The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-04-19
RAMBLING AT RANDOM.
THE HILLS ENVIRONING ELKTON.
Ba >on Hill. Cherry Hill, Iron Hill and the
Classic Red Hill.
The Goths and Vandals who, Once Feoplpg the
Latter, 0verran the Village in the Valley.

Inc GotGs anu VanualS VINO, UICe feop4lS tHe
Latter, 0verran the Village in the Valley.
The most beautiful panoramic landscapr--
lacking only the essential element az u water
view, and without which no landscape can
he pertrct--wc have ever seen in Maryland
is. i'll our opinion, that Of the rich and fer
tile Cumberland Valley, n viewed from the
summit of
PROSPECT HILL.
i'll Hagrr>town. Alleghany county, it is
true, can boast holder and more pictur-
csqur scenery, ample glimp>rS of which are
to be had in the ascent of the mountains
westward. after leaving Cumberland The
vista is wider. to I've sure, and the proSpec-
tive finer, possibly, but the landscape lacks
the suggestion of wealth and abundance
which the more perfect agricultural cultiva-
tion of the valley surrounding Hagrr;town
suggests. Equally pleasing in this respect
probably. is the rich and tertl, Middlctown
Valley. in Frederick county, where a lib
cral system of farming. prosecuted for years,
has converted the kindly soil Of that favored
section of Maryland into wide stretch OF
GARDEN FARMS,
teeming with plenty and atflurncc. But if
Cecil county affords no Such pleasing pano-
rama of agricultural landscape, certainly
the rich plateau lying beyond the SusIue-
hanna range of hills which environ Port
Deposit makes some approach to the former
in quality IT least. if not in extent of view
And if the
VALLEY OF THE ELK
cannot vie with Western Mary land in l,.;,Il-
ty and extent of landscape, il 1T least pos
seSses to the eye of those who inhabit il its
own beauties, which association cxagger-
ateS and familiarity nIagnties. The town
of
clinton
itself cannot he approached. except by one
road-the Cherry Hill,-with"ut crossing Il
bridge or rordin.a stream. nor br reached
save by one rollte-from the su;lth.-eNcrpt
by descending a hill In other words, it is
located in Il valley, and nearly surrounded
by water, the t"rtu"HS wintings Of the
RIG md LITTLE EIks,
water locking II on all sd"-. except III" (
north. The topography of the valley. i'll ;
which il is located. is interesting to the I
speculative spectator. The ground on which
Elkton stands was evidently once buried
beneath the >urging waters of Il grand csru- q
lry of the bay or >ca. and is the delta OF !
some widr-reaching tributary of the ocean.
apes, inlrtS and promontorie- are all dis :.
inctly marked and clearly defined. and {
in, no - I,f,
Instant asc>. cbhed and flowed therein. Just d
vest "I til" Little Elk, on the farm OF Tho. q
bremen. Esq. the outlines arr plain: 80 %
hey are southeast of the town. the bound- "
Try Of the meadows of the Big Elk indiral- o.
ng the same thing. Not only the
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE VALLEY !,
howS this but the aluvial and diluvial
establish the fact The latter
cpo>itS run in the same veins and follow
he same order on all side. aforling con-
inring proof of orr assumption. p
Rut it was not tur the purpose If exciting =;
euiogiGal disrussioE thai we nutice the val -
" and the hills thar environ il, our pal Y,
o5c being her 10 recall some rambling ~
erSonal "reminiscences Of liz, characters OF
Tho have frod these hills and valleys, rather ~
lan speculate upon the history at the hills of
IemSelve> tn
BACON HILL, Il,
verlooking the town diStantlv from the hi
est. has its dark traditions and mySteri- :,
rs legends is the once tavorite haunt of
'Speradoe> and highwaymcn i'll the print ca
We stage coach days. when Elkton wa, a l.,
ay station Oh the main post road between -.
le rwo commercial centerS, Phiadelphia DO
nj Baltimore. The l'nItei States mail no
zach stag" WAS attacked and pilttrei there, 49,
i. Parker was waylaid and robbed there q,
nd numerous other adventures Witnessed, til
It stories of which the Older chrnnicler>
I'VE carried with them to their grave. ".
lr first recollection of Bacon Hill was in w
: camp meeting days. undtI the proprie- hi
rship of that genial and open-heartcd man. I'd,
noma> :. Thomas Esq. 1t wa there in
c summer of 1850. that We recall power on
! sermon preached by DR.. lnow Bishop all
:ck of The NJ + Church. the llSt meet Ut
2, VI" believe e.Gf held there ftut tn" thi
hoes Of religious derotunS no longer dis kin
rb its melancholy stiffness. Til" catydd the
ngrrh unheededit> monotunous song: while ~
arcoal, rhincapinS and chips seem its only pat
lple>.
BELL HILL, OF
ing between Cherry and Iron Hill. is part ""
the tlac; called Bclleconnell. which Geo NJ;
llhot look III aAd patented In 1868, when mo
was wranging with the settlers along tn;
t Delaware river. The proper name of ,,I
is hill Is Iiriir ITH I'm,
The hill west of Elk Landing. on which act
t Wetherll mansion stands. was origin I'M
y edGlovcr's Hill. Afterwards it was ,n,,
He'd kirkpatrick's 1t commands a fine
Nv of the Elk river. l.
Iirey'S Hill Was patented in i724, under org
name of Matthias Hill the
Why iSd
CHERRY HILL. m"i
:" called would puzzle wiser hctd than ''''
rs. Commercially, it was once :, place Of inn
IRE Importance than now. Whileits prox- Liv
Gre
ity to the large paper mills of George W, all
lids and |, ID. Carter and others must p,a ti
Ike. S"m" local trade for its merchants Stoi
II mechanics. Yet commercially it has ' IN
med and not ""|"d, except in one line of wai
de-the shoe-makers While. however.
has not advanced commercially. in rrli- |.
MS, temperance and church work ii ha, "pf
'bably "utrivalcd Elkton. Its genial par- Lal
l. Jos. T. Brown h" whoS. ftilingS even yo,
ned I" virtues side VIII" in his lifetime, mi9
ned in"r~ couples in holy wcdlork than mu
the clergy of Cecil combined, has Ion" wa
&c passed over he dark river I,ut i'h.rr,
" ''' ''"' Che
4 true SONS of Cecil who laid down their
- for their country. THU fact alone .,
list secure il respect. IL,
'arrher eastward from III" county capital Bal
IRON HILL, ;,,-