Roam Maryland

04/26/2026

On April 26, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was killed by Union soldiers after a 12-day manhunt in Virginia. His death brought an end to one of the most dramatic pursuits in American history.
You can visit Booth’s grave at Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, where a small stone quietly signifies the final resting place of the man who changed the course of the nation.

https://www.roamyourhome.com/exploring-the-john-wilkes-booth-grave-in-maryland/

04/15/2026

On this day in 1914, famed Civil War correspondent George Alfred Townsend died. Best known by his pen name “Gath,” he covered some of the war’s biggest moments and later created Gathland, now one of Maryland’s most fascinating historic stops. Want to visit the place tied to his legacy? Read our article on Gathland State Park.
https://www.roamyourhome.com/gathland-state-park-a-visitors-guide/

04/12/2026

On April 12, 1912, America lost one of its great humanitarians. Clara Barton passed away. But her legacy lives on at the Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo, Maryland. Visiting the park preserves her home and is an inspiring glimpse into the life of a true humanitarian and founder of the American Red Cross. Check out our article about visiting the park. https://www.roamyourhome.com/clara-barton-national-historic-site-visitors-guide/

03/06/2026

On March 6, 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its infamous ruling in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case. The Court declared that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be U.S. citizens and that Congress had no authority to ban slavery in the territories. The decision deepened national divisions and pushed the country closer to the Civil War.

Roger Taney, the Supreme Court Chief Justice at the time, has been viewed as largely responsible for what is considered the worst ruling in the high court's history. Taney is buried St. John's Catholic Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland.

03/04/2026

"The Star-Spangled Banner" became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
To this day, few sights stir the heart like seeing the original Star-Spangled Banner — the very flag that inspired America’s national anthem. On display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., this 30-by-42-foot flag flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, surviving the bombardment that moved Francis Scott Key to write the words we still sing today.

Walking into the National Museum of American History, one of the first things you see is Flag Hall. It’s here that the original Star‑Spangled Banner can be viewed. Its tattered stripes and reduced number of stars tell a vivid story of endurance and symbolism. A Brief History of the Star‑Spangl...

02/06/2026

On February 6, 1895, Babe Ruth—one of baseball’s greatest legends—was born in Baltimore, Maryland. From his towering home runs to his larger-than-life personality, Ruth changed the game forever and became an enduring symbol of American sports.

You can step back in time by visiting his birth home in Baltimore, where the story of the “Sultan of Swat” began. Walking through the neighborhood where he grew up gives a real sense of the roots of this baseball icon.
Learn more at the link in the comments.

01/30/2026

Born on this day in 1841, George Alfred Townsend — better known by his pen name “Gath” — grew into one of America’s most colorful Civil War journalists, filing dramatic, front-line reports that helped shape how the nation understood the war as it unfolded.

He wasn’t just a reporter… he was a storyteller, traveling with troops, chasing battle smoke, and turning history into gripping headlines decades before modern war correspondents were a thing.

Later in life, Townsend built a stone retreat in the South Mountain hills of Maryland — a place he called Gathland — complete with towers, terraces, and the striking War Correspondents Memorial Arch, honoring the journalists who covered the Civil War.

Today you can wander that very landscape at Gathland State Park. Walk the wooded trails, explore the ruins of his estate, and stand beneath the arch where journalism and history literally meet. It’s quiet, scenic, and one of Maryland’s coolest hidden-history stops.

Gathland State Park is unique and often overlooked park that protects a large monument dedicated to the memory of journalists killed during the Civil War. The park is an easy drive from both Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland. It could also easily be a day trip from Washington D.C. or Baltimore. I v...

01/28/2026

On this day... January 28th 1845... Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven was first published, appearing in the New York Mirror; a melancholy evocation of lost love, it became one of the best-known poems in American literature.
Today you can have a drink where Poe had his last at the The Horse You Came In On Saloon in Baltimore. We certainly had one of heck of good time there. Read more at link below. https://www.roamyourhome.com/the-horse-you-came-in-on-poes-last-stop-at-the-oldest-bar-in-the-usa/

01/06/2026

Teddy Roosevelt passed away on this day in 1919... If you are in the DC area, make time to check out his monument. It is often overlooked in favor of the more well known ones directly on the National Mall.

11/22/2025

John Hanson of Frederick, Maryland, who sometimes argued as the “First President”, passed away on this day in 1783. This is a bit of forgotten history, but before George Washington, John Hanson served as the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation in 1781. While his role wasn’t the same as the later presidential office, he helped shape the early government that paved the way for the U.S. Constitution. Today, there is a memorial to Maryland's forgotten founding father in Frederick.

10/26/2025

The Clara Barton National Historic Site in Maryland was established on this day, October 26th, 1974.

The Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo, Maryland, is a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts, particularly anyone interested in the life and legacy of one of America’s greatest humanitarians. This site preserves the former home of Clara Barton, the founder of the American Re...