Sam Long had this beautiful home on the left built across the street from his East Main Street shop. It still stands next to the Memorial Park and now houses Senior Benefits. This photo was taken by George Wireman.

Sam Long was well known in Thurmont for many years as the owner of Sam Long's Hardware & Grocery Store. Here is a photo of a metal advertising sign for Gosman's Ginger Ale featuring an ad at the bottom for Sam Long's place. This is an amazing sign in equally amazing condition. This sign may be old enough to have hung at Sam Long's East Main Street location. The only damages to the sign are where it was nailed up and around the thermometer. These were made from a sheet of heavy metal and hand painted or stenciled with ceramic coating and fired. These held up in the weather and unless they were chipped or bent they seldom show rust. This one even has a thermometer at the bottom. Gosman's Ginger Ale was made in Baltimore and was a pretty prominent local brand name. Thanks to a community friend for allowing me to share this wonderful item with everyone.

This is a back view of two tin cans from Sam Long's Hardware and Grocery Store. On the left is a can of cocoa powder and on the right is a can of Thurmont Brand Baking Powder. Many small groceries had cans custom labeled for sale in their shops. Note that both say the tins were packed for Sam Long's store in Thumont. Thanks to Debbie Danner Burrier for these great images.

Two tin cans from Sam Long's Hardware and Grocery Store. On the left is a can of cocoa powder and on the right is a can of Thurmont Brand Baking Powder. Many small groceries had cans custom labeled for sale in their shops. Thanks to Debbie Danner Burrier for these great images.

This handbill advertisement for Stocksdale & Bussard's Raw Bone Phosphate fertilizer is probably from the late 1880s. After the mid-1890s the business was known as Stocksdale's Warehouse. The front of the handbill is an interesting read, especially the Corner of Factory Avenue and Carroll Street address. In the June 1885 Factory Avenue was renamed Boundary Avenue. This was to correct some confusion regarding street names and Boundary Avenue has now been known as such for over 136 years.  

The back of the advertisement features some very prominent farming names in the Mechanicstown, Graceham, Lantz, Owens Creek, Creagerstown, Loys, Sabillasvile, Lewistown, Motters Station area. Most of the addresses are in communities served directly by the Western Maryland Railroad. Stocksdale & Bussard as well as many other warehouses were established next to the WMRR for ease of transportation of goods.

Thanks to Bobby Gray, Sr. for sharing this document.

The back of the advertisement features some very prominent farming names in the Mechanicstown, Graceham, Lantz, Owens Creek, Creagerstown, Loys, Sabillasvile, Lewistown, Motters Station area. Most of the addresses are in communities served directly by the Western Maryland Railroad. Stocksdale & Bussard as well as many other warehouses were established next to the WMRR for ease of transportation of goods.

Thanks to Bobby Gray, Sr. for sharing this document.

This is a calendar similar to the Sanner's Pharmacy with the pages on the hanger.

The backside of the Sanner's Pharmacy calendar hanger had this handy dandy wind chart used to predict the weather. Today when we wonder what the weather holds for us we check the Weather Channel on our smartphones, while our forefathers checked the back of a calendar hanger! 

Winger, Balje, McCaulley and now Sanner. The Rexall Pharmacy in Thurmont operated at the same location on 4 East Main Street under these names over the years. This is an advertisement from Sanner's Rexall in Thurmont. It is a calendar hanger for Dr. Miles Weather Calendar. It is meant to be reused each year, with a new calendar being placed over it yearly. I had not heard of Sanner's Rexall until recently and was wondering if anyone can tell me when it operated. I know that Winger's was there in the 1930's, McCaulley's was in the 1940's and Balje owned it during the second half of the 1950's. The Dr. Miles Calendars were in use from the 1920's through the 1950's. On the reverse of this hanger is a Wind Chart that tells you what the weather will be like based on the direction of the wind. The calendar pages had a slot in the top that the arched piece went through and the calendar was supported by the small tabs at the bottom. Note the instruction telling you not to tear off the leaf, but rather turn the leaf over and rehang the calendar. If you tore off the leaf the calendar would not stay on the hanger.