DID YOU KNOW?
Deep Creek Lake History-How was McHenry Maryland named?
Dr. James McHenry, Secretary of War during the administrations
of Presidents Washington and Adams, purchased
almost 1,000 acres in the Buffalo Marsh area
which is today known as Marsh Run Cove or McHenry
Cove. After James and his son William died, a nephew,
John McHenry, moved to the Buffalo Marsh property.
After the death of John and his wife, the land passed
through many hands but today we know the area as
McHenry.
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The Short History of the War of 1812 in Maryland
Maryland in the War of 1812-A Living Historical Event.The most forgotten war in America’s history is the War of 1812. Overshadowed by the Napoleon’s War in Europe, the War of 1812 today is a forgotten war. Although the major campaigns were fought in the Great Lakes and Canadian region, a campaign was launched by the British that focused on our nations newly formed capital city of Washington during the late summer of 1814.
On June 18, 1812 the United States declared war on Great Britain. The reasons for a war was because the Royal Navy was boarding US ships and taking back English escaped sailors. William Cobbet an Englishman said “They seemed to be wanting just such a war as this to complete the separation of England from America; and make the latter feel that she had no safety against the former but in the arms of her free citizens.” During the beginning of the War of 1812, the American territory was penetrated at three different points, by way of Lake Champlain, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Mississippi.
The British began an offensive campaign of capturing Washington in the summer of 1814. With much speculation of invasion, the Americans began construction of earth works on Fort McHenry by winter of 1813 to initiated preparations for a defensive campaign. The final year of the War of 1812 was distinguished by a greater invasive vigorous British force than what had earlier distinguished them.
As preparations on the Chesapeake were carried out, Captains Michael Sluss, Jacob Row, and Privates Michael C. Adelsberger, James Storm, Felix B. Taney, Jesse Nusseur, John Wetzel, and Peter Remby were all men from the Emmitsburg area, who joined the Maryland Militia to help defend Baltimore and Washington from the threat of a possible British infringement. Although Emmitsburg was a forgotten footnote in American history, the Toms Creek area became famous due to one individual, named Francis Scott Key.
Francis Scott Key (son of General John Ross Key) was born on August 1, 1779, in western Maryland on the family estate outside of Tom’s Creek called Terra Ruba. He was the son of an established Maryland family, and attended grammar school at Annapolis when he was 10 years old. At the age of 17, he graduated from St. Johns College in Annapolis and moved to Frederick, Maryland. He became a lawyer in Frederick until he moved to Georgetown. By 1805 he had established in law practice in Georgetown, Maryland and became one of the best lawyers in Washington. Francis Scott Key was a religious man and was involved in the Episcopal Church. Although opposed to the war, he served for a brief period with the Georgetown Light Field Artillery.
During the Battle of Bladensburg, Key was assigned of giving out field positions to the American troops. As the British began preparations to attack Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key was taken into captivity while arranging Dr. Beans’ release and witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in the Baltimore Harbor. He often wrote poems and the sight of the American flag still flying over the fort at daybreak inspired him to write the poem entitled “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which he set to the tune of an old English drinking song called, “To Anacreon in Heaven.
President James Madison warned his cabinet that he expected the British to attack Washington. The president then selected General William Winder to command a newly created Tenth Military District that covered Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia.. With much debate with the number of troops he had in his command, he could not order the defenses of Washington to be reinforced by additional troops until there was imminent danger.
August 24, was a day that America would rather forget. It was this day that Bladensburg was fought and is when Washington was taken by the British. During the morning, the British had marched for seven miles to Bladensburg. The British army still felt the swaying of the sea in their knees and the hot weather forced some of the soldiers dropped dead in their tracks. As British approached Bladensburg, the danger became more than threatening, as they clashed for three hours with a much stronger American force. The tired soldiers of the British came onto the field without their Sharpshooters. The Americans thought how strange for the British to engage without support of their Sharpshooters. The Americans had thought a quick victory was at hand.
The defenses on the American right flank consisted of the Baltimore Artillery, who was entrenched on a knoll over looking the bridge that the British had to use. The Secretary of State James Monroe had arrived on the field and helped changed General Tobias Stansbury’s deployments giving the Americans a chance for victory. General Stansbury’s command fired a massive volley at the on coming British allies under Duke Wellington, as they began to scatter.
Seeing the British approach and the deployment of their artillery the Baltimore artillery held off the British. As the British began to charge the bridge, Colonel Thornton gave the order to his command to charge. The Baltimore artillery had no chance to fire the oncoming British as Colonel Thornton’s early charge did not allow them time to weaken the army. The British seeing the American advance, the red coats hurried as they placed their three cannon and began to fire at the defenses of the Americans. As the British engaged Colonel Thornton’s small army, they began to break through.
The British soon advanced on Colonel Wadsworth’s Baltimore Artillery, seeing the British charge, Wadsworth gave the command “load” as the Americans mistakenly placed the wadding in the barrel of the cannon, before placing the charge of powder, and this left the Americans fleeing, leaving both cannon behind. The 5th regiment was ordered to support the Baltimore Artillery; soon they were repulsed as rockets flew in the air. The British with three cannon and the Congreve Rocket petrified the militia as they broke and fled after a few volleys were fired. The right of the American army began to splinter, as General Winder pleaded with these men not to retreat and advance the British. The whole right flank of the American army started to retreat. Out of 1350 men the Americans had only fifty stayed and fought before they to retreated. The Americans were breaking giving the National Turnpike to the British, as the militia was in full flight as they were insufficiently trained to withdraw in good order. At this point private Henry Fulford quoted “Our main objective was to flee from the British and head to a near by swamp.”
The Americans received reinforcements from Commodore Joshua Barney and 400 sailors and marines who arrived at Bladensburg and formed the third line of battle. The sailors and the marines held as long as they could while the Americans retreated. The only defense of the Americans had to slow the British advance on Washington, was a battery of five naval cannon. Only the sailors and marines held firm, but the British eventually maneuvered around them. Commodore Joshua Barney and his battalion were the only Americans to gain credit for the day. President Madison was tracking down the Secretary of War to find out what steps were in the works to meet the final British assault, he was shocked and disheartened to find out there was no plan. By 4:00 P.M. the Battle of Bladensburg was over, it had lasted three hours.
The position of American troops at Bladensburg was improperly coordinated. General Winder himself contributed to the defeat by ordering the militiamen to retire before they were properly deployed. The battle of Blandensburg became known as “The Bladenburg Races.” After a few hours rest the British formed up and continued on toward Washington.
By dusk, the British approached the heart of Washington bearing a flag of truce and demanded surrender. Suddenly from a house window the flag of truce is fired upon. The British troops rushed into the house where the shots had been fired from, and put all who were found in the house to the sword and then reduced the house to ashes. They went onto burn and destroy every building connected to the government. This was a major embarrassment to our nation, which resulted disastrously to the Americans as important historical landmarks and official government documents were destroyed. The British stayed in Washington for two nights as the city laid in agony. The weather had turned for the worst, as a storm made landfall. Not knowing when the broken American army would try and retake Washington, the British to abandon Washington the next night.
Early September, after their success in Washington, the British decided to follow up with an attack on Baltimore. This city was an attractive target not only because it was a large commercial center and an important base for privateers but also because it was such a hotbed of algophobia. On the afternoon of September 11, General John Stricker of the American army marches out of Baltimore toward North Point with 3,200 men. That evening he encamped seven miles from the city near the Methodist-meeting house. The next morning a British force of 5,000 landed at North Point under the command of General Robert Ross and Admiral George Cockburn.
At 7 A.M. on September 12, General Stricker receives word of the British landing and orders all baggage to the rear, while he arranges his brigade into three defense lines at the narrowest point between the Patapsco and Back Rivers. At noon the two forces met and a brief skirmish erupts. During the skirmish, British General Ross was killed. The command was then given to Colonel Arthur Brooke. Colonel Brooke brings up the Light Infantry and Rocket Batteries and encounters General Stricker’s 3rd Brigade. Unable to hold his left flank against a British flanking assault, he orders an orderly fallback to the defenses of Baltimore City on Hampstead Hill. By 4 p.m. General Sticker the burning of a large ropewalk (a long, low building used for manufacturing rope for ships), creating “a very brilliant light” that temporarily causes panic in Baltimore. British warships began to sail up the river to take position two miles from Fort McHenry.
By 5:30 A.M. on September 13, the British warships commence the bombardment of Fort McHenry, their artillery quickly replied. British warships then move and anchor out of range from the fort’s cannon. While on land at north Point, the British push forward and try to out flank the American right, but is countered. As the British return to their former position east of Hampstead Hill, Colonel Brooke considers a frontal assault at midnight upon the American left flank. If he would pursue this plan, he would need the British navy to distract the Americans. As the British continued to attack Fort McHenry, a British mortar shell make a direct hit on Bastion Number 3 dismounting a 24-pound cannon and killing Lt. Levi Claggett and Sergeant John Clemm of the Baltimore Fencibles.
The British, believing they had executed severe damage, moved nearer to the fort. With the British ships now within range of the fort’s guns, the American defenders respond with all available guns, scoring several hits. As the land battle of North Point was underway, Colonel Brooke receives a message from the Vice Admiral that the ships cannot lend support to his assault because sunken vessels and the extensive American shore batteries block the channel. The British intend to engage the western shore batteries and create a diversion in hopes of pulling the Americans from Hampstead Hill to support the threat on Fort McHenry and the backdoor of their defenses, favoring an assault by Brook’s forces on Hampstead Hill.
The British continued their march to Baltimore. After getting within sight of the cities defenses, the British decided to turn back because they could not lure the Americans out from their defensive works. Meanwhile Cohchrane had brought up his bomb and rocket ships to attack Fort McHenry. Major George Armistead stood with 1000 men to defend the fort. Cohcrane wanted to silence the guns of the fort so that he could bring in the smaller ships and then weaken the American lines.
As midnight approached the British flotilla proceeds with its diversionary plan up the Ferry Branch, Colonel Brooke has already decided to withdraw the Army and return to their shipping at North Point. Brooke’s decision would not reach the Navy in time to cancel the Ferry Branch offensive. The American defenders at Forts Covington and Babcock discover the British flotilla offshore and open crossfire on the barges. Two barges are sunk. After the bombardment, Fort McHenry ceases its fire against the British ships. By 7 a.m. the next morning, the British cease-fire and begin to withdraw. As the last British ship sails down river, Fort McHenry raises the Star-Spangled Banner over the ramparts. That evening, a small cartel vessel passes Fort McHenry and docks at Fells Point and on board is Francis Scott Key.
The British bombardment of Fort McHenry began at 5:00 a.m. on the morning of September 13, as a young lawyer named Francis Scott Key watched the red glare of the British rockets, the bombs bursting in air over the Fort and wrote a poem about the flag that was still flying over the fort after a siege of three days and nights. The British gave up the siege and retreated, the Americans had held out, it was a heartening victory and a version of Key’s poem would become our National Anthem.
After the War of 1812 Francis Scott Key continued practicing law. He was the district attorney in Washington, D.C. until his death on January 11, 1843. He is buried at Mount Olive Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland. “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which Francis Scott Key wrote became our country’s national anthem in 1931.
Today, Tera Ruba (Latin for Red Earth) stands as a monument in honor of Francis Scott Key outside of Toms Creek in the small town of Keysville. The only monuments for their brave acts during the War of 1812 are the tombstones in which these soldiers of Emmitsburg sleep. In James Helman’s 1906 book A History of Emmitsburg history he lists those who are buried in the Cemeteries around the Toms Creek area and they are as follows:
A personal note: While researching this article, I ran into two of my ancestors who fought in the War of 1812. Private Miller Junkins, died December 1, 1814 and Private John Durst who served in the First Rifle Battalion Maryland Militia. My mother has always told me Francis Scott Key is a relation in my family heritage.
STORY -JOHN MILLER
Aurora Borealis Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. “Aurora Borealis the icy skies at night, Paddles cut the water, in a long and hurried flight”. Neil Young sang these lyrics many years ago speaking of a time long ago when the country was simple and undeveloped. What a special place this must have been before things were so defined. Natural wonders like the Northern Lights, space, and the stars must have fueled some interesting talk around the campfire. Funny thing is that in Garrett County you can still get that feeling as the sun starts descending and the cool night penetrates the collar of your jacket.
You could feel something special in the air last night with all the talk of the Aurora Borealis which is more commonly known as the Northern Lights. This phenomenon is very uncommon for this area which increases the excitement for locals and visitors alike. I found a nice quiet spot on Wisp Mountain facing the North with my camera in hand and a nice cup of Joe. You could hear the birds faintly over a calming silence that we commonly experience here at the lake at dusk. The glow of sunset illuminated the mountain ranges miles in the distant as I waited patiently for the light show to begin. What a wonderful and clear night we all experienced as the night settled into darkness. I sat patiently relaxing and enjoy this crisp and cool night but unfortunately never saw a sign of the much anticipated light show spectacle that was forecasted. Some say that the forecast called for it to happen much earlier than it actually did. Although I was a bit disappointed that I missed and opportunity to photograph and experience this legendary event, I felt a deep love for a county rich in the old world feel of living. Leave your traffic jams, busy work schedules, and travel sports for a long weekend and throw up a tent and gather around the campfire to experience life, and true living.
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland-Fast Facts
Total Shoreline: 65 miles
The Length the Lake:11.6 miles
Lake Elevation: 2,462
Area of Lake: 3,900
Summer Bottom H20 Temperature: 49F
Summer Surface H20 Temperature: 73F
Average Depth: 26.5 feet
The Maximum Depth: 72 feet
Approximate Depth of Ice in Winter: 18”
Elevation: 2466
The American Chestnut Tree
I had a fantastic morning before work snowboarding & skiing with local folk hero/historian, Ed King, who has 77 years of life lessons and life long memories & experiences that provide much more insight than a Google search! Ed is a colleague of mine here at Long and Foster who is respected immensely by the people of Garrett County. While on the chairlift the other morning, he shared his memories of the blight that destroyed the queen of timber in the Appalachians, The Chestnut Tree. Our fascinating and unique history here in the United States always revolved around perseverance and ingenuity when faced with disaster, and the chestnut tree has engrained itself in the fables. The chestnut tree has run a full circle of life going from a huge part of the economy, then being wiped out, reclaimed, recycled, reused, and eventually re-established for the future.
The lightweight American chestnut tree was of huge economic importance to the people of Garrett County for many reasons. It was an extremely important component because it could grow to 100’ tall with huge diameters around the base, equating to a large amount of lumber. The tree has a reddish-brown color characteristic that was lightweight, soft, easy to split, very resistant to decay and did not shrink or warp, which made it a goldmine for a developing country.
Unfortunately, a very deadly blight/fungus was introduced in 1904 from the Orient and after 40 years of contamination the Chestnut stands were completely demised throughout Garrett County and the Appalachians. Because of their natural resistance to rot, these dead trees stood for many years as ghosts in the vast forest. The fact that they were very dry was a serious concern for the National Parks, as they were considered fire hazards. Mr. King told me that back then you could go the National Forest and ask for a certain amount of trees and they would give you a paint color to use so you could paint the trees you wanted to cut at a later date. You can imagine that this cheap valuable resource became the go-to wood for locals here at the lake.
When looking for real estate here at the lake, you will often hear of homes where they have reclaimed wormy chestnut and used them in construction details. You probably wonder how the tree got their famous wormy characteristics. After the tree stood year-after-year, the worms started to bore through the lifeless trees so that after harvesting them it would give them the patented black wormy trails through the beautiful red-brown chestnut grain.
The next time you run into a home decked out in wormy chestnut while looking for real estate here at Deep Creek Lake, remember the interesting history associated to this special tree.
1884 Oakland Train Station
History Buffs, have I got something to share with you that is a mere 15 minutes up the road from Deep Creek Lake. Next time you are here at the lake get on 219 south and head to Oakland; you will be rewarded for your efforts once you get to the 1884 Oakland Train Station! This beautifully architected building is actually the 3rd building to occupy this location through the years. The first was a small two-story wooden building that was constructed after the railroad arrival in 1851. Unfortunately, a fire from the nearby Glades Hotel consumed the railway structure in 1874. During the interim, a one-story building was erected to serve as the train station until the current masterpiece was built in 1884. Original architect E. Francis Baldwin described his creation by using the term “Queen Anne Style”, which is highlighted by the rounded telegraph tower and roof that really gives the building its signature personality
The town of Oakland purchased the entire train station property in 1998. It has since become the center piece of Oakland’s “revitalization work” that was finished in 2000. There was a time in history when steam locomotives were the norm, and a 250,000 gallon water tank that stood 50’ tall occupied the East side of the station. It remained in tact until the 1920’s when it was de-constructed.
Oakland was once a very busy hub for transportation greeting 8 long distance express passenger trains a day in the 1940’s and 1950’s. During this time you could hail a train in St. Louisand be in Washingtonin in almost 24 hours. What a remarkable trip that must have been winding and carving through this amazing land at a wonderful time in history. Take your own trip back in time and try to put yourself back where the roar of the train whistle echoed through the foothills of beautiful Garrett Countyand the roots of train travel were paving the way to the industrial revolution.
Garrett County History, Casselman Bridge
The Casselman Bridge. Did you know that GarrettCounty has one of the oldest surviving span bridges in the country? Just a short 15 minute drive from Deep Creek Lake and you can visit The Casselman River State Park. The Casselman River Bridge was originally built in 1813 as a part of the old National Road. At the time of its construction, this 80 foot stone arch bridge was the longest single-span bridge in theUnited States. The bridge remained in service until 1933, when a new steel bridge was built nearby. Today, the bridge is listed as a National Historic Landmark and serves as a scenic remnant of Maryland’s history. Be sure to check it out on your next visit.
Deep Creek Lake Garrett County History “Trail To Kendall”
Garrett County’s history is immense and vast. If you look hard enough you can find little nooks and crannies from the past that are very interesting to explore and visit. Sometimes no matter how hard you look all you will be left with are just memories of another time in American history. This weekend, I stumbled upon a hike along the Youghiogheny River, upriver from Friendsville, that leads to the once thriving old lumber town known as Kendall. My wife, Betsy, and I took our French Mastiff down the trail that starts on the Eastern Side of the Yough right under the I-68 highway bridge, the bridge that spans the river, and headed two miles to this mysterious extinct town.
Facts. In 1889, the Confluence and Oakland Railroad was extended upriver from Friendsville along the Youghiogheny River to start a new milling operation in Garrett County. Immediately, houses, a church, and a school were erected to become home to the many workers brought in by the sawmill operation. The first company to build a sawmill was Yough Manor Lumber Company and the town birthed its first name of Yough Manor. Next came in A. Knapp Company, which setup a stave mill in 1891. The town’s name was then changed to Krug after Henry Krug who was an A. Knapp Company official. Then during the early 20th century the town took its 3rd and final name of Kendall after the Kendall Lumber Company that operated there for a fair amount of time until the timber business diminished in the 1920’s. The McCullough Coal Mine Company was the last company to operate in the town. The Confluence and Oakland Railroad was removed in the 1940’s and the buildings and houses that were remaining completely disappeared. They say that all that remains now are a few house foundations and piles of saw dust. We would soon find out…
During our hike along the river, we had the beautiful spring thaw flowing down the river to our right and had numerous runoff branch streams screaming off the mountain to our left. Our dog, Mali, pounced down the bank of the river throughout our entire hike trying to catch some mysterious critters that we never did see surface! Her nose was buried in the dirt trying to locate a scent that may give her a clue as to where the mystery rodents were hiding. We walked for about 1-1/2 hours, and to be honest with you, never saw any remnants of the old town of Kendall, like old foundations or piles of sawdust. We did see a man-made “wall” of some sort along the way but really the star of the hike was… well…the hike! We kept an eagle eye out for the town of Kendall but had an excellent time exploring a unique and special area that even my 12th generation Garrett County wife, Betsy, had never experienced before. If you are looking for a nice place to relax far away from the crowds, where you can walk through the footprints of our past down a rail line to significant Garrett County history then put the Trail to Kendall on your lists of things to experience.
Side fact. Did you know that Wisp Resorts ski in/ ski out community Kendall Camp was named after this mysterious old town?
A Little Deep Creek Lake Garrett County History
Deep Creek Lake-Garrett County History. Long before Deep Creek Lake came into existence it had plenty of history pre-dating the area as we know it now. Native American artifacts uncover that many tribes like the Cherokee, Delaware (Lanape), and Shawnee have extensive history here in Western Maryland. The Mingo Tribe were indigenous people to the area who annually returned to mountaintops to hunt, fish, plant crops, and trade. There is evidence left from floods through the Potomac River Valley that indicate that some villages have been in existence for over 2000 years.
The first known permanent resident /settler of the Garrett County area was John Friend Sr., who came from the Colony of Virginia with his brother Andrew and son Gabriel in 1762. Eventually they ended up at an Indian village along the Youghiogheny River, which now bears the family name, Friendsville.
In 1872, they divided Allegheny County and formed Garrett County, which was the last County to be formed in Maryland. The county was named after railroad executive, industrialist, and financier John Work Garrett who served as president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from 1858-1884. An interesting fact to note is that the Maryland-Pennsylvania line was surveyed and marked by astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon. This famous dividing point became known as the Mason Dixon Line, which symbolized the cultural boundary between the Northern and Southern United States, Garrett County representing the South.
In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson signed a bill from the United States Congress setting aside money for building the National Railroad. This was to be the first federally constructed highway in the nation stretching from Cumberland, Maryland to Wheeling, West Virginia. As Americans, we all are very fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world that possesses abundant history and keeps us grounded on where we have been and where we are going in life.
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Just a hair west of the Eastern Continental Divide on a large Plateau called Tablelands, and just a bit East of Morgantown, West Virginia home of the Mountaineers, you will find the up and coming resort town of Deep Creek Lake. Maryland. The mighty Youghiogheny River carves through the panhandle of Maryland’s Garrett County mountains as it flows north through Pennsylvania and finally merges with the famous three rivers in the steel town of Pittsburgh then funnels to the Mississippi River and eventually drains into The Gulf of Mexico. Deep Creek Lake was a very popular get away for the rich and well-to-do folks who were trying to escape the brutal humid heat that dominated the East Coast at the turn of the century. Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and Thomas Edison often camped at Maryland’s highest waterfall, Muddy Creek falls which is only minutes from the northern end of the lake. Deep Creek Lake was in fact created when the DCL Dam was constructed in 1928, which gave this tranquil mountain environment another valuable asset and catapulted the area into becoming Maryland’s diamond in the rough. The lake slowly evolved to support lake recreational activities such as boating, sailing, fishing, swimming, and waterskiing and whose main stream popularity gained momentum through the decades to become the centerpiece for tourism in the state of Maryland. In 1955, Mr. Ace Heise turned the cow pastures of Marsh Mountain into a make shift ski area that slowly evolved into one of the premier ski resorts on the east coast, Wisp Resort. The power trio of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, and the Youghiogheny River stand as the nucleus to the county thriving abundantly with recreational activities year round. Activities include; hiking, river and lake fishing, camping, snowshoeing, boating, sailing, wakeboarding, slalom skiing, ATV riding, snowmobiling, kayaking, snow skiing, snowboarding, zip lining, dune buggy trails, ice skating, a roller coaster, and jet skiing to name a few. With the popularity of the lake came more and more events to entertain locals and tourist alike. Events like: The Autumn Glory Festival & Parade, The Deep Creek Dunk, The Cardboard Box Derby, Deep Creek Lake Art and Wine Festival, K-9 Tunes and Brews, Winter Fest, Aquapooloza and many more throughout the season. Take a little time before your next visit to DCL and dig up some facts and history in the archives of the internet so your appreciation for this special town can be fully understood.
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