Interviewer: Kenny Sholes
Date: 11 June 2020
What brought you to the Ag Reserve?
Jane’s family moved to the Ag Reserve (near Barnesville) in 1957. Her father asked a large landowner for an acre of land, where he built the family home. Jane’s father was a farmer, then a carpenter, specializing in wood working. Everyone in the Barnesville area knew that if something needed to be fixed, Bill Thompson was the guy to call. He was always out of the house helping neighbors. Jane’s mother had polio as a child, but it didn’t stop her from running the home. Jane remembers her mother canning and freezing a year’s supply of vegetables grown in their family garden.
What was it like growing up here in the Ag Reserve?
When she was young, neighbors moved in with horses. Jane always loved horses, and was able to ride their’s, spending her days wandering around fields and the backroads at Sugarloaf Mountain – many of the same fields she explores today. Back then the land was wide open, but now there are more homes and property lines to consider before wandering. Luckily, her newer neighbors have largely been friendly and willing to still allow her to travel through their properties on her explorations.
What was school like when you were growing up in the Ag Reserve?
Jane attended K-12 grades (aside from two years at Monocacy Elementary and one year at Poolesville Elementary) in the building that is now Poolesville High School. She remembers the somewhat long bus ride to and from school each day and the fact that she had the same bus driver for the entire time she was at Poolesville. In high school, Jane remembers a tradition where seniors would trade places with teachers for a day. She played the role of guidance counselor. Outside of the classroom, Jane was a cheerleader and she remembers the high school having an incredibly strong basketball team. She remembers the Future Farmers of America (FFA) fairs at the school and the PTA horse show in Barneville that was held for a number of years. When asked where she would hang out with friends after school, Jane laughs and remembers that her mother was very strict and would make her come straight home after school, unless there was a meeting to attend at the school.
After graduating from High School, Jane went to Montgomery College for a year. One day her English teacher, former Congresswoman Connie Morella, talked about teaching at a small high school in the western part of the county, called Poolesville. And how many students did farm chores before coming to class.
There’s been a lot of discussion in Poolesville lately about the desegregation of public schools in the 1950s and 1960s. Do you have memories of this?
In 4th grade, Monocacy Elementary School opened. Jane remembers that African American students were in her classroom, but she doesn’t have any recollection of the issue being discussed. However, She does remember seeing discrimination in high school. Travelling home from school one day and sitting in the back seat of her brother’s car, they came across three black teenagers being chased by another teenager with two dogs. Jane’s brother pulled over, the three men jumped into the back of the car and her brother took them home. Jane also remembers travelling to Thurmont for a basketball game. The Poolesville basketball team was predominately black, and Jane remembers the crowd not being particularly friendly. When the game ended, the bus had to pull up as close to the school as possible so the players could get onto the bus without being harassed by the crowd.
Could you talk about any businesses you remember frequenting when growing up here in the Ag Reserve?
Jane remembers that for groceries, her family would travel to the A&P in Frederick, where items seemed to be cheaper than in Montgomery County. However, for quick grabs, you could go to Thomas’ in Barnesville, which was basically a general store but more expensive than the chains. Jane also has fond memories of the book mobile that would frequently park in Barnesville. As a teenager, Jane worked at Comus Inn from the time she was 15. Saving up money she made at Comus Inn paid for her college.
What do you think/hope the Ag Reserve might look like in 2080?
Jane is hopeful that the Ag Reserve will maintain its general feel over the next 60 years and hopes that more small farms are operating on the land. She has concerns with the price of land and housing and how that might push people out of the area or prevent new lower income residents.
