The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-10-07


and the valley of the Youghiogheny
River between the upper and lower
rapids.
1t was located on the old Ginseng
Indian Path and is now reached by a
county road west from U. S. Route
PIG, near McHenry, or by the same
road east from the State line near
GAINESVILLE, in West Virginia, over the
River Hill. There is also road, known
as the River Road, north from Oak
land to the Sang Run postoffice.
One of the favorite camp grounds of
the Indians was in the bottom land at
the junction of Ginseng Run with the
Youghiogheny. Indian graves were
found on the bluff overlooking the
camp, and few years ago a grave
containing bones and Indian relics was
opened in the field just South of the
mouth of the creek.
The Friend brothers, who settled
at what is now Friendsville in 1865,
soon came to the camp ground on Gin
seng Run. According to family ira
dition, one day they started on an ex-
ploring and hunting expedition from
their new home on the Youghiogheny,
travelling South over a spur of the
Winding Ridge, now known as Elder
Hill. From high point they observed
the north slope of hill, heavily tim
bered, which they judged would be
good land for ginseng. Reaching that
hillside they found ginseng in abund-
ance. Filling their bags with the roots
they called the hill "Seng Hill" and
the stream at its base "Seng Rum
"seng" being a shortening of "gin-
seng," since corrupted into Sang" as
the place is now officially designated.
But for more than century the
neighborhood was known as "the
sainging ground"-noted for ginseng
on Seng Hill and elsewhere.
Ginseng, used by the Chinese for
medicine, was one of the few Smpor-
tant exports of the early settlers. The
roots found in the forests were dried
and easily transported to eastern mar
kets where they always commanded
good price. Destruction of the forests
and careless digging of the ginseng
roots have almost exterminated this
valuable plant, but small quantities of
the roots are still dug and sold at the
old sainging ground.
The word "ginseng" is from the
Chinese "jen-shen." We regret that
the present official name, "Sang Rum,
is used instead of the Ginseng Run"
of the earliest records.
Following the Run to it's mouth, the
Friends saw herd of buffalos graz
ing the water grass in the Youghio-
gheny above-later known as the
"Mattingly Pond" They shot one of
the animals, and their dogs followed
the herd to the old Indian corn field
above the present postoffice. Here a
bull turned to fight the dogs, so he
was also killed. Well supplied with
meat and with trout from the run, the
hunters spent several days in camp
here drying ginseng roots and buff
falo meat. Later they built a cabin
near the spring on the abandoned In
dian corn field.
Coming of The Land Surveyors
In 1774 Paul Hoye and surveyor,
probably his brother, Francis
Deakins, came to this county with a
warrant from Lord Baltimore's land
Office at Annapolis, for 1000 acres of
land.
John Friend, ST., showed Hoye some
of the best tracts Of land, including
"Crab Tree Bottom" 112 acres, at the
sources of Crab Tree and Ginseng
Run, where the wild crab apples grew.
which was surveyed April 5, 1774, and
the land on Ginseng Run where the
Friends already had cabin. On May
18th they surveyed 352 acres, begin
ming at hickory tree near the mouth
of Ginseng Run, the center OF the
Sainging Ground, including the Friend
cabin site. In consideration of the prior
claim of the Friends and of their ser,
vices to the survey party, Paul Hoye
asked John Friend if he would be sat
isfied with 100 acres of the tract
Friend replied, 81 shall be delighted
So Hoye named the whole tract
Friends Delight" and set off Ion
acres for Friend. After the Revolu
tionary War, in 1856, Paul Hoye Sc
cured his patent for Friends De
light" and in 1899 he decided 1O(
acres of it to John Friend, ST., fol
20 shillings ($2.67). Until the presen
day, Friends and Hoyes have owned
and lived on Friends Delight" The
hickory tree at the mouth of Ginseng
Run has long since been replaced D!
a stone marked "P. H." noted land
mark in the neighborhood.
Survey of the Military Lots, 1887
Most of the Sainging Ground neigh
borhood is included in the Military Lot
surveyed under the supervision OF Col
En.orc;s naaLipc in 1877 primarily fo