Maryland's Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area gets boost

The Hagerstown (Md.) City Council on Tuesday voted to approve expansion of the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. With so many local economies having been rocked by the loss in tourism due to the coronavirus, the city was looking for ways to replace some of that revenue. Hagerstown is home to some significant sites from the Civil War. WDVM article

Proposed trail along railroad debated

An effort to revive a Civil War rail trail in southern Washington County, Md., was met with opposition before its advocate even had a chance to address county officials. The proposed trail route would be about 24 miles long and run from Hagerstown's City Park to Weverton in the county's southern point. The northern end would run along an active railroad track, officials said. • Article

Hagerstown Civil War map goes digital

A Hagerstown, Md., map developed through a partnership between the city and Rose Hill Cemetery has gone digital, offering history buffs a chance to learn about the city's role in the Civil War no matter where they live. By clicking on dots showing historical markers, the online viewer will be able to see a photo and description of the site. Hagerstown was a major staging area for four Civil War campaigns. • Article

Clara Barton lives on as a bobblehead

Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, will be commemorated on 1,000 bobbleheads in a giveaway sponsored by the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the Hagerstown Suns baseball team.

The June 23 game will have a Civil War theme, given its proximity to the Antietam battlefield. • Article

Town makes pitch with bobblehead

A Civil War officer known as "the hero of Hagerstown" is being immortalized as a bobblehead.

The Hagerstown, Md. convention and visitors' bureau said Wednesday it will present bobblehead dolls of Capt. Ulric Dahlgren to the first 1,000 fans at the Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball game July 9.

Dahlgren led an outnumbered Union cavalry unit against Confederate forces in the streets of Hagerstown on July 6, 1863. • Article