The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-12-26
THE GAINESVILLE
SANG RUN ROAD
BY CHARLES E. HOVE

In the Allegany county NMu.J rec
ords at Cumberland there is recorded a
petition, presented the second Monday
of October, 1928, and beginning as fol-
lows:
To the Honorable, the County Court of
Allegany County, Maryland:
Your petitioners represent to the
Court that a public road is much
wanted from the Virginia Line at or
near the Pine Swamp to intersect a
road now opened from Kingwood, in
Virginia, to the said Virginia line
proposed road to connect at the said
line and extend eastward through the
Sanging Ground (Sang RUM and to
join the road now leading from Selbys-
port to the State Road at Robosson's,
at or near William Hoye's farm on said
road"
The petitioners "pray the courtto APP
point commissioners to review and lay
off said road" 1t was signed by the fol-
lowing neighbors, all long since travel
ers on the trail over which none re-
turn:
Joseph Kelly, VIM. Browning, M.
Browning, James Cunningham, Ed
ward Campbell, John Yaldwin, Joseph
Little, Jacob Baker, Sem, John Nc
Henry, John Spurgin, Henry McCabe,
Cornelius W. Friend, James James,
Archibald Casteel, Isaac Lock, John
L. Browning, Cannady Baker, John
Moo;,ooie Toooh Polyo,r Inn Cann11al
H. Brooke, Henry Hare, Jacob Hare,
John Probst, jeremiah Enlow, Richard
Drane.
The honorable Court appointed Cab
rial Friend, Samuel Jamison and JOS
eph Kelly commissioners, and almost
two years later, August 10, 1880, they
reported that, with the assistance of
Corbin West, surveyor, and John Sum-
mers and Henry Everly, chain carriers,
they had laid out road beginning at
the Pine Swamp, "near where Henry
Sines now lives" across the Youghio-
gheny River at the "Big Crossings" by
Browning's Mill, to the Selbysport
road, near VIM. Hoye's.
The surveyors plat of the new road
accompanied the report, showing the
g -
Hill, crossing the river just below the
present bridge, up Sang Run to the
Sebold farm.
The total expense of the survey
six men for two days-was $50, an &c
onomical job for over five miles OF
road. but there was already a wagon
road from William Hoye's to the river,
and doubtless a pack horse road over
the River Hill. Soon after 1880 the
present wagon road was built over the
hill to the Pine Swamp.
So the Sang Run-Cranesville road
was opened just about one hundred
years ago. In 1881 the "frst iron
bridge in Garrett county" was built at
the "Big Crossings" D. H. Friend was
president of the Board of County Com
missioners: an excellent piece of work,
still in good condition.
About 1880 the Sang Run road was
"stoned" and put in good condition all
the way to the West Virginia line.
But may we invite the attention of
the public roads authorities to the
present condition and needs of the
Sang Run road? The stones are rough,
the road uneven; the five bridges
across the Run are marked unsafe for
heavy loads"
Traffic has increased. Last autumn
the Piney Run CCC camp was built on
the River Hill near the old road. The
camp uses this road to its post office
at Sang Run and its outlet to the State
Road near McHenry.
Should not this short but important
road be regarded and hard surfaced, at
least from the State Road to the Yough
River bridge?
The people of the Sang Run neigh
borhood and the officials of the CCC
camp believe so, and hope it will be
done.
Oakland, December 81, 1885.
Over Thousand Children Get An