The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1959-07-02
Old Dutch
Settlement
BY ROSS C. BURST

1t would be interesting to know
how many residents of Garrett
County ever heard of Old Dutch
Settlement. l must admit that I'M
til last year l had never heard the
name.
While searching through some
old records in the Courthouse at
Cumberland last summer, came
across a deed dated Oct. 10, 1899,
involving the transfer of 83 3/8
acres of land between John Ramp
and Daniel burst Since Daniel
burst was my paternal grand
father, l was naturally interested
in reading further. The descrip-
ton of the property was in the
usual motes and bounds used in
early land surveys. 1t began at a
'double-bounded" chestnut oak
tree, thence to a locust tree,
thence to chestnut tree, etc. Then
came the real surprise. In attempt
ing to further describe the proper
ty, it stated that the property was
located in the Old Dutch Settle
ment.
l knew that Daniel burst had
lived on a farm on the southeast
slope of Meadow Mountain where
my father and several of the young
er children were born. In 1874
some acreage was transferred to
an older son William. In my youth
this farm was owned by Christian
Otto and believe it is still in the
Otto family.
Just when the name was changed
to New Germany, l do not know.
Government records show that
when the first Postoffice was
opened in 1883, the name used was
New Germany. However, the break
with the old ways came much
earlier. For instance, my father
who was affectionately known as
Uncle Mad, could speak not a
single word of German.
The name odd Dutch" does not
necessarily mean that the settlers
came from Holland. The weight of
evidence at present seems to in
dictate that the first bursts came
from Switzerland. A more reason
able explanation of the name is
that most of the early settlers came
from the Pennsylvania Dutch set
Element in Elk Lick Township, the
present day Salisbury. Other early
settlers were the Swartzentrubers,
the Benders and the Ottos.
At this point, perhaps a word
about the much misunderstood
Pennsylvania Dutch might not be
amiss. The Edict of Nantes, al
though issued by Catholic mon
arch, gave freedom of worship and
the right to vote and hold office
to the Protestant Hugenots, fol-
lowers of Martin Luther and many
of them of German stock. How
ever, when Louis XIV came to the
throne of France, he revoked the
Edict in 1855. The Hugenots came
under terrible persecution. ORA
goons were domiciled directly in
the Hugenot homes with full per-
mission to annoy and prosecute
their hosts short only of violation
and death" Untold thousands of
them sought sanctuary in sur
rounding countries such as Hol-
land, Switzerland and England.
Some remained there and became
citizens but many of the harder
ones emigrated to America. Phila-
delphia was the chief port-of-entry.
The benevolent policy of William
Penn appealed to them. The early
settlements were in Berks County
and adjoining counties of eastern
Pennsylvania Inevitably, some of
the more adventuresome ones
moved to western Pennsylvania
and Maryland. Our great midwest
of today is literally stocked with
the descendants of these hardy
pioneers. This is the story of the
Pennsylvania Dutch"
Like SO many sections of Garrett
County, the exact boundaries of New