Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Panama Canal opened markets for Carroll County Maryland farmers

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Panama Canal opened markets for Carroll County Maryland farmers – Kevin Dayhoff Baltimore Sun

Panama Canal opened markets for Carroll farmers

By Kevin E. Dayhoff, February 17, 2014 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archives-0216-20140217,0,3710992.story

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2014/02/panama-canal-opened-markets-for-carroll.html

Labels: Ag, Ag History Carroll Co, Dayhoff Media Explore Carroll, History 1910s, World Central America Panama, World Central America Panama Canal

See more at: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2014/02/panama-canal-opened-markets-for-carroll.html#sthash.sigdCnaY.dpuf

The Panama Canal officially opened on Aug. 14, 1914, when the SS Ancon sailed the newly constructed 48-mile waterway from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. That path linking the two bodies of water on the Isthmus of Panama is mentioned a number of times in Carroll County history.

Distinguished international journalist Sadie Kneller Miller, who was born in Westminster, worked for many years for Leslie's Illustrated Weekly. She covered the early years of the building of the canal around 1908, according to research by Mary Ann Ashcraft for the Historical Society of Carroll County.

The opening of the canal gave a much-needed boost to Carroll County agriculture, as it shaved more than 7,000 miles off the trip by ship around South America to markets on the west coast of the United States and Asia for Carroll County corn, wheat, soybeans, canned goods and meat products.

The year the canal opened was a critical one in the history of Carroll County farming. It marked the end of an era that began in 1896 that agricultural historian Carol Lee referred to as the "Golden Age." … http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archives-0216-20140217,0,3710992.story

[…]

It seems that my invitation to join Biden and the mayor got lost in the mail.

So I took matters in my own hands and visited the canal, the port of Colon, and Panama City for a history tour this past January.

I also had a stopover for an eco-tour of portions of Costa Rica and San Jose. … http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archives-0216-20140217,0,3710992.story

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Recent columns and articles by Kevin Dayhoff in the Baltimore Sun

http://www.baltimoresun.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=Kevin+Dayhoff&target=adv_all

Panama Canal opened markets for Carroll farmers [Column]

By Kevin E. Dayhoff, February 17, 2014

... City, a vast collection of skyscrapers and a thriving economic center that may be best described as the Hong Kong of Latin and South America. If he is not showing pictures of his trip to Panama to friends

Wormseed was once a growing industry in the county [Eagle Archives]

By Kevin Dayhoff February 12, 2014

... College: 621 employees • Carroll County Commissioners: 587 employees • Carroll Community College: 509 employees • Evapco: 440 employees When he is not counting the days until spring…

When cigars meant major industry in Manchester [Column]

By Kevin Dayhoff, February 5, 2014

... received an imported breech-loading shotgun. Throughout his career he gave away 5,000 guns representing sales of 5,000,000 cigars!" When he is not admiring the artwork on the old cigar labels…

Carroll County faced threat of war in first month of new year [Eagle Archives] By Kevin Dayhoff, January 17, 2014

... life were the parking meters the Westminster Common Council had voted for in 1941. When he is not feeding the meters and shopping in Westminster's historic — and well-defended downtown — Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at .

Early radio in Carroll County [Eagle Archives]

By Kevin Dayhoff, December 2, 2013

... been too small for commercial success. It was at night, on the other hand, that radio listening really picked up." When he is not up late at night surfing the Internet looking for foreign radio stations, KevinDayhoff may be reached at

All signs point to shopping locally in Carroll County this Christmas season [neighborhood] By Kevin E. Dayhoff, December 11, 2013

... service, nothing can beat a locally owned store. Westminster Mayor Kevin Utz agrees: "Getting a little stir crazy? If you can safely ... not doing his Christmas shopping on Main Street in Westminster, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at

Westminster celebrated new year in 1897 with new train station [Eagle Archive] By Kevin E. Dayhoff, January 2, 2014

... Library. Sadly, for reasons not easily understood at this time, the station was unceremoniously torn down in 1961 and turned into a parking lot. When not watching the trains in historic downtown Westminster, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at

When a gift of oranges was a Christmas treat in Westminster [Eagle Archives] By Kevin Dayhoff, December 23, 2013

... assured of a horn, a rattler, or a whistle or whatever the gift may be…" Merry Christmas. When he's not singing "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," and enjoying eating his Christmas oranges, KevinDayhoff may be reached at

Carroll's Christmas celebrations tempered by news of war, Great Depression [Eagle Archive] By Kevin Dayhoff, December 30, 2013

... to arrest and punishment. Last Sunday evening there were crowds in front of both the Methodist Churches, and their conduct was disturbing to the worshipers." When not spending time in church on Sundays, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at

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