Interviewer: Kenny Sholes
Interviewee: Ginger Hoffacker
Date: 21 May 2020
Tell me about your family background? How did you end up here in the Ag Reserve?
Ginger was born and raised in Beallsville, just down the street from what many know as Staubs Restaurant (today it is Colony Yard Supply). Ginger’s mom was from the Cooley Family (a well-established family in these parts) and grew up on a farm in Comus near Sugarloaf Mountain.
When her mother was older, Ginger’s grandfather purchased property in Beallsville from Roy Bodmer (who happened to be the Captain for the Montgomery County Police Department) where the Cooleys built their retirement home next door to the Bodmer residence. The Bodmer’s son had left Poolesville High School early to fight in WWII and when he returned home he joined the police force, reporting to his father. He then fell in love and married the girl next door.
As a result, throughout her upbringing, Ginger lived with her parents and grandparents right next door to her other grandparents home.
What type of work were you involved with while growing up in the Ag Reserve?
Ginger’s aunt and uncle were the original Staub’s, and she believes she spent half of her time there growing up – both working and just spending time. She remembers when there were gas pumps in front the restaurant and that there were cars sold in the parking lot next to Staubs before the restaurant came along. Additionally, as a teenager, Ginger worked in Barnesville at the Arabian horse museum (where the Barnesville School is now located).
Describe school here in the Ag Reserve:
When Ginger was growing up in the Ag Reserve, Poolesville High School was a K-12 school and very small. In graduating class of 1968, there were 68 students. Everyone knew everyone – not just in the class, but in the entire school. Ginger remembers the high school as the central social point for the community. As a cheerleader, Ginger remembers travelling to the University of Maryland to cheer on the basketball team (which was very good in the 1960s) at the state championship game. Back then, high schools travelling to play at Poolesville thought it was at the end of the earth and referred to it as “the hick school.” Additionally, the “new” gym at the high school had not been built, so all indoor sports were played in the much smaller “old” gym at the school.
She also remembers that the when the track was built at the high school, it was a big deal. Ginger jokes about how terrible the required gym uniforms were at that time and how everyone was required to take a shower after gym class.
Do you remember any significant places where people shopped/ate/spent time?
Ginger points to the Selby’s grocery store as one of the main businesses in Poolesville back in those days. At that time, the Selby family would allow families to pay for groceries on a weekly basis using a ticket system. Ginger remembers running into Selby’s on the weekends with the ticket of what her mom had purchased during the week to pay for the items. Ginger commented that she believes the Selbys actually continued to use that system for many decades (even though some didn’t know about it) to help ensure local families could put food on the table and pay when they were able.
In the 1960’s, Titus’ Tasty Cupboard (where Bassett’s is now located) was where all high schoolers went to hang out after school each day. Ginger remembers everyone ordering french fries and a coke.
Also, there was a teen club in an old mill building that was located somewhere near where Café 107 is now. Ginger remembers the club holding dances and playing music.
Describe any contentious issues in the Ag Reserve when you were growing up:
The desegregation of public schools was a very big deal here. Ginger remembers being very proud of her dad, who was one of the uniformed police officers enforcing desegregation of Poolesville High School in the first few days. It was a difficult time, with lots of tension across the county but also here in the Ag Reserve. Ginger remembers her parents discussing arguments and fights over the issue between Poolesville residents at local stores and the barber shop.
Ginger remembers Staubs as having a small separate room where African Americans would have to eat their meals. A really kind African American man named Lawrence worked at Staubs and she remembers him grabbing his food from the kitchen before eating his lunch in the tiny room. At the time, it just seemed normal, but looking back, Ginger notes how crazy it now seems. She also remembers her mom selling door-to-door cosmetics and having lots of customers who became good friends in the Jerusalem African American community just outside of Poolesville.
Biggest change in the Ag Reserve since you’ve been here?
Ginger highlights the growth in population as the biggest change she’s seen. She laughingly remembers that when she was raising her family in the Wesmond neighborhood, she was very upset when construction began on the Seneca Chase neighborhood. Looking back, she made great friends in Seneca Chase once it was built. As Ginger notes, change and growth is always hard, but we have such a wonderful community here for children to grow up, it’s really no surprise that more and more families want to live here – and that’s a great thing!
In 2080 the Ag Reserve will be 100 years old. What do you hope it looks like? What do you think it will look like?
Ginger is optimistic that in 2080, the Ag Reserve will look very similar to the way it does now. There will probably be more growth within Poolesville town limits and an increased number of large homes in the countryside, but generally speaking, it will have a similar look and feel. As Ginger notes, if you look back to the 1950s, the outlying areas look much the same today as they did then (minus a few specific sites).
