After all, what’s in a name?  In this case - EVERYTHING!

Jim and I love to meet new people.  We delight in engaging them in conversation and finding out their stories.  We are also constantly reminded that the world is actually very small if you find the many ways that you can connect with total strangers.  After all, a stranger is just a friend you don’t know yet!

Recently Jim was on the hunt for the materials that we would use on Runaway Ridge for our decks and front porch floor boards.  He had done a lot of research on product compositions, features and costs.  He finally came to the conclusion that we should use a product called MoistureShield  https://www.moistureshield.com/  (more about the product in a later post).

He ordered some samples for us to check it out, test out the claim that it would stay cooler than other competitors products, and select colors.  We waited anxiously to receive these samples and move forward with acquiring and installing the material.

During the sample request process, the manufacturer got Jim in contact with Tori Bromley of Ladiesburg Lumber & Supply.  Tori, and Ladiesburg Lumber & Supply, were recommended as one of the leading distributors of the MoistureShield product.  Jim had several calls and email correspondence with Tori over a few weeks time as he got specifications confirmed and pricing quoted.  Tori really knows her product and was a wonderful source of information.  When the time came to place our order, we knew we were in very capable hands.

In addition to the technical side of their conversations, Jim and Tori discussed our project up on Runaway Ridge and soon they were talking about various aspects of our build.  As with many interactions that we have had with vendors, reps, and other customer service folks over the course of our project - you start to develop business friendships and look forward to getting to know these professionals as friends over time.

Our order was large enough that Jim made several trips to Ladiesburg driving our full size truck and pulling a 16’ trailer behind.  It was a little nerve wracking at times with a fully loaded trailer but well worth each trip.

I accompanied him on one of these adventures.  I was looking forward to meeting the lady whose delightful voice I had overheard on several of his phone calls with her.  Tori was even more engaging and animated in person and I’m so glad we met!

During this quick visit (while Jim worked with Tori’s crew to load our material onto the trailer), I quizzed Tori about the novelty of the name of the business and the town they are in.  She shared several stories with me and I later sent her a series of questions in an email so that she could give me more details and information.  Her answers captivated my imagination and they were just too good not to share!

The name of your business and the little town it is in are very unique.  Can you tell me anything about its history?

Yes, I would love to share the unique history of Ladiesburg and New Midway in Frederick County, Maryland. When we first opened Ladiesburg Lumber and Supply, I was given permission to metal detect the grounds. Though we were looking for Civil War relics (since the town is only miles from Union General Meade’s headquarters) we ultimately found a small object that I wouldn’t realize correlated with the history of the town until 2 months later. A fellow amateur historian and local customer happened to share a story with me and during the telling of the tale I had an ‘aha’ moment about the small tin I had found. He proceeded to tell me that the town had been named for the one man and seven women who lived here in the 1800s. The customer proceeded to tell me this was a brothel of sorts and hence the name Ladiesburg began. Here is where my ‘aha’ moment came into play.

The tin I had found about 6” in the ground was labeled as ‘3 Merry Widows’, ‘Price $1’ and ‘Selected – Tested’. It was a prophylactic tin from the first manufacturers – 3 actual widows! Rumor has it that gentlemen would disembark the train in Ladiesburg to meet the “Ladies”. I can only speculate if this is true, but it sure makes for a fun story with a little tin as possible proof! The train still travels the tracks each day but now with a different type of passenger – building materials and rocks from the quarry. Just up the road from Ladiesburg is the equally small town of New Midway, MD where the original Post Office, with boxes from the early 20th century, still operates in what was the Rose Jelly Salve Co. building from the 1800s. The Rose Jelly Salve company produced a wonder salve for many years (you can even find original tins with salve online).

Part of this complex was the Indian Motorcycle dealership which predated the first Ford Dealership in the entire area (it took over the Indian location). We have the original parts counter from the Ford dealership in our store which I lovingly brought back to its glory (at least the brass parts). There are 2 small bullet holes in the front of the case – more history that I hope to uncover one day.

Both Ladiesburg and New Midway have a claim to fame as George Washington rode through them on his way to Philadelphia which can be seen on a history marker in New Midway.

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So, there’s obviously a strong connection to the trains that run through town!  Do they still come through?  What types of trains?  Do they stop here anymore?  Was there ever a train station or depot or did passengers just get off the train when it would stop on the tracks? 

The Maryland Midland Line continues to operate trains through Ladiesburg today with many loads going to Lehigh Cement Plant in nearby Union Bridge, MD. I love the sound of the whistle when it goes by!

At one point, there was a train station called Ladiesburg Station. I have not been able to find any pictures or additional details, but I can surely picture the train station with the men disembarking and the ladies waiting nearby!

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How long has the town been established here? 

Ladiesburg started as a small village of 8 residents as of the 1810 Census (1 man and 7 women – not sure if this matches with the dates on the condom tin but we will let that one slip 😉) and grew to a whopping 77 residents, 2 bars, a Post Office and a small grocery by the mid-20th century.  Now, other than a few farms and houses, it’s just Ladiesburg Lumber and Supply. 

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What made you locate the business here?

Frederick county has seen exponential growth in the last decade which limited locations that had enough land for a lumber yard and warehouse. This location had everything we were looking for – land, a large warehouse and room for the store and over 2500 sq ft of showrooms. The pond with its island outback was a bonus!

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What's the best thing about having your own business?  Why construction materials?

I am honored to be considered an owner but believe it or not I am just an employee. Now, with that said, I was the first person to make a sale and consider this venture as my own (even if it's not). I spent my childhood in lumber yards and hardware stores acting as my fathers ‘eyes’ since he is blind. On top of this, having a farm and not being afraid to get my hands dirty has allowed me to learn the trade and materials. I am beyond passionate when it comes to building products, but Composite Deck Boards are my favorite. They don’t call me Deck Board Diva for nothing 😉

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What's the one thing you would tell people to do if they were visiting Ladiesburg?

Well that’s easy – stop by Ladiesburg Lumber and Supply to say hi, sit a spell on one of the showroom decks and hopefully make a good friend along the way.

Here’s a follow up “funny story” (her words) that Tori sent to us about a week after our “interview” with her -

She writes: “one of my regular contractor 'customers' was here today and we were talking about MoistureShield products.  I mentioned to him that a customer of mine from Mathias, WV (you all on Runaway Ridge) had recently purchased this material for their porch and decks. He got this odd look on his face when I said Mathias. Later he said his cousin lives in Mathias and visits often!  So, you never know who will stop by Ladiesburg Lumber and the 6 degrees of separation they bring.”

And if you want even a little more about New Midway and Ladiesburg, check out this blog:

‍https://blog.evankalish.com/2011/12/behind-bbc-ladiesburg-md.html

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225747902005 - More relics from the Rose Jelly co

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/264948685150 - Another good one!

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