Looking Back

From the unsolved to the unusual. From the historical to the hysterical. From the famous to the friendly. This is life in the Maryland mountains.Did you know that a Russian prince once worked as a priest in Cumberland?Have you heard the story about the German POW camp near Flintstone during WWII?Do you know about the mining wars that were fought to try and unionize the coal mines in the Georges Creek region?Do you know the story behind Cumberland's only lynching?Have you heard the story about the baseball game played between the Cumberland Colts and the New York Yankees?These are the stories of Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland found in old newspapers, history books and other places. It's the stories of people who tamed the mountains, established cities, raised families and lived their lives.Journey back in time and look beyond the photos that so well document the region's history. This collection of 40 stories spans 220 years of life in Western Maryland. Originally published in the Cumberland Times-News and Allegany Magazine, some of these stories have been expanded as new information has been uncovered and new photos accompany some of the stories.

James Rada, Jr. is the author of seven novels. These include the historical novels Canawlers, October Mourning, Between Rail and River and The Rain Man. His other novels are Logan s Fire, Beast and My Little Angel. He works as a freelance writer who lives in Gettysburg, PA. James has received numerous awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, Associated Press, Maryland State Teachers Association and Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc. for his newspaper writing.