The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-07-09
THE EARLY SETTLERS
IN GARRETT COUNTY
By MRS. T. C. HINEBAUGH
By MRS. T. c. HINEBAUGH
Continued from last week.
The McHenrys

The McHenryS came from County
Antrim in Ireland, where they had
been settled at Ballymena for many
generations and where Daniel Nc
Henry was merchant. His son James
was sent on voyage to the Colonies
for his health which had failed from
too close application to his studies.
Being less than twenty years of age he
was placed under the care of Captain
Allison, of Philadelphia, whose STEP
daughter, Margaret Caldwell, he even
tually married and took up the study
of medicine under the tutorage Of the
famous DR.. Benjamin Rush, who was
friend Of General Washington, and it
was possibly through DIR. Rush that
McHenry formed that association with
Washington that so profoundly influ-
enced his life. He was appointed sur
geon in the army and served two
years as Washington's secretary. Later
he was on General Lafayette's staff
until his resignation in 1881.
During the later part of his admin
istration, President Washington ap-
pointed him Secretary Of War and
when Adams became president Nc
Henry was continued in office. 1t was
during Adams administration that
diplomatic relations with France were
broken and as Secretary of War it be-
came McHenry's duty to prepare for
the national defense, SO he frequently
advised with his friend Alexander
Hamilton, who was the recognized
head Of the Federalist party, for which
Adams severely reprimanded McHenry
and he Immediately resigned.
NcHenry's health was very poor
after his resignation from the cabinet
and he had been spending his sum-
mcrs at Berkeley Springs or with his
close friend, Colonel Lynn, who had a
summer home at "Wild Cherry Tree
Meadows" But DR.. McHenry's health
failed so rapidly that he passed away
in 1916 at his suburban home near Bal
timore.
John McHenry, a nephew of DR.. Nc
Henry, was lawyer and a scholar who
had filled important diplomatic posts
at the Hague and other European capt.
tails. After his uncle's death, he moved
to Buffalo Marsh, where he built a
comfortable log house. Book cases
lined the walls of his library-the
first in this region. Mrs. McHenry had
a private road cut through the woods
to Grab Tree Bottom so she could visit
Mrs. Hoye without travelling the pub
lie highway. When she was ready to
pay visit a colored boy went in adj
vance to see that no presuming rat
tiers disturbed her ladyship. Martha
McHenry died at Buffalo Marsh. 1t is
said her husband used to sit at his
window for hours looking out upon
her grave in the orchard, where he, too,
was destined to lie soon. Nothing but
a couple Of slight depressions mark
their last resting place.
James Dorsey, faithful slave be-
longing to William Waller Hoye, mar
ried Susan, q free woman, who had
travelled much with Mrs. McHenry in
foreign countries. She was an uncom-
mon colored woman. When John Nc
Henry freed his slaves many remained
with him. But when they were eman-
cipated most of them focked to cities
and towns. Jim and Susan, however,
remained in the Glades. Trey were
buried in the old McHenry plot, the
last of their kind in this region.
Daniel Grant
Daniel Grant, an early settler of
Grantsville, in whose honor the town
was named, was an inn keeper of Bal
timore, and owned the Fountain Inn,
where on several occasions George
Washington stopped. Grant owned
"Cornucopia," that fertile tract Of
land that is divided by the old Brad
dock road on which Grantsville is To-
Gated, In 1896 the Grants left Balti-
more to reside on "Cornucopia."
Tomlinson's first inn on the old Brad
dock road was called the "Red House."
Afterwards he built the stone house,
still standing on the National High
way twenty-one miles west of Cum
berland.
Early Communication Methods
Outside of one or two apologies for
roads, the only means of communicat-
ing with neighbors was over trails by
horseback or by walking. 1 have been
told that perpetual twilight reigned in
the deep forests, the gloom intensified
BY heavy draperies of Spanish moss.
All of which, with the trees, have dis
appeared except a small conservation
at Swallow Falls to remind one of the
forest primeval. A CCC camp has done
much to make accessible by paths the
many glens, cliffs and falls within
Its boundaries.
Eagle Rock is the highest point Of
H.