• 1792 - Oldest house built and still remains

• 1814 - Oldest dated cemetery marker founded on property

• September 1862 - Civil War History - path for Union Army pursued By General Jackson, after Second Battle of Manassas. This route was along what is now Gum Spring Road (Often called McGraw's Ridge Road from General McGraw), and it crossed Thistle wood Farm and Ticonderoga Farms as well as all other properties along Gum Spring Road. Civil war hospital located at old slave quarters. Civil war burial ground at main cemetery with cast iron confederate cross from Second Battle of Manassas. General McGraw's temporary headquarters in 1862.  Most interesting artifacts found - cannon balls, Confederate cavalry sword, bronze stirrup and bronze bit parts, skeleton of union soldier under floor of room which was part of hospital. Various belt buckles, grape shot, ramrods, etc.

• 1870 - Oldest barn built and still standing to date 

• June 1950 - First arboretum tour sponsored by Smithsonian Institution and Dr. Walker

• October 1950 - Boy scout Troop 14 (Washington, D.C.) has first campout at Ticonderoga Farms, setting tradition for numerous Boy and cub scout events and camp outs until the present day

• December 1950 - First Christmas tree cut on farm by guest - Dr. Alban

• June 1951 - First herd of cows after World War II 

• August 1952 - First stable operation
  September 1953 - First "cultivated" honey produced

• June 1955 - First school baseball game - Saint Albans School

• May 1958 - First school soccer game

• June 1962 - Last sawmill operation on property. Timber Crops grown and sold were White Oak Barrel staves, pulpwood, firewood, pine, white oak, red oak, pin oak, walnut, white ash, hickory lumber, (largest dimensional lumber cut on property 14"x14"x24')

• August 1985 - Most basil harvested in one week - 5210 lbs of  basil

• September 1985 - Largest harvest of medicinal plants for the World Health Organization - 8300 lbs DRIED Artemisia annual

• June 1987 - Most unusual campout event: skinny dipping scout sits in prickly pear cactus patch and received more than 1000 puncture wounds (all tiny) - survived. History lesson: great appreciation for Lewis and Clark and their walks through the cactus fields of the west

• February 1990 - Largest camp out - Freezer with 400 cub scouts and 200 adults. National Guard provided support services

• 1991 - First bottle of wine - white Hungarian tokay type

• August 1992 - Largest bass fish caught 5.5 lbs now over mantel piece of a Washington Redskin

• December 1993 - Most Christmas guest families in one day - 1023

• June 1994 - Largest gathering, Presidential Political rally "face the issues" with 6000 attendees (including 24 different food caterers, entertainers, volunteers, camp followers, dogs and 1 parrot)

• July 1997 - Largest blue gill fish caught 1.3 lbs eaten with great gusto

• August 1998 - Largest Israeli carp fish caught 17 lbs - survived - history lesson - don't bite on strange looking "food"

• September 1998 - Largest catfish caught 11.5 lbs - probably 14 lbs by now if he sticks to real food

First commercial stable (boarding and lessons) operation 1957:

• Largest number of horses stabled - 63

• Largest number of ponies stabled - 17

• Largest number of cattle - 82 

• Largest number of peacocks - 4 (First one arrived in 1979)

• Largest number of chickens - 56 Largest number of domestic rabbits - 23

• Largest number of pigs - 18 (used to clean out copperhead snakes along southern border of farm)

• Largest number of domestic ducks - 28

• Largest number of geese (wild) - 224 (First one arrived 1974 along with first beaver in almost 100 years!)

Most unusual animals - Pure White buck deer and black bear with two cubs


Indian History:

• Hunting and camping grounds for: Algonquin tribe of Native Americans who hunted deer, turkey, bear, rabbit, squirrel, possum, various birds and many types of fish.
  
  
  Christmas: 

• Largest Christmas tree in height sold - 36 feet to the Kennedy Center

• Largest Christmas trees in quantity sold - 16 trees at 22 feet tall to the Smithsonian Institution

• Largest Santa Clause - 310 lbs

• Smallest Santa Claus - 97 lbs (actually a Miss Claus)

Commercial crops grown and sold:

• Feed corn, silage, soybeans, oats, hay; sweet corn, peppers (for Safeway), asparagus, tomatoes (Florida Avenue wholesale market and restaurants)

• Herbs, Basil, purple basil, miniature basil green and purple and variegated, sage, rosemary, winter savory, summer savory, tarragon, winter tarragon, sorrel, lemon thyme, variegated lemon thyme, English thyme, chives, oriental chives, stevia rebaudens (sugar plant), dill, fennel, coriander, salad burnet, leeks

• Flowers, nasturtium, borage, pansy, violet, day lily, thyme and sage - all for hotels, restaurants and wholesale market from Chicago to Switzerland