The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1950-02-09
History of SeVenteen>Mile Grade
Area Recounted by Mrs. E. NJ. Weeks
Bloomington

One of the pioneer residents in
this region was John George Christie
pher Brant, who came from Germany.
He established factory for making
guns for the Federal Government in
1871. He purchased tract of land on
the Savage River, near Westernport,
on which was a forest of black wal
nut trees, which was valued for the
gun stocks. Pig iron was brought
from a furnace in Pennsylvania to
Cumberland, by wagon. From Cum
berland it was brought up the river
in flat boats. The finished muskets
were sent down the river to the
Arsenal at Harper's Ferry.
The next industry was mining of
coal. The village was called 'Llangol-
len," a Welsh name, from the first
mining company, which operated in
this region in 1912. Coal was carried
down the Potomac River in flat boats
and on RATS.
In 1S49 Bloomington was surveyed
and established as a town. The B. &
o. Railroad reached Piedmont, Vir-
ginia in 1851. A three arched stone
bridge was built to cross the Potomac
River near Bloomington. Mining has
been the chief industry since 1912.
Other development near Blooming
ton is the Western Maryland Rail
road, built in 18S2-S4 as the West
Virginia Central to open coal and
timber land along the Potomac River
in Maryland and West Virginia
Some names of residents of Bloom
ington in 1880 are: w. A. Brydon, j.
Somerville, James Cummings, Collins
Hepburn, A. j. Warwick, w. L. Raw
lings, DR.. E. H. Parsons, DR.. Howard
Kemp, Andrew Mullen and George C.
Pattison.
The Henry Right family have been
residents of the neighborhood of
Westernport and Bloomington. His
sons, Enoch and William, owned
property there. In 1S4S, when the
railroad was being built, they found
no deed had been given to them for
their property, which had been occu-
pied and improved by the family for
over fifty years. Enoch Right took
out a warrant, and thus secured the
property legally. Enoch Right was
married to Annie Hamilton and eight
children grew up to honor his name.
One daughter, Isabella, became the
wife of Patrick Hamill, Jr.
Above Bloomington, the Savage
River Dam is under construction.
This work was suspended during the
World War II, but is being carried
on. When completed in 1851, water
will be impounded during the winter
and spring and in some measure pre-
vent disastrous floods. The flow Of
water from the dam will give a more
even supply for manufacturing pur-
poses, over the entire year.
Bloomington celebrated a Centen-
NAL in May, but its history goes back
w IiCD WHICH IlIS LII 81 II ma
land State Road was surveyed. The
first wagon road to be opened over
the great mountain barrier to the
West. The original road passed along
through the land now occupied by
"Borderside," the home of the Brydon
family, winding back and forth to the
top of the mountain, the route was
shortened to come along the present
steep declivity, with direct crossing
of the railroad. Since the opening of
the State road, on the Maryland side
of the Potomac River, and the re-sur-
facing of the old State Road over
Back Bone mountain, the distance
from Cumberland to Oakland has been
reduced. 1t is twelve miles less than by