, Councilmen- Joseph H. Fiery, Geo. Lias, M.L. Byers, Hiram Spielman, and Lewis Delamarter. Clerk – R.E. Cook, Attorney – Alex Armstrong. Treasurer – M. L. Byers. Tax Collector – John B. Fiery. Market Master – Jacob Cookerly.

BUTCHERS:

Albert, C.R.      Albert, Geo  Albert, Jacob     Albert, Wm H.
Deihi, C.E     Eyier, H.  Hartie & Bro     Hawthorn, T. 
Lorshbaugh, Jacob     McCarter, G. Newman, Sam’l    South, David

Court Copy of the Will of Martin Kaffer Sr. (Keffer, Keefer)
Northumberland County
August 14, 1815
File No. K59
Will Book 2-285
(Martin Kaffer Will)

In the name of God amen. I Martin Kaffer senior of the Township Torbett, County of Northumb., and commonwealth of Pennsylvania, farmer, being old and weak in body but of sound mind and memory and understanding  (blessed be God for the same) but considering the uncertainty of this transitory life, do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following to wit......Principally and first of all I commend my immortal into God who gave it, and my body to the earth to be buried in a decent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executor herein after named; and as to the rich worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give and dispose of the same in the manner following to wit....... firstly, I give and devise unto my family the residue of my estate real and  personal of what kind or nature so ever in the County of Northumberland or else where in manner following .. I give and devise unto my Dear wife during her natural life, all the beds bedding household furniture and the living in the house we now occupy, with one half part of obligation in the article agreement given by my two sons Martin and John Kaffer and at her death the beds bedding and household furniture to be equally divided among the surviving heirs, our children: and Secondly, I give and bequeath unto my two sons Martin Kaffer and John Kaffer all my real estate in the county of Northumberland afo. or elsewhere agreeably to an article of agreement between us entered into and a division between them made of the same and likewise an equal share to each with the rest of my children hereafter to be mentioned of all my personal property belonging to me including that part left to my wife after her death... and thirdly I give and devise unto Peter Weaver who married my daughter Eva one equal undivided Ninth share of all my personal estate as reserved above after the deduction of sixteen pounds, four shillings and eight pence already paid him & fourthly I give and devise unto George Riffle who married Barbara my daughter one equal undivided ninth share as afo. after deducting fourteen pounds, ten shillings already paid him, and fifthly, I give and devise unto the lawful heirs of my daughter Caty Lushbach who was married to Henry Lushbach one equal ninth share as afo. and sixthly, I give and devise unto George Lushbach's widow and heirs being my daughter Maria one equal undivided ninth share as afo---and seventhly, I give and devise unto my son Joseph Kaffer one equal ninth share as afo. after deducting sixty one pounds pounds eleven shillings and four pence already paid him, eighthly, I give and devise unto Andrew Young, who married my daughter Matty, one equal ninth share as afo. after deducting forty seven pounds, two shillings already paid him, ninthly, I give and devise unto Archbald McCallister who married my daughter Margaret one equal ninth share as afo. after deducting twelve pounds ???? shillings already paid him, and tenthly, upon conditions a Catholic Church may hereafter be built within the Township of Turbett or Chillisquaque during the natural lives of my two sons Martin Kaffer and John Kaffer.........Out of the personal estate I give and devise toward the building the church of Ten pounds on the condition afo. and lastly I nominate this fifteenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and two, constitute and appoint my said two sons Martin Kaffer and John Kaffer with John Fietsworth Esq. to be the executors of this will hereby revoking all other wills , ?????, and bequests by me heretofore made and declaring this and no other to be my last will and testament. In witness I Martin Kaffer signed sealed Published, Pronounced and declared by the said Testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request has subscribed  as witness Martin ( X his mark)  Kaffer and (seal).Witness our hands as witnessed to the above Robert Taggart.  George Calhoun. Hugh Montgomery. Northumberland County ---...Be it remembered that on the 14th day August of this year of our Lord 1815, person ally appeared before me, John L. Finney, Register for said county, Robert Taggart and George Calhoun two of the subscribing witnesses to the above will and being duly sworn according to law did depose say that they were personally present and did see Martin Kaffer the Testator sign by making his mark, seal pronounce and declare the same as and for his last will and testament that at the time of so doing he the Testator was of sound mind and diposing memory as deponent believe that they witnessed the same in the presence of Testator and at his request and in the presence of Hugh Montgomery who witnessed the same in the presence of deponents and that the names Robert Taggart and George Calhoun subscribe there to as witnesses are of deponents hand writing Robert Taggart. George Calhoun sworn and subscribed  before  John L. Finney Reg.

Be it remembered--- That on the 14th day of August 1815 before me John L. Finney, Register was proved and approved the last will and testament of Martin Kaffer of Turbett Township Died of which the preceding is a true Copy, and that the testamentary in due and common form of law were granted unto Martin Kaffer and John Kaffer Executors therein mentioned. 

Witness my hand.
(Signed)
John L. Finney , Regr

Our County Court is still in session, and will not adjourn before the latter part of next week.  Tuesday last was occupied in the trial of Jacob Lorshbaugh, charged with setting fire, in December last, to the barn of Elie Beatty, esq. near Williamsport.  He was found guilty – Sentence not yet passed.  Counsel for the State, Mr. Lynch, district Attorney – for the prisoner, Messrs. Tidball, Geo. Schley, Spencer, Gaither, and Wm. Price.

Jacob Lorshbaugh, convicted at the recent term of our County Court, on the charge of having set fire to the barn of Elie Beatty, esq. near Williamsport, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in the Penitentiary.

To Test a City Ordinance. - There is an ordinance in Hagerstown prohibiting the hitching of teams on the west side of Potomac street, opposite the market house, during market hours.  Jacob Lorshbaugh, a butcher who occupies a stall in the market, was arrested for a violation of this ordinance, and Justice Bitner on Tuesday fined him one dollar and costs, the minimum penalty for its infringement.  The defendant entered an appeal to the circuit court, in order to test the validity of the ordinance and to determine whether the city council has authority to pass and enforce it.

Accused Charges Extortion. Arrested for Assault, Saloonist Alleges Attempt at Blackmail. Special to The Washington Post  Hagerstown, Md., Feb. 13 - Ross C. Lorshbaugh, charged with attempting to blackmail Louis Meyers, a local saloonkeeper, was arrested today and after a hearing committed to jail, in default of bail.

 Lorshbaugh had Meyers arrested for assault and Meyers charged Lorshbaugh with endeavoring to get money from him by threatening to go before the grand jury and have Meyers indicted for selling liquor to Max Lorshbaugh, a minor brother of Ross Lorshbaugh.  The testimony resulted in the arrest of Max Lorshbaugh for buying liquor when he knew he was a minor.

MOTHER AND TWO DAUGHTERS DEAD
Little Gladys Ernde, aged 6. Burned too were Mrs. Ernde and daughter, Miss Grace, aged 18, so badly burned they died. 

Three are dead as the result of a most distressing accident at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ernde, Pennsylvania Avenue, shortly after 7 o'clock Thursday evening, when a lamp was overturned and exploded. Little Gladys Ernde, aged 6 years, was burned to a crisp and life was extinct when the physicians arrived. Mrs. Ernde was so badly burned in her efforts to save her daughter that she expired at 11:15 o'clock Thursday night. Miss Grace Ernde, aged 19 years, was also badly burned in trying to aid in the rescue of her little sister. She lingered until 9:30 o'clock Friday morning, when she expired. Another daughter, Mrs. Bertha McCurdy, whose husband is in Washington, was burned about the hands. 

Mrs. Ernde, Gladys and Grace were in the dining room Thursday evening. Gladys was sitting in a chair at the table. The chair tilted and to save herself from falling the child grasped the table cloth, upsetting the lamp. The child fell and the lamp fell on top of her and exploded. The burning oil spread over her face and body and death came very soon. 

Mrs. Ernde ran to her child and tried to extinguish the flames. In doing so her own clothes caught fire. She rushed out in the back yard, where she was moving around when Policeman Williams, who was near the house on his beat, saw her and heard her screaming in agony. 
Officer Williams, seeing fire, started to turn in an alarm, but noticing that Mrs. Ernde herself was on fire he rushed in. Jerry Gossard, John Boward, Edward Munson and others also hurried to her aid. When they reached her she was a pillar of fire, the flames mounting several feet above her head. They tore off all her clothes and laid her on a piece of carpet in the yard and covered her with blankets. Mr. Munson probably saved her from immediate death by wrapping his overcoat around her. 

Miss Grace Ernde's clothes caught fire when she attempted to extinguish the blaze that was devouring her mother's clothes. She ran out the front door. Policeman Williams and several men tore off her outer garments, but not until she had been very seriously burned from the neck to the hips, back, sides and front. One leg was also badly burned. 
Mrs. McCurdy was burned while attempting to put out the fire in her mother's clothes. She was in another room when the explosion occurred. 

Policeman Williams called up Lieutenant Fridinger over the telephone and the latter summoned Drs. E. A. Wareham and S. M. Wagaman, both of whom attended the injured. Mrs. Ernde was shockingly burned. It is said there was not a spot on her body that was not burned. The child's eyes were burned out and the face was beyond recognition. 

In a short time a large crowd gathered at the house and neighbors did all in their power to relieve the sufferings of the injured until the physicians arrived. A telephone message was sent to the Juniors and they responded, as did the Pioneers, but no water was thrown. The room did not catch fire. A couple of holes were burned in the carpet where the lamp fell.

Mr. Ernde was on his way home when the tragedy occurred. He stood in the yard wringing his hands. He said if he had reached home five minutes earlier he might have saved the life of wife and child. Much sympathy is felt for the surviving members of the family. 

Mrs. Ernde was aged 51 years, 11 months and 17 days. She was a daughter of Hiram Tracey, a veteran of the Civil War, of Keedysville. He is now in an Old Soldiers' Home. Mrs. Ernde attended Zion Reformed Church. She has a brother, Charles Tracey, living in the West, but he has not been heard from for ten years. The following children survive: Lewis; Bessie, wife of Charles Reeder; Bertha, at home, wife of James McCurdy, Washington; William, Harry, Treber and Irene. Funeral of Mrs. Ernde and her two daughters Saturday at 3:15 pm; services at the house by Rev. Dr. J.B. Kieffer, interment in Rose Hill Cemetery. The following pallbearers were chosen: Fred Wiebel, Clyde Lorshbaugh, Walter Wolf, Jesse Bloom, David Homer, Richard Warner. 

Charles A. Ernde died on Saturday evening at the home of his son, Charles W. Ernde, 644 Pennsylvania Avenue, from apoplexy and infirmities, aged 64 years. He was a well known resident of this city, having conducted a sand bank here, but has been retired of late years. 

Dates: 1862/02/15 
C13: William A. Johnson vs. George S. Diffenderffer, Eliza M. Diffenderffer, Charles R. Diffenderffer, John R. Diffenderffer, and Margaret Diffenderffer, Luther M. Lorshbaugh, John H. Barth, and Malinda Barth. Petition to partition lots on Calvert, McKim, Brittain, Ensor, Neighbour, Bridge, Sterling, Valley, and Eager Sts., Harford Ave., and Orbet Alley. Plats 
Accession No.: 40,200-5933 
MSA No.: C 168- 1558 
Location: 2/16/6/70