The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-11-28
ORIGIN OF LOCAL HISTORICAL NAMES.
Savage River and MOuntain-A Tragedy
Which Gave Negro Mountain
Its Name,
NJ. R.nin CumberIand News.

y. b. in Cumberland News.
The article recently published in the
Daily NeaCS touching on the names of
mountains, rivers and Indians, seemed
to have formed acceptable reading
to a goodly number of persons, l
have concluded to follow it up with
another on the same lines, beginning
at Cumberland, the source of whose
name is well known. In early times,
there were quite a number of Indians
along the Potomac and Wills creek,
which unite at our now city. In the
angle formed by them there was not
only good hunting ground, but good
soil for Indian Corn" which is more
conveniently cultivated than any
other food cereal. Among the natives
of those times was Indian Will.
Likely his name came from some
white man, which was then no I'M
common thing, as in the case of the
celebrated Indian, Logan, who was
the son of Skikellimus, chief of the
Cayugas. But after becoming civil
lied, or partly so, under the Moravians
in Pennsylvania, he was given the
name of Logan, in honor of James
Logan, one of the governors of Penn
sylvania, in colonial times. So our
having large stream of water-Wills
creek, and a mountain-Willsm noun
tain, at our city, named for him, the
former severing the latter in its mid
die to its very base. Tradition tells
us, somewhat dimly, that he was
buried ON the top of this mountain,
about five miles north of this city.
| will pass by Dams Mountain, as it
was noticed in a previous paper, to
the two Savage mountains, Great and
Little, about one mile west of Frost
burg. Those two ranges, it is under
stood derive their names from the wild
character and nature of the surround
ing country, and not on account of
the presence of the savages or Indians.
They did not inhabit the mountain
regions as much as the lowlands. 1t
is believed the name was given by
Washington, who crossed the noun
tains, once or more, prior to Brad
docks campaign, as he recognized
the name. The Savage Creek flowing
along the narrow valley down to the
Potomac received it's name from the
same source Meadow mountain is
reached by way of the old National
road, which passes over it eleven
miles west of Frostburg. Little Mead
ows, at the western foot of this noun
tain, was Il faYorite stopping place of
Washington prior to 1850 He gave
the name to this charming place and
also to the mountain which smiled
upon the then beautiful prairie.
This range of the Alleghenies, is a
favorite to many, especially to the
writer, whose home in youth vas at
its western base.
Often did he cast wishing looks up
irs even slopes; and at times when at
his willing tolls in the fields and
meadows of the old home plantation,
ne would trend his eyes up and along
Mason and DiXon's line-in early
times plainly discernable from the
deep depression or trench in the
forest timber, which in the beginning
had been cut down and cleared away
to width of about 80 feet-in 1865
Several generations of time were nee
essary to heal this deep wound in the
native forest 1t is well this historic
line is about to be retraced and per-
manently marked, which was only
partially done in the beginning. Just
few rods beyond the Little Meadows
is the beginning Of the Crossings hill,
a slope westward of nearly two miles
to the margin of the Little Crossings
river, which gave the name to the
hill The map of Braddock's old
road recognizes Little Crossings,
meaning the stream. This was and
still is the original name of not only
the river, but the post town" or vii
lage on its margin. In recent years
it has been called CastIeman's river.
but why, when or by whom so named
no one seems to know. 1t is believed
this new and erroneous name flowed
up stream from somewhere in Penn
sylvania. There is station on the
P. G. R. r. in Somerset county, called
Castleman The legal name of the
Little Crossings has never been
changed by authoritive method.
HISTORIC NEGRO MOUNTAIN.
The next and last mountain TO be
noted in this paper is Negro noun
tain. 1t or rather it's name has tragi-
cal history It's foot is about two
miles west of Grantsyille, with a
moderate slope to the beautiful crest,
with its magnificent views 1t has
been known for generations from
vague tradition that the name came
from deadly battle between a negro
and a hostile Indian. The Indian