|
Nestled along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains,
lays a small town that I call home. This community has been
my home for my entire life. The town of Hancock is located
in Western Maryland at the narrowest area of the panhandle. It
is located less than two hours west of our nation's Capital
and just a short drive to several major cities.
The town is
rich in history. To its north is the Mason-Dixon line and to
the
south is the Potomac River. The town was founded nearly three hundred years ago
as a post for frontier settlers. It is said that George Washington visited the
town and stayed in a place known as Flint's Chance, which is just west of the
town limits and is currently known as Cohill Manor. The town began as a major
trade route to the western frontier. The C&O Canal was built in the early
19th century and further promoted the town as a trading center. The town's location
has continued to carry on this tradition as a stopping place for travelers and
those seeking the area's history.
The hospitality of the community remains strong.
There are several nice restaurants including Weaver's Restaurant, The Lockhouse
and the nationally recognized Park
n Dine. There are a number of unique shops that carry something for everyone.
For the outdoors man, Hendershot's Sporting Goods carries nearly everything
for hunters and fishermen. There are jewelry shops, video stores,
auto parts and
hardware stores. There are a number of activities which people can get involved
in. There are Little League and Junior football leagues, girls softball, hunting
and fishing. You can spend the day hiking or biking on the Rail Trail or the
C&O Canal towpath. There are scouting groups for boys and girls. There
are also volunteer groups for adults. The community also has numerous churches.
The
school system has a lot to offer. The Hancock Middle/Senior High School
is one of the smallest public schools in Maryland. Many would say that this
is a
disadvantage, but I believe it is a great learning place. In our school,
students aren't just another face. Teachers take interest in all
students, knowing each
by name. The small size offers the benefit of more personalized education.
The school has sports and other programs that any student can become involved
in
as long as they want to participate.
I like that Hancock is still a small
town where I can walk down the street and feel safe. As communities
to our east continue to grow, it is inevitable
that
Hancock cannot be too far behind. I want to be able to be a part of the
future of this community. My goal is to become a high school teacher
so that I can
help provide the young people of our town the quality education needed
to be successful
in a changing environment. I want to be able to provide tomorrow's residents
many of the same opportunities that I have been so richly blessed with
growing up in Hancock, MD.
............................................................................................................................
MEMORIES OF A SMALL TOWN
by Jennifer L. Willison - 2006
I have lived in the petite town of Hancock all of my 18 years. I have traveled just
about every back road and seen just about everything there is to see in this tiny town.
We have 39 seniors graduating from my high school this year. I have played sports
with the same small group of people since we first started in elementary school. If you are thinking it sounds like I live in one of the smallest towns and attend one of the smallest schools in Washington county I would have to say you are probably right.
However, I wouldn't change that for the world.
My father grew up in Frost burg, MD where he met my mother from Cumberland, MD. They decided to start a family and wanted to move somewhere that would be closer to my father's work in the Frederick, MD area. They considered Myersville but fell in love with the friendly, caring atmosphere of Hancock. So they made some sacrifices and settled down in this quiet town, and am I ever thankful that they did. It really gives me a sense of family living here. I know mostly everyone in town and most everyone knows me. I really like having a close knit community because the support I receive from everyone really helps motivate me in everything I do. For instance, sporting events are always packed with loyal Hancock friends, family, and fans. This is especially important to me because I am a basketball player and having crowd support is a confidence buster as well as an inspiration because you get to see all of the people you are playing for, and watch their reactions to your hard play and for an athlete, that really shows you that your hard work does pay off.
Coming from a small town means that your high school is also going to be small, not to mention your class size and the student to teacher ratio. Like I said earlier, I am apart of one of the smallest classes to graduate from Hancock Middle Senior High School. With only 39 seniors it is evident that we have all formed strong bonds with each other that will last a lifetime. Yes, you have this in all schools, however, it is extremely special in ours because when we are older and look at pictures of our Junior/Senior Prom and funny snap shots of the last day of our sophomore year, we will be able to remember every one in the picture because of the closeness of everyone in the class, not just our special click. Also I don't think there is any teacher in my school that I have not had a one on one conversation with. The student/teacher ratio in our school really makes it a good atmosphere to learn and get the best out of your education.
Another advantage to living in a small town such as Hancock is the work force. I am a full time student at HHS and a three sport athlete, therefore, my work time is limited. I hold a summer job at the Hancock Pool where I lifeguard and teach swimming lessons. The same peoples children I teach are the people that I see on a daily basis around the community. This gives them a sense of security knowing that their child is being taught, not by a stranger, but by an upstanding community member. Also working at the pool brings back memories of my childhood because now I am employed at the very place that I spent so many long hours playing as a kid. Hancock really gives me a sense of identity, family, and security. I know that when I go away to college next year at Hood College in Frederick, MD I will always have a place I can come back to and find a memory around every corner.
.............................................................................................................................
GROWING UP IN HANCOCK - FANTASTIC
by Dylan Shives - 2006
I am enrolled at Hancock Middle-Senior High and I am also involved in the ESSENCE Program through Hagerstown Community College. During my involvement with this program, I have completed courses in Public Speaking, Sociology, Psychology, and Personal Health, which have resulted in 12 college credits.
My parents are Emlynn and Stephanie Shives who have owned and operated Shives' Pizza for 36 years. My family has been long-time residents of Hancock with a brief residence in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. On January 19, 1990 when I was 1 1/2 years old, we moved "back home" where we current reside at 115 East Main Street. My home is located 50 feet from the Western Maryland Rails to Trails and only 300 yards from the Potomac River. Both places that have been much enjoyment to me.
During the winter season, in my childhood, I thoroughly enjoyed and cherish the memories of sled riding at the high school. It was also during this season that I became involved with the youth basketball program at Hancock Elementary. The skills taught and the friendship incurred was tremendous. Basketball has always been a favorite sport of mine which motivated me to play one year on Hancock's junior varsity team and three years on the varsity level. Outside the school's environment, there always seemed to be other constructive activities to become involved in and one that I totally have enjoyed has been the town's Winterfest.
Through the spring, I can recall taking part in the local Jaycee's Easter Egg hunt, fishing for trout in Hancock Widmeyer Memorial Par, T-ball at Kirkwood Park followed by four years playing Little League Baseball at Gerber Field. What a magnificent field and I can now appreciate the time and energy taken by the many volunteers to maintain this fantastic facility. One of the most memorable and learning experiences was being asked to assist Coach Jeff Spielman during basketball camp held at Hancock Middle-Senior High School.
As with any youth, summertime was especially enjoyable and busy. I can still visualize and hold dear the time spent swimming at the Hancock Pool, the 3-on-3 basketball tournaments sponsored by the Hancock Police Department, the Fireman's Carnival and, enjoying relaxing hours fishing at the river.
Finally, the beautiful and cool days of the fall season arrived but still, activities were plentiful. Hunting with my uncle, brother, and dad, the community's Trick or Treat night, playing football with the Hancock Raiders and progressing to high school football, taking part in the Rotary Club's Fishing Rodeo, and walking around spending time with friends during the Lion's Club Canal Apple Festival. Fall wouldn't be complete without the Rotary sponsored Hancock Halloween Parade. Family and relatives would come together bringing their specially designed and decorated pumpkins that were displayed on our porch for all to see and enjoy. Later, we would settle down in our "front row" seats on our porch to enjoy a large and entertaining parade.
Even though I am young, I feel very fortunate to live in a community that provides its youth with many activities to enjoy. I don't know what life would have been like if it were not for the town's volunteers that take time to beautify the town with flowers; the civic organizations who plan fun events' and, the people who genuinely care about YOU and always seem to have a smile.
I am now employed at the Sheetz Store in Hancock to earn money that will be used to help defray future college expenses. It is my plan to continue my education at Hagerstown Community College majoring in Administration of Justice and later, transfer to a four-year college to earn a B.S. Degree. My occupational desire is to become employed in the law enforcement field....Who knows, maybe with the Hancock Police Department.
Growing up in Hancock can simply be categorized as FANTASTIC and I am proud to be a member of this community.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GROWING UP IN HANCOCK, MARYLAND
by Tye Souders - 2007
One of the nicest towns in all of Western Maryland is the town of Hancock. Living in this town for eighteen years, I have noticed the community change with businesses opening and closing and new people moving in, and yet this town has maintained its image of a friendly municipality in the Appalachian Mountains.
My family, the Souders, have great historical ties to the town of Hancock, My great-grandfather, Charles Souders, his son, Carl, and his son (my father), Daniel, all grew up in this town. My grandfather had only an eighth-grade education in which he left school to work for his family during the Great Depression in the 1930s. He also witnessed the great flood in town in 1936. Both my father and I had our first jobs in Hancock. My father helped to pick fruit on the orchards just west of town in the 1960s. I began working at a local grocery store in town in 2005.
Because Hancock is a small community, major crimes are not an immediate threat to the neighborhood. Unlike the cruel homicides and burglaries that occur on a daily basis in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, this quiet neighborhood experiences very little serious crime, with only a few incidents every year. It is good to know that Hancock is a nice town to raise one's children and a good place to feel free to walk about and shop downtown stores or enjoy a day in the park. Everyone can feel safe when they are in public while in Hancock.
Another quality to a small town is the ability to know a person by name when you see them in a store or pass them on the street. In some major urban areas, people are unaware of who lives in their own apartment complex or who lives over on the next block. While living most of your life in Hancock, you are able to know who your neighbors are and you can easily recognize the local people while outing in Hancock. In addition, knowing your neighbors creates the same sense of large family in which everyone helps everyone else. After Hurricane Ivan passed through, several basements in the homes along my block were flooded. I noticed neighbors helping each other to get through this hardship, an example of good that can come out of knowing each other in a small-town community.
In my personal opinion, Hancock is located in the most scenic region in the State of Maryland. Taking a drive west on I-68, one will pass through the Sideling Hill cut and experience the geologic history of the area, an can experience the magnificent overlooks from the five mountains between Hancock and Cumberland. Bikers can also enjoy the Rail Trail and towpath along the C&O Canal.
Hancock is a marvelous place to raise a family. I know I have enjoyed my time growing up in Hancock, and would like to return to the area after graduating from the Pharmacy school in Baltimore.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIVING IN HANCOCK
by Dustin Hull - 2007
Hancock may have the smallest school in Maryland, but it gives the best education. I would rather be at Hancock than at a school with 300 kids in the graduating class. Hancock is a place where everybody knows everybody, which can be both good and bad. Many people believe that since you go to Hancock you do not receive as good of an education as at other schools, but that fails to be the case. As a student at Hancock, you receive personal help whenever needed, and you build wonderful relationships with your teachers. Where as at other schools, the only thing teachers know about their students are their names. Hancock has more of a learning friendly environment, where each student receives their own personal help whenever they need it. If a student is having trouble with a certain subject, they can just go to the teacher and ask for help, and the teacher always has time to help. As far as I know, this is a unique trait for the educational program at Hancock.
I love being part of the programs at Hancock, because we are always the underdogs. Every single game we step out onto the field or court expected to lose. We never give up though, we keep on pushing through, and losing is just not acceptable. Every year is a new challenge, whether it is finding enough kids to participate or just being able to compete. Sometimes this may be difficult since we only have 175 students in the high school,but we find ways to persevere. No just isn't an answer, we do what we are capable of until the very end. I have never been part of a team here at Hancock that has quit. Even if the basketball team is losing by 40 points, every single player on the team will give everything they have until the final buzzer. This is just the instinct of all Hancock athletes.
I am exuberant that I had to chance to grow up in Hancock and experience what I have. Many people say they want to leave Hancock and never come back, but I don't fee that way. I will be leaving for college, but I will come back all the time. Hancock is a very peaceful place, and doesn't have all the hustle and bustle of all over the bigger cities. Hancock is a place to build relationships that will last forever. I will come back to my class reunion and remember everybody's names, and most other schools can't say that. Hancock is a wonderful place to live and I have no regrets about living here. I have never wished I lived somewhere else; after all no other town is as great as Hancock.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIVING IN HANCOCK
by Danny Mauk - 2008
Living in Hancock has been more ethan just a rewarding experience; it has made me who I am today .Hancock is the picture perfect image of small town America; a place where you don't have to incessantly worry about crime, you can develop close personal ties with your neighbor, and stay preoccupied with activities which won't lead down the wrong path.
Hancock is one of the safest neighborhoods I have ever been in and it has been a pleasure growing up here. The police officers are truly dedicated to their work and remain involved in the town so there not just another face passing by. I have never once felt threatened in my 18 years of Hancock because of the protection officers like T.J. Buskirk and his dog Rambo provide.
Hancock is a place where you can truly get to know everyone around you. This presents a variety of different personalities and people to come to know, and each person can become a true friend. Not many people in this town are hard to get along with, so I have not felt like I have ever needed a friend, someone is always there. I play on the football team and the party Debbie Cohill throws every year during the season has been a highlight of my time here. Those are the type of people who live in Hancock.
Hancock also provides plenty of activities to keep out of trouble. The Barge Bash, Winter Festival, Carnival, Canal Apple Days and Halloween Parade are great ways to have fun and have given me some of my favorite memories. Not only that, but places like the park, the pool and the rails and trails are there for constant enjoyment. Hancock is not the largest of towns but it manages to have big time activities.
My life in Hancock has so far given me the best moments of my life. From birth to graduation it has truly been an honor to consider myself a member of this community. I plan to continue living in Hancock and continuing to bask in the rewarding experiences it offers. Any person from another community should be envious of the opportunities I've had just because I live in Hancock.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THOUGHTS ON LIVING IN AND/OR GROWING UP IN HANCOCK
by Richard Strong - 2008
As far back as I can remember I have always loved Hancock. When I was young I used to live with my mother in Prince George's County. But every other day and every other weekend I was with my dad who would bring me to Hancock for visits. In the summer he would let me spend a week here to attend Adventures in Friendship Camp. During the 4-5 summers I did this I made a lot of very good friends and I became quite fond of this little Town. Each time I visited it became harder to go home. In the summer of 2004 I came to volunteer as a member of Adventures Camp and things worked out so I could live with relatives here and I never had to return to the city. I had made so many friends during my visits that when I started school I 'did not feel like the new kid in town. I became a part of the Hancock High School Football Team, the Hancock High School Track and Field Team, and the Hancock Panther Marching Band. Recently I have been able to volunteer as a stage hand for the Arts Council.
In addition to liking the people in this town I also like that Hancock has mountainous surroundings making in a more enjoyable environment. The weather is always great; it becomes very cold in the winter and very enjoyable weather in the summer. Another good thing about Hancock is that being in a small town makes gathering basic needs very easy. Everything you need is within walking distance.
Living in the country is very different than living in the city. In the city there is a very high crime rate. While living there I heard police and/or ambulance sirens all hours of the day and night. That is just a regular sound that you must get used to when you live in the city. Now the most noise I hear at night is the train down near the river. Crimes in school were bad in the city. At least once a week a student was escorted out of the school by police officers for carrying drug paraphernalia or for assaulting another student or teacher. I have lived both ways and I can tell you that there is a lot to be thankful for here.
Living in Hancock and being an active part of this community has made an incredible impact on who I am today. As a small boy I always thought that Hancock was the greatest place to live and now I now that it is. In deciding my career goals I wanted to choose a field that I would not only enjoy but one that would allow me to find acceptable employment within a reasonable commute of Hancock. Now that I am here
I have no plans of leaving. After completing my education I want to stay right here and hope to someday give back to a community that has given a lot to me in many ways.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
