The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-07-15
|IISTORICAL SKETCH
OF
MON BRIDGE, MD
ny JOSHUA SwiTZEn.
4 ON the Occasion of the Celebration OF
the Centennial Fourth of July, 1876.

Inc Centennial Fourth of July, 1876.
.ngRgAs, by joint resolution Of the Sen
s nnd House Of Representatives of tn,
'sted States of America, approved on the
..& day of March 1876, and this resolution
.hg been made known to the people b,
Il slamation from the President OF the Uni
States, dated May %, 1876, requesting
NJ beople of the several States TO assemble
Iheir several counties or towns on the
'..t oaching Centennial Anniversary Of Ma.
..hl Independence, aud that they cause to
VA delivered on such day an historical
@ III of said county or town, &c, with the
|..p expressed in the said proclamation that
,*broper steps may be taken TO carry the
~ into effect. And in compliance there.
.|I the people of the town of Union Bridge
.|onbled on the 9th day of June, 1876, and
..Ibgst other proceedings as prerequisite
Dc approaching anniversary chose and
I.zbinted Joshua Switzer, the earliest living
lent, and the inhabitant for the longest
IA Of time in the town, TO write out and
Z. publicly on such day an historical sketch Of
said town. Now, therefore, in compliance
Is with the writer has prepared the follow.
4 pages, and whilst the same may be incom.
~ in its fullness, and deficient in many of
I. aetails being only "historical sketch }
4. care has been taken in the narrative to
~ none other than universally admitted
zInndisputed facts, without favor, affection
/ 6hrtialiiy.
VI writing the Local History Of any town
IN United States, 1t is not expected of the
|.'hr, that much can be said Of any events
|1[ preceded the first occupation of its site
+. Enropean immigrants or their defendants.
nay however be said that upon the ground
|1hfnced within the boundaries Of the town
-.:e quantities of stone arrows, stone hatch.
+. HAD other weapons of the stone age, as
|... ms human skulls, and other human bones,
|.fA from time to time been found, indicating
.At II was one Of the battle fields Of those
.I.<ninary conflicts by which the mound bull.
ct& became extinguishedy and their success.
''t depopulated.
Ia first accessible record Of the occupa.
"a of any part of its ground, is q record in
Io Land Office of the granting Of u patent Ia
1hn Tredane for 200 acres of land, called
.t.Allda, being then in Prince Georges capn.
/. Md being the farm now owned by +. g..
'z6fose, ana part of the southwestern
A4 Of the town The survey is dated June
o., lI29, and patent granted March l4th,
<A Then the tract of land called "Rock'
M for IA ncres, granted Allen Farquhar,
bad 10th, 1874, embracing all that part Of
"a town north OF Elgar street and westward
54h that. Then the tract Of land called
lnres, in Need for 40 acres, granted "a
lillian Farquhar, August eth, l7i7, inwhich
;hcluded all that part Of the town south OF
'|Wr street.
fhcrc is no positive proof that either John
dame or Allen Farquhar actually resided
X heir lands here. But in 1874 John Ire
LIS sold and conveyed to Allen Farquhar
X ,ract of land called "Kilfadda," and in
j,5 the said Allen Farqubar, for and in con
aeration of his natural love and affection
n his son William, and for further consider.
ton Of his said sons filial kindness and ODE
;4i,ee 10 being willing to remove from ''ye''
f1xinco of Pennsylvania to Eye" province oil
lnfyland, conveyed to his son William by
Ued 200 acres Of this land, part Of Crock
.ndi and part Of "Kifadda," and which
I,braced the northern and Western portions
+ the town. In compliance with the terms
I fhe said deed William Farquhar and his
ifc Ann removed from Pennsylvania to
Iar,land aud settled on the land. Their
nn9cyances were packhorses, on the backs OF
hith they aud their children and all their
mildly goods and chat,els were packed and
1ffjed The country was then wilderness
lI destitute of any roads except such paths
tNere made by the wild beasts and Indians.
key located their home premises, and lived
ia died on the premises which now belongsto
oIln Davis Clemson.
Ihe enterprise of William Farquhar was
|ldnded with prosperity. He had learned
II trade of tailor, and by his skill and indus.
II In making buckskin brooches (the kind
ftostume then worn by mem he prospered,
szting his savings into land, taking up and
o<crinpb y patent successfully "Mount Pleas.
1fr April /, 1912 for 40 acres "Swamp Mis-
roblc,n April 4, l7I2, for 60 acres; "Woli
|sfbonr,m June 10, 1743, for 100 acres
forest in Need" August I, l747, for l2O
crts civilians Defence" November 10,
ia, for 30 acres Fancy April q, l754,
n lbs acres "Resuryey on Forest in Need,
bril- %, 1856, for 757 acres ''Deer Park, v
|sbruary 81, lTG0, for 4S7 acres 'Resurvey
s Mount Pleasant December %, l765, fol-
I)ncres. In the month OF January lT6S, he
4Ind himself the owner and in undisputed
session of about 1000 acres of land and in
|1ich is included all the ground and site upon
Alan the town is built. lie then had sur
~ thereof made and reduced it into one
T,tt and divided il into parts, to be distib'
ia among his children, and within the
<Iundaries of the town are embraced parts oil
81 shares of 4 of said children. All that
I'D Of the town West Of Main street and
IAN of a line struck from the intersection
{Elgar street with Main street to the inter
lion of Broadway and Canary streets was
Ioscs Farouhar's. All that part South OF
nd line struck was Samuel Farquhar's. All
IIat part East of Main street and North Of
5|aar street was Allen Farquhar's. All that
1ri South OF Elgar street was William Far
|ahar's. The dividing land line between
'znuel and William farquhar's lands, then
iIst made became by reason thereof road,
county road, and now main
|I<eet,r in the town. At this period and
|nring the time of the Revolutionary Wai
6ere is but little local history to narrate.
7Ftderiek county had been formed, Of which
constituted q part, and it was known and
<eognized during that eventful period as
lila Pine Creek Settlement (the word Pipe
]reek being translation into English Of the
31lian name "Apoochken".) The inhabi
aNts were in large proportion of the relig
1os denomination, called Quakers, whose
t4chings as society were, as they believed
|fActieal christianity, as taught in Christ
rfnon ON the Mount, Mathew 8, d, and !, C
ia many of whose members contributed o
.tir means, and goods and chattels to the
riot cause, and some of whom where Off
NJ and privates in the armiesin the field. A
IH period aud until near the close of the
injury the greater portion Of the ground IL
M town of Union Bridge was covered will
|orest aud the Northern parts of the town
aA large portion Of the ground, now callet
teadow Land, along Pipe Creek was swamp
he the growth Of the timber was low, short
Ha serubby, aud apparently new hence the
INC i'Forestin Need" (oftimber.) In mani
||aces deer could be seen jumping above thu
nshes, and night travelling on foot was haz
<ious unless armed with FIRE brand to ter
~ and ward of attacks from, wolves; oI
much of the ground that had been cleared
y Ind around the town, the inhabitants pro
need wheat and corn for bread, and WOO
MI flax for their clothing-all home made.
But the close Of the last century and thu
|ceinning aud the first decade OF the presen
|chtury witnessed an eyentful period in thu
|I<tory of the place. Benjamin Farquhar, {
|fand sou Of the pioneer William, first i'm
'foyed the water power in the town by build
5f a saw mill, and an oil mill to utilize tn
nd of the FAX that WINS produced. This wa
vi the site Of What is now the Union Bridg
{DteI, and is the same water power now USE
81 the Western Maryland Railroad Company
4 operating It's machine shops. Peter Bene