Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1907-11-16
IT +
FOI n DERS
OF
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1872

In Memory of In Memory of
MEsHECH FROST CATHERINE FROST
Died Died
October 9, 1868, July "a, 1876,
Aged Aged
IS Years 81 Years
Just above the first inscription four
crosses appear ON the column. AT the foot
of each grave a marble grave marker is
placed, representing a scroll the lower edge
slightly folded, bearing the initials, re-
spectlvely NJ f. and c. f.
with its pretty design tasteful execution
and beautiful location, this memorial will
be a point of popular attraction which will
grow i'll interest as the subjects 1t commence
rates glide into antiquity. We would fegn
permit the happy conceptions which reflect
great praise upon the heirs, the church and
Mr.. Smenner, pass without a thought OF
dissent but 1t occurs to us that i'll some in
adVertent manner the most important DIS
junction to which the memory of Mr. Frost
is entitled has been overlooked We refer
to 1t IN the following sketch with the hope
that 1t Is not too late to supply the omission
The late Meshech Frost may be Justly
regarded as the pioneer of Cumberland coal
production and trade. When quite a Young
man he developed coal on his property in
and around Frostburg and hauled 1t to Cum
bertrand in road wagons, where it was loaded
INTO tatboats and shipped down the Potomac
during the flush conditions of the river in
the spring and fall
AS the owner of ISL acres of coal land,
and his brother Isaiah Frost, the owner of
Al acres, making, jointly, so acres they
on the 3Oth day of January, 1915, applied to
the Legislature of Maryland for an act in
cooperating the trOstburg Coal Company
with capital of $500 900, which was granted.
Early in the spring of the same year the
company was organized, and the building of
narrow guage, or tram road, was immedi-
ately commenced, leading from the mines-at
troStburg to Mt. Savage-a distance of
about four mlles-and connecting with the
road, Just completed, then known as the
Mount Savage railroad but now a part of
the Cumberland and Pennsylvania railroad
At Cumberland connection was thus
formed with the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road, altogether affording direct Transport
tation from the mines to tide-water at
Baltimore.
Early in the spring of 1916 all the neces
sary arrangements for forwarding coal were
completed and shipments began on the 9th
day OF April of that year, These We're
pressed and augmented as rapidly as the
then limited demand would allow
MIR. Frost was for many years the presi
dent OF the company, but owing to the grow
ing debility which comes with advancing
years, he rellnquished the responsibilities of
presiding officer and accepted those of a di-
rector. In the performance of the duties of
the latter position he gave his personal at
tentlon daily to the business of the COM
pany until the 23d day of Septem ber 1868
when he was taken i'll, and on the 9th dav
OF the succeeding month of October he died
aged IS years.
This ended the career of one of Allie
gangs most useful and enterprising sons
and one whose honor and integrity were
never questioned. Born within the sound
OF the church bells under the shadow of
whose lofty tower he sleeps at last, it is emf
nently fitting also that he and his beloved
wife, side by side, in the very ground on
which they erected their first home. Here
IN the bosom of the great community they
founded, and under the loving dcgiS of num-
erous descendants, their graves and their
memories will be kept alike green and
fragrant.
For the benefit of those not conversant
with the early history of our coal trade, it
may be well to mention in this connection
some of the outgrowths of Mr.. Frost
energy and enterprise. The completion of
the trostbuIg coal company's road to Mount
Savage afforded an outlet for all the coal
along the jennings run valley. Taking adj
vantage of this the Allegany Mining Com
pany soon followed the Frostburg Coal Com
pany by opening what is known as Allegany
mine. a short time after the Young mine
was opened in the immediate vicinity of the
New Hope slope. In lS5O-5l the Borden
Mining Company commenced the develop
ment of their property, which completed the
principal coal enterprises IN the Jennings
run valley.
Many persons entertain the impression
that the Maryland Mining companys rail
road, now the ECkhart Branch of the Cum
berland and Pennsylvania railroad, was the
first railway. connection made with our coal
field. This is erroneous. That road was not
completed until July, 1916, or about three
months after the Frostburg Coal Company
began shipping coal.
In the spring of 1864 the personal and
real property of the Frostburg Coal Company
was sold to the Consolidation Coal Company,
and still constitutes rich portion of the
very valuable coal estate of that company
''ln come sense this monument Is gift to
the public As such, and as due to Mr.
Frost's memory to his descendants and to
the truth of history, it should record the dis
tingulshlng achievement of his life as the
founder of our coal trade. Already it points
backward siXty-tive years to the foundation
of FrOStburg, or, as he called it, Mt Pleas
ant (afterward changed by the Postmaster
General to FrOstburg) Now let it recor
the far more important and significant cir
cumstance that he also laid the cornerstone
of a trade which, great as it is, has not yet
reached its prime Let the chrOniclers of
! atter-times see on this marble column
the equally durable testimonial, that this
modest man was one of the few characters
| who "bulded better than he knew a bust
| ness whose dimensions as vet IpfV the