Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-08-02

Rock then, more than century ago
it is Dams Rock now-and may it re-
main Dams Rock forever! In the face
of these facts who would want to rob
that famous height, or that bold
pioneer who first owned it, of the
plain, square, homely name of Dan,
for some sweetly sounding, or pleasing
euphonya
have in my possession a copy OF
the life of the late Capt. Cresap and
his family, written by old father John
J. Jacob, and printed in 1926, from
which l make the following extract:
Capt. Thomas Cresap had five children, three
sons, Daniel, Thomas and Michael, and two
daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth. Daniel was
plain man, the patriarch of the day and
country in which he lived, man of sober
habits, great industry, economy and tenn
perance; like Jacob of old, agriculture was
his occupation and delight and in the midst
of his family, his focks and his herds, he
spent his days and acquired immense wealth.
He was proverbially the poor mans friend,
extending his charities to Indians as well as
to whites. By the way, a very particular
friend Of his was Nemacolin, the old Indian
who Col. Cresap had employed to lay out the
first path across the Alegany mountains for
the Ohio Land company long before the
Braddock war, from Fort Cumberland to
Fort Du Quesne. (He did his work so well
that Gen. Braddock with his army pursued
the same path, which thenceforward took
the name of Braddock's road, which does not
to this day materially differ from the famous
old National Road) Well, to resume, Ne
macolin was very intimate with and spent
much time with the family Of Daniel Cresap.
They agreed one day to go out OH bear
hunt, and after getting into what they
thought proper ground, they separated, hav-
ing fixed upon place known to both where
they could meet. Cresap pursued his way to
the top of the Allegany mountains NOW
DAMS and soon started and freed some bear
cubs. Anxious to get the cubs and to learn
his dog to fight them, he assembled the tree,
but the cubs still moving higher, he pursued
until the limbs of the tree broke, and down
came Cresap, cubs and all to the ground, or
rather to the rocks, for it happened ON q
rough, rocky place. This fall from such a
height, and among rocks, broke his bones
and nearly took his life; he lay on the
ground motionless and senseless until the old
Indian, not finding him at the place agreed on
to meet, supposing something had befallen
him, had the good fortune to find him after
diligent search-found him, in the situation
above described, but his wounds and bruises
were such that he could not be moved. Ne
macolin, moved with tender compassion,
went to his house and told his wife, and be-
tween them, with the aid of a horse and lit
ter took him to his home.
1t was this circumstance. and his dwelling
in the vicinity, that has immortalized his
name, for it was from him that the ridge OF
the Allegany mountain called Dams noun
tain" took its name and which ! presume is
fixed on it forever
The above is rer6atim rs Father
Jacob wrote it nearly sixty years ago
Let me add that Father Jacob was
raised in the Cresap family, and sub.
subsequently married the widow OF
Capt. Michael Cresap. Therefore he
was fully conversant with the incidents
narrated. &C.