The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-17
OLD LAND GRANTS.
MIR. Jacob Brown Writes of Patented
Lands in Garrett County.

: Aliegany county, especially that part
of it which now forms Garrett coun-
4 ~, large number of extensive tracts
4 OF land were secured by various par
ties, mostly vacant lands, under pat
ents upon common warrants. Prom
inent among these tracts was wal
nut Hills, " about4 900 acres, patented
70 Gen. John Swan. of Revolutionary
distinction, about the beginning of
I the late century. "Yough Manor"
about 10000, patented TO the same
patriot about the year 1900. "Poto-
mac Manor Resurveyed.n for the
same party in 1893, for 10,749 acres
! Emancipation surveyed for Robert
Oliver and James Cunningham in
1880, 7,137 acres; Latent WORTH
for same parties, 10,761 acres, and
"Cheviott Dale" about the same
time, for the same parties, about
$1,000 acres. There were many other
large tracts patented TO various per-
sons in olden times as well as in later
years, but time and space will not
allow a reference to them.
Walnut Hills" situated in the
north eastern part of Garrett county,
merits special attention, on account
of the foresight and judgment with
/ which its original proprietor dealt
with it, Originally it contained the
finest forests of white pine timber in
the State. Gen. Swan, or his heirs,
had the whole tract surveyed and
laid off into lots, numbered /, ,, &C.,
of about 200 acres each, more or less,
and in this way they were sold and
! conveyed to nearly as many purchas-
ers. The first sale, lot No. IS, 236
acres, was made to John burst, then
a citizen of Pennsylvania, "Lightfoot
john" as he was often called, in 1896.
He built the first saw mill in about
1888 in Garrett county, except the
one at Little Crossings, by Jas. Tom
linson. The former mill disappeared
many years ago. And here it can be
appropriately stated that the first
steam saw mill in the same county
was built on one of these tracts in
1887. All the other lots were sold and
conveyed from time to time, but not
in the order they were numbered.
VIM. Frost got No. / Sa nuel burst
No. 3 Isadore Mckenzie No. 3 !; Isaac
Crow No. /; VIM. Robinson No. ) :;
Eli Whetzell No. 6; ID. Potter No. Z :;
David Potter No. 8; John GarlitZ No.
8; b. Wilhelm No. 10; Meshack Frost
and A. Beall No. II John Blocher
No. 12 J. burst No. 10: NJ. burst and
n. Beall No. IA same parties No. 10 {;
John Layman No. 1G; Nelson Beall
No. Il; S. burst No. IS. j. burst No.
10 NJ. S. burst No. % and ]. burst
No. 81. 1t is supposed none of the
original purchasers of these lands
now hold them. All passed into other
hands. One of the present owners is
Patrick Dorsey, who owns one, and
his home is one of the most beautiful
houses in the county, with fine farm
attached in excellent cultivation.
All, or nearly all these plats of land
have been made into farms under fair
cultivation and occupied by prosper
Gus and respectable people. Scarcely
pine tree is left standing on these
lands, but plenty of 'stumps. Some
of the timber operators did we'll in
times past, while others failed or had
a hard struggle for livings. 1t is we'll
known now that the present owners
as farmers are in far better condition
than when they relied upon timber
and lumber for livelihood. There
are now upon this ancient tract, to
say nothing of farms and kindred
property, one thriving village, Ayil-
ton, with its stores, postoffice and
shops; four churches German Re
form, Methodist, Catholic and Ger
man Baptist, with about as many
school houses. One old time grist
mill still alive. This region is known
as Pea Ridge and New Germany, with
quite dense population of good, law
abiding citizens, numbering many
hundreds.
With this example in view, it would
at once be observed and remarked
Why were not more of these numer-
Gus manors of lands handled in like
manner? Had such course been
generally pursued the county of Gar
rett would now have twice its present
population. However, in few years,
all the timber, other than pine, will
be exhausted, when the people will
be forced to resort to the soil for an
Independent and bountiful living.
Besides a good soil and unsurpassed
climate capable of producing all the
cereals, vegetables and fruits, the
county has vast deposits of coal and
other minerals almost untouched
only sufficient to show the article is
there, and its development and wants
near at hand.
Additional to the coal resources,
there are now developments being
made near the boundaries of Walnut