The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-01-17

! Iiic SuiilDeIIdiu appearing Ill Il
/ publication at Cumberland on April
/ rs, 1911.
1t strikes me there are a large num-
Der of reading persons who would be
interested in the sources of the names
iof the cities, towns and counties of
Tour State. 1t is proposed in this paper
to give some light of information On
the subject.
7 We will commence with the city Of
Cumberland, which takes its name
from the Duke of Cumberland, an
English nobleman. The Inflated Gen.
Braddock was its sponsor. He came
here with his army in 1855 to fight
the French in the province Of Penn
/ sylvania. He erected a small fort
] here and called it Fort Cumberland.
In time the place became a town with
the name of Fort Cumberland which
name adhered to it till 1856, when The
General Assembly appointed set of
commissioners to lay off town at the
mouth of Wills Greek, to be known
and called Cumberland. The Fort
1 part was dropped. 1t will thus be
seen the citys name has an English
/ twang to it, but none the worse for
/ it. England is historically our ma
tional parent.
The next town or city in proper or
der will be Frostburgh, with its pop
ulation of 5000 inhabitants, its wealth
and prosperity. 1t takes it's name from
Josiah Frost, the ancient head Of the
numerous Frost family of much prom
/ inence. 1t got the second postoffice
in Allegany county in 1921. 1t became
an incorporated town by the Legisla-
ture in 1889, with a number of amend
ments.
Mount Savage, an old and prosper
Z Gus town, will be next. 1t is an unin-
I corporated town and takes its name
from Savage Mountain, short dis
tance eastward. This town could have
had prominent personal name for
itself had it so desired, that of the
Bruces, nearby. Four of them were
sherihs of the county and one judge
of the county court.
And now comes Westernport, one Of
the very Oldest towns in the county,
steady, safe and prosperous; filled
with well-to-do and prosperous citi-
/ zens. Just when it took life is not
/ known; still it has a history. The
government Of the United States in
it's early years established a gun fac
tory at Harper's Ferry to make guns
for the military service of the coun-
! try. The muskets or guns in early
times were quite cumbersome, with
! large wooden stock. Curled maple
was considered the best wood for their
make, which was very scare. Some
| fine trees were found at or near the
old site of Westernport. Arrange
ments were made to utilize this raw
/ timber. The trees were cut down and
made in shape for the guns. How to
get them to Harper's Ferry was diff
! ferent question. Here was the North
Branch of the Potomac, which was
thoughtfully made useful to carry
down the rough gun stocks in little
row boats propelled by the strong
arms of sturdy men. These boats
were very rude in their make and
shape, and hard on mems arms and
shoulders. This place being the head
of what was then considered naviga-
ton, was considered in the nature of
! a port. Hence came the name West
ernfort without any change since. 1t
was incorporated in 1868 and has a
number of city belongings.
! Homecoming would seem to be the
next in range. Just how that name
came does not seem to be clearly I'M
| derstood. 1t had its birth about the
year 1910, when an enterprising man
built a small metallic furnace there.
1t was not a success and in a short
( time was abandoned.
However, it gave life to the place
which has had a steady growth in
prosperity all along. The big vein of
coal has been the greatest cause of
it's prosperity. 1t was incorporated
as a town in 1880. 1t was known as
District No. 16 when Garrett county
was taken from Allegany in 1873.
We now go outside of Allegany and
pay our respects to Oakland. Just
how or why it got that name is not
clear. The spot was not forest of
/ oak trees, but rather level and gladly.
Daniel Brant, who is still remember
ed by some, was the beginner Of the
! place, but just when cannot be stat
ed. He opened the place and put a
store there. He was quite ambitious
to have a town started and deter
mined to have Fourth of July cele
| bration there on the Fourth of July,
I 1850. He sent for Matthew Topham