The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-06-15
ASHBY'S DISCOVERY: THE
ASHBY SETTLEMENT


Little Meadows, the honor of having
been the first settlers of Garrett
county.
Or August 3, 1878, William Ashby
leased Of Lord Fairfax, for life, Lot 81,
of SIS acres, on the South Branch of
the Potomac River in Hampshire
county, Va. He may have been resid-
ing here for some years before he
secured his lease. But on January 2,
1T81. Ashby-then of Washington
county, Md.,-for $40 sold to Samuel
Horl0ack "all his rights and privi-
leges TO said land, houses, buildings,
orchards" This land is near Fort
-Ashby, on the South Branch.
The year Of the migration of the
4Ashby family from Hampshire county
70 the Glades of the Youghiogheny is
not definitely known, but while resid-
1ng on the South Branch, William
Ashby doubtless Travelled westward
over McCullough's Pack Horse Path
and explored and hunted in the Glades.
In 1772, Captain John Ashby went
from his home in the Shenandoah Val
ley of Virginia to take possession of
the land granted to him in Kentucky
for services in the Indian Wars. Will
liam Ashby may have been a member
Of The Captains party.
There is a tradition in the Ashby
Family that about this time a large
oarty-ncluding the Ashby and Will
4iarns families-were on their way to
Kentucky but when they arrived in
the Youghiogheny Glades they were
met by a messenger from the West
VINO Informed them that the Indians
were hostile and that it was dangerous
20 proceed; so the party camped on
Cherry Creek and built blockhouse
and sJOckade, known later as "Ashby's
Fort
After waiting here for some time
mora favorable news arrived from
Kentucky and the leaders of the party
decided to move on westward. But
Sarah Ashby, wife of William, a
woman Of decided opinions and strong
wli, Informed her husband that the
Glades country in which they were
camped, was good enough for her and
that she would go no further West.
Her argument and will prevailed: Will
lam Ashby and his family remained in
Ehe Glades of Maryland.
There is doubtless basis of truth
IN This story, but it may be the story
refers TO Fort Ashby on the South
Branch instead of the Ashby Settle
n1ent on Cherry Greek. We have noted
that William Ashby leased land near
Fort Ashby in 1773.
However, William Ashby appears to
have mad some early claim on the
Cherry Creek Glade. In 1774 Lord Bal
tImore opened his lands "Westward
OF Fort Cumberland" to settlement
and among the tracts surveyed was:
~Ashbys Discovery"-1O0O Acres
surveyed April 6, 1774, for Hugh
Scott, Beginning at white oak on
a point Of land in the Great Glades on
Ghe East side of Cherry Tree Creek
about p miles from Archey's
Spring on McCullough's Path" This
magnificent tract lies just east of the
village of Gortner and is now divided
Inro the Slabach, Swartzentruber and
Beacby farms.
1t is probable that William or some
c,thef Ashby discovered" this tract
tsefo1@ 1774 and had a cabin there or
same o1her claim to it; otherwise Scott
womb NOT have surveyed the tract,
SINCE 1T was already included in the
survey 0f Lord Baltimore's Manor.
Hugh Scott was a land speculator
vyho probably made the survey at
AsnAyss request and on his promise
to E3gy when patent issued.
IL appears certain that William
Ashny was living on his discovery"
III 3T36, because in August of that
year ne was one of the volunteers
vine went to Oldtown and enrolled in
"A militia company to defend the State
&rUm Che British. Five other pioneer
settlers from what is now Garrett
c0unry enrolled in this company, viz.
A aaron Parker, John Friend, Augustine
Friend, Jacob Forman and Jesse Tom
EInsUn.
Al che time of the Revolutionary
Wan, the Ashbys appear to have
beer the only family settled in the
Y0ughiogheny Glades, and it is proba-
Ole chat, when the Indians became hos
tile they returned to their former
horne in the South Branch settlement
s4Egd did not return to the Glades until
Ereur the end of the War. We have
Es3red that William Ashby sold his
Lease in 1881, but he was already "of
Washington County," now Garrett.
The Ashby Fort
At the time the Ashby family set
Gled in the Great Glades, it was nee