The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-27
Scraps Of History.

some facts and matters that may be
Vi interest to the reading public, and
whlchare now on the way to oblivion,
which is the vault of so much lost
historic matter? 1 hold that every
one can, if he will, save something
for valuable history, and in this way
become a benefactor. Nothing can
De of more interest to the present
generation than the local history of
the past one, or of the still more re-.
mote past. In this line 1 propose to
say few words in regard to our viii
lage and neighborhood, and it's peo-
pie, especially those who are no
longer among us.
All your readers know where Acct.
dent is, and what it is as of the pres
ent, but not so as to the past. The
town Itself takes its name from a
choice tract ofland bearing that name,
surveyed In 1774 for Brooke Beall,
containing 6S2 acres, which is sur
rounded for many miles in depth
with military lots. The first house
of the village was erected about the
year 1881, by the Hon. John r.
Brooke. now a most worthy citizen
of Cumberland. He only remained
for about three years. and then re-
turned to his comforts In Frederick
county. He again came here in 1874,
and opened the first store, and did a
large mercantile business. much of it
"in trade" Becoming dissatisfied,
he sold out to Richard Fairall In 1S46,
who continued the business up to the
time of his death in 1869, which oc-
Cured in a most shocking manner,
being literally "sawn asunder" while
running saw mill. He was In his
day, no doubt the foremost man of
the district, and held his place in his
long reign, for so it might be properly
called. till his end. Very bright, IN
telIigent, impulsive. but not more so
than generous. He filled with USE
fulness many public stations, among
them place in the Legislature in
1858. He was native of Prince
Georges county, but lived In Grants
vile and Selbysport district success
sively. 1t is known that 1t was much
owing to his efforts that Accident
district was established In 1949, under
an Act of the Legislature, and that,
too, in the face of considerable oppo-
sition. Meshach Browning, Truman
West and Richard Fairall We're the
commissioners under the law to lay
off the district. All these good old
men have gone where territorial lines
"fall In pleasant places" The whole
district was cleft from Selbysport,
which. a.. to 1917, included this as
well as Grantsville district. Just here
let me say that from the organization
of Allegany county, in 1870, to 1899,
all the voters of the county had to go
to Fort Cumberland to vote. Now
there are % voting precincts in that
In 1899 the old county
was divided into six election districts,
and again recognized in 1917 into
eight, always being numbered from
the west to the east.
Among the resident settlers in this
immediate yicinity. was the Drain
the respected Truman West,
the already mentioned Jno. r. Brooke
and some others. Then little later
came current of settlers from Penn
sylvania, such as the Beeghleys. Mil
Iers, Frantz, Boyers, Bowmans. Bow
zers, and many others. Ex-Sheriff
Perry Shultz, Truman Fairall and
William Fearer, of hotel celebrity. a |
generation ago, lived and prospered |
On the National Road, in the eastern
part of the district. About the same
time considerable number of Ger
mans, with industrious habits, settled
down in the "Cove" region, the cen.
trail portion of the district-a name
bestowed on that locality by JON
athan Frantz, as a memorial of
Friends Cove in Bedford county,
Pa, whence he came. It's full name
would be Frantz's Cove. The coun-
try for some distance around this |
point was In early times called "Flat
on account ofthe level char
acter of the country. But the woods
are gone, and in their stead are to be
found some of the finest improved
lands In the county, or indeed. in
Western Maryland.
Our people are exclusively agricul-
tural in their pursuits. Nothing in
the way OF manufacturing, except one
distillery. Industrious. thrifty and
law abiding in their habits. They
pay their taxes punctually and will
ingly sustain school and churches.
These elements are about the sum
total of good citizenship.
Ono moro liftIo no raruov,h ODD ~~,r