This matchbook is one of the very few O'Toole Garage items I have ever seen up for sale. The four digit phone number probably dates this in the mid 1950's.

Probably not too many Thurmont residents remember when the O'Toole's had the garage on North Church Street at Woodside Avenue. The O'Toole brothers opened one of the first and longest running garages in Thurmont. The earliest advertisement I have seen in the Clarion was dated Oct. 8, 1914 when the business was known as the Thurmont Garage and owned by V. R. O'Toole. Over the years they sold many makes of automobiles, trucks and even farm tractors. This match book is probably from the early 1950's and advertises the garage and the Sunoco gas they sold. In later years Martin then Leisner owned the property and sold Ford vehicles. After Leisner closed up the showroom became Glenn Rickards TV Repair Shop, then an early computer/gaming store and several other small business including the final occupant, Looking Glass Antiques. The building was razed in a burn exercise for the GHC and plans were submitted to develop the corner but that never materialized. Today the lot sits vacant except for the parking areas that were part of the development plan.

I remember the Sunoco gas pumps when Leisner took over the place. I don't think they sold gas for long if any at all. The matchbook is in very good condition for being at least 65 years old.

This ad for the Thurmont Garage appeared in the Oct. 8, 1914 Catoctin Clarion. V. R. O'Toole owned the garage at this time and it would eventually be know as O'Toole's Garage.

This ad ran in the Clarion on July 28, 1921 and announced that the O'Toole's would be selling and servicing Ford automobiles.

This ad for O'Toole's Garage is from the Aug. 18, 1921 Clarion.

This ad from the Feb. 9, 1922 Catoctin Clarion lists some pretty nice prices for cars and trucks!

This ad for Richard O'Toole Photographer appeared in the Feb. 24, 1898 edition of the Catoctin Clarion. There are several photos that I am aware of that are attributed to O'Toole, these have his stamp on the back. Two of the images are the cabinet size and the other is a smaller size as noted in the ad. The O'Toole business was located on Boundary Avenue near the Stocksdale Warehouse.