The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-09-16
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin

Back in the days when automobiles
were making their first appearances
on our roads, few years before the
beginning of the first World War,
another old landmark of our County
and State was destroyed. This was
the old mill and forge located north
of Leitersburg on the Antietam, on
a tract of ground also known as
Crock Forge"
These old FORCES played an i'm
portant part in the shaping of early
history, since they supplied the much
needed iron for ploughs and tools,
cannon and artillery, and for just
about every other kind of early in
dustry. But today many people
could walk over the spot where this
old forge, foundry and mill and ma
chine shop once stood and never
realize that there was ever any
thing more than a stream of water
there. But of course to those who
are interested in the past, there are
MANY evidences of what is gone.
When visited the place recently, the
two most noticeable features were
the mill race and numerous pieces
of pig iron to be seen at odd places.
And equally interesting was the site
of the dam further up stream, and
the gorge" which does not require
the eyes of an expert to see that it
was the work of mans hands.
The history of this place ended
about thirty eight years ago when
the place was burned (the owners
saved one thing; the records of their
accounts with customers) and the
area was given back to the Antietam.
And it did not take the waters long
to rearrange the rocks of the dam
to suit its currents so that today
only small parts of the ends of the
old dam remain. Of recent years
the tract has been bought by Mr..
Russell Burger, who plans to restore
the old dam and who is vitality inter
ested in the old place, its mill and
past. He says that the tract he
bought extends for over a mile
along the bank of the Antietam.
Mr.. Burger walked along with me
up to the site of the dam and pointed
out many interesting things From
the top of hill bordering the gorge
one can see the course of the Ante
tam. 1t approaches this spot flow
ering south, right up to high and
abrupt hill running east and west.
Here one can see that at one time
the stream made a sharp turn to the
west and followed the foot of the
cliffs on the north side of this range
of hills. The stream bed can be
seen running to the west for nearly
half a mile, making a great circle
and coming back on the south side
of the same hills, to a spot in line
with the part of the stream above
the interrupting spur, where it again
turns and flows south. But the water
no longer flows around the great cir
Gle, for the Gorge" has been cut
through the dividing spur and the
stream takes a shortcut. At the
lower end of this gorge was the
dam.
Mr.. Burgers son pointed out that
there is still proof that this channel
was cut by man because old time
drill marks can be seen along the
face of the cliffs walling in the
gorge And Mr.. Burger has seen
the stream, when it was swollen by
rains, divide, part of it going
through the gorge and part of il
making the great circle.
In the face of the cliffs, both the
old ones along the original bed OF
the stream, and the gorge, are sew
eral caves. Years ago the story was
circulated that someone mad hldden
a fortune in these caves Mr.. Bur
gers boys have crawled back as far
as they could go into these open
ings, as no doubt many generations
of boys have done, but were
stopped by the smallness of the
openings. At one time they built {
fire in one of the caves and found
smoke coming out another open
ing on the other side of the hill, but
no treasure"
Further up the Antietam I founc
ninty-three year old man, Mr.
Adam Baker, and his son, Ralph
who "know" this part of the Ante
tam. Mr.. Baker was born in log
house still standing on the Eas