The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-08-01
SOME HISTORICAL FACTS.
Prominent Parts Taken by
Western Maryland in the
Days Of the Revolutionary
War.
BY DIR. BERNARD STEINER, PHI. D.
Courtesy Johns Hopkins Press.

The western frontier of Mary
land advanced but little beyond
the head of the tide water until
the sturdy German settlers, COM
ing down through the valleys of
the Blue Ridge, settled the fertile
valleys of Frederick and Wash
ingtOn counties. With their ar
rival, about the year 1885, a new
and most important era opened in
Maryland's history. Previously
there had been no doubt concern.
ing her alliance with the South in
her economic, social and political
life. This new and alien influence
tended to join the province closer
to Pennsylvania, and, as Western
Maryland became more and more
populOus and as the city of Balti-
more grew in commercial import
ance, largely through the intlu-
ence of the same German settlers,
there came to he doubt in the
minds of geographers whether
Maryland should be called Mid.
die or S0ut hern State. The life
on the Western Maryland farms
was far different from that on the
plantations of the Chesapeake
Bay, and the people Of the latter
had many economic, commercial
and sentimental ties to England,
of which the Westerners knew
nothing. After landing at Phil
adelphia, the Germans passed
down the fertile lands of Lancas-
ter aud York counties and settled
all along the valleys as far as
northern Georgia. So many of
them came that in 174S Western
Maryland could be made county,
under the name of Frederick. In
this county was contained, down
to the Revolution, all Maryland
west of Baltimore. Anne Arundel
and Prince Georges counties.
The county was not entirely in
habited by Germans. Scotch
Irish had also gathered there.
Scions of some of the prominent
Maryland families had followed
Berkeley's star of empire to carve
out new fortunes for themselves,
Quakers of steady habits were
dwelling in the eastern part oil
he region. But outside of the
lower section, what is now Mont
gOmery county, Frederick county
in 1870 was predominantly Ger.
man. The settlers hushandry
wasvaried and their fields brought
forth hemp, flax. wheat, rye, oats
and Indian corn. In huge coun
try wagons the surplus crop went
to Philadelphia and Baltimore
In addition to agriculture, manu-
features sprung up on a small
scale They made linen goods
tow, thread; they knitted long
yarn stockings; they tanned thei
leather and made horse collar!
and harness; they prepared honey
trkined butter, dried apples, APP
pie butter. etc., and these pro
duets found their way to the por
of Baltimore. Governor Eden, il
F q letter to Lord Dartmouth, salt
of these German settlers: ''The.
are generally an industrious ant
laborious people. Many of then
have acquired a cOnsiderab l
share OfprOperty. Their improve
ment of a wilderness into well
stocked plantations, the exampl
and beneficent effects of their ex
traordinary industry have raise'
in no small degree a spirit of EN-
, ulation among the other inhabi
tants. That they are a usefu
! people and merit the public re
| gard is acknowledged by all VIII
are acquainted with them" Ii
, the country were four or five set
, Elements which might be calle'
. towns. Georgetown, on the Pc
tomac, was an English town, ant
. Skipton, or Old Town, on tn
edge of the wilderness, was a set
Element of the hardy frontiersmen
who Inhabited the extreme west
FredericktOwn, ElizabethtOwn o
| HagerstOwn, and Sharpsbur,
| were, however. largely Germa
. settlements. Of the first town
, Eddis, writing to friend in Eng
land just before the outbreak G
hostilities, states that it exceed
Annapolis in size and number G
inhabitants, and that it possesse
r numerous warehouses aud stores
t 1.-THE buildings, though mostly Q
wood, have neat and regula
appearance. Provisions are chear
plentiful and excellent. In
word, here are to be found al
conveniencies and many super
r fiuities." This prosperity b
4 rightly attributes to the Germans
+ whose "habits of industry, Sc
0 briefly, frugality and patienc
n were peculiarly fitted for the Ii
g horizons occunatiOns of falling tin