The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-09-05
BY CHARLES E. HOVE
McCULLOUGH'S PATH


Mccullough was an Indian trader
who followed the old Indian trail from
the Potomac to the Ohio. George Wash
ington wrote that this trail was origi-
nally buffalo "trace" from the Ohio
country to "The Glades."
1t is recorded of Mccullough that
he persisted in selling guns and am
munition to the Indians until some of
the white settlers stopped his pack
train on the path, confiscated all his
arms and ammunition and threatened
the trader with more severe treatment
if he did not discontinue the traffic.
This old path" was open for pack
horses before 1774; it crossed the Po-
tomac at Logsden's, above Gormania,
passed about two miles south of Oak
land, where a State marker now re-
cords the fact on Route 81, thence west
across the Great Youghiogheny; then
northwest toward the Pine Swamp
! (Cranesville) crossing Cheat River at
the Dunkard Bottom.
| General Washington Passes in 1884
On his return trip from 'the West"
in 1884, Washington travelled part of
the Mccullough Path, stopping one
night with Charles Friend where his
party found no feed for their horses
and only parched corn for themselves.
The location of Friends house is now
indicated by a State-placed marker
on the Glotfelty farm by the Oakland
Terra Alta road.
In his diary the General recorded at
length his impressions of 1.-The
Glades," and his conversation with
Friend about the proposed canal route
He also mentions that Maryland
contemplated the building of road
from the Potomac to the Virginia
State line through this neighborhood
A Traveller of 1890
Thomas Wallcut and a companion
travelled a-foot this way on March 10,
1890. They left Ramsey's at the Dun
kard Bottom after breakfast and fol
lowed the Mccullough Path by Au-
gustine Friends ("where they ate a
little bit of friend salt pork and ven
ison'), crossed the Yough River, then
left the "Path," crossing the Little
Yough at Boyle's (Oakland), thence
thru the Glades to Briern's, east of the
Great Backbone, where they arrived
after dark, and ate "a bit OF Indian
bread and drank about hall
a pint of milk each, which was all our
supper"
Wallcut's journal" mentions as
settlers on the way lin what is now
Garrett county, Friend, Boyle, Stack
pole and Briern. He says little OF the
trail; evidently the State road mac
not been opened or built.
Eric BOllman's Account of 1876
Grifith's map, published in 1874
shows three roads in our county, viz;
Braddock Road, built by Braddock'
Army in 1855; the Morgantown Road
opened up soon after the Revolution
from the Braddock Road below Key
ser's Ridge thru Selbysport ant
Blooming Rose to Virginia; and lastly
the Maryland State Road, which begar
at Westernport, climbed Great Back
bore south of Grab Tree Greek, crossed
the creek where Swans Mill was later
located. thence over Little Backbone
Mountain into the Glades, passing
westward by the later Ingram, Hamll
and the Capt. Gaines farms to the
crossing of the Little Yough at Boyle''
(Oakland); thence across the BIG
Yough and northwest toward the Vlr
pinia State line-probably the route
here of the Mccullough Path.
This is the new State road Travelled
by Bollman in 1896, which was opened
up between 1890 and 1894.
The following is a translation O.
Eric Bollman's letter, written IN Ger
man, as published in pioneer Roads"
vol. II, by A. H. Hubert:
From Cumberland we have jour
neyed over the Allegheny Mountain
in company with General Irwin, of Bal
timore, who owns some $4,000 acre
in this vicinity. These mountains ar
not so high and not so unproductiv
as had imagined them to be.
eve spent the first night at Yves
Port (Westernport). Up to this point
at the proper seasons, the Potomac i
navigable and could be made so quit
distance further. The roa
is not in bad condition and could b
. made most excellent. This will, with
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