Cumberland as a gateway to the west : to 1875 / a thesis by Luther Miller Harper

CmiBERLAMD AS THE GATKVAY TO THE WEST - TO 1875

A thesis by
Luther Hiller Harper
as part of his initiation into Maryland Beta
Chapter of Tau Beta Pi Association.

January 10,1930.

-1-

CDMBERMND AS THE GATEWAY TO THE lEST - TO 1876.
SBirMARY.

The site of Gtmiberland was first Inhabited "by the
Shawawanee Indians of the warlike Algon^in groupe. They
called their settlement "Gauetuouc" for the creek which ran
past the town. The white, trappers renamed the town Will's
Town and the creek iVill's Creek,

Trappers ventured into the terriatory trading with
the Indians and finally establishing a trading company known
as the Ohio Company, France, realizing the valTO of this trade,
, stopped the work of the Ohio Company, Washington with a small
force tried to drive out the French but was too greatly out-
numbered. The IMfce of Cumberland, for whom Cumberland was
named, sent General Braddock to drive out the French, Braddock
was not accustomed to the warefare of the savages, who were
helping the French, was killed and his Army defeated. Finally
Colonel Boquet was auoceaaful in taking the territory from the
French,

Cumberland was incorporated in 1815 by act of the
Legislature of Maryland. .?hich was ammended in 1834 by a
bill incorporating the to'/m under the name and title of the
•^layor and Councilmen of the Town of Cumberland?

The Cumberland Road was constructed by the federal
government. It carried many people and imich money to the weat

-2-

and served to haPBoniae" and to strengthen, if not to sare
the Union, Changes were made in the original location of
the road "by the government officials. The road had much
to do with the development of Ctmberland and established
Cumberland as one of the principal ways to the West,

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was constructed to pro-
vide a better means of transportation to and from Cumberland,
It was not completed soon enough, however, to be as prosperous
as was expected.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad came to Cumberland in
184 E, It carried passengers to and from Cumberland for travel
to and from the West on the Cumberland Road, It gave a sat-
isfactory aeceas to the markets of the East and was a great
stimilus to the growth of Cumberland, The Cumberland and Penn
sylvan la Railroad went from Cmiberland westward and brought
coal and iron from the west to Cumberland for transportation
over the Baltimore and Ohio,

111 of these means and ways of trajisportation helped
to establish Cumberland as the -Gateway to the West and did much
toward the establishment of future industries and helped the
growth of the to'/ra.

-1-

CIMBERLAND AS THE SATSWAY TO THE WEST - TO 1875.

A ship came sailing out of the east one mid-siumner
morning in 1746 bringing news to the American colonies of
a great battle fought on the Scottish field of Culloden,
where the cause of the Stuart Pretenders had been declslrely
vanquished before the army of His Majesty George II,

There was rejoicing in all the colonies of Mainland
who had already declared in its council for Eing Greorge,
Word of the victory was received in Annapolis with great
rejoicing.

Many miles inland from the fashionable capitol, past
the little » frotmtier town of Frederick, westward In that
region of the oolony where the white raan had not as yet
blazed his first rude roads, there was another town by the
name "Caiuotucuc". Its inhabitants were Shawanees, members
of the fierce, warlike Algonquin groups. Their settlement
was built on the shores of the noisy, little stream that
gave the town that name. This creek wandered into the val-
ley through a deep gash in the western hills, and, after
flowing past the redman*3 wigwams, mingled its waters with
those of the placid river known to the savages aa tht
"Cohongoronta". On all sides of the Indian camp towered
the high blue walls of the Alleghanies, with their trackless

-2-

foresta and deep rsTlna, formidable barriers that they were
holding in check the advance of civilization. Only the
trappers in their search for furs had defied these moun-
tain strongholds. They came often to Caiuctucuc to trade
with the friendly old chief and his braves. The musioal
Indian names did not come readily to the rude tongues,
so they chose a name of their own for the chief, his vill-
age and the creek on which they paddled their canoe; thus,
Caiuotucuc became (¥111*3 Town,

The July twilight that saw Annapolis in gala attire
brought only peace to the Shawanees settlement, IJo rumor
of the battle had crossed the Alleghaniea, Uo fonn of
gaiety there celebrated the victoiy at Culloden, Yet there
at the junotion of 'ffill's creek was to rise a queenly city
that would perpetuate forever in its name the memory of him
who has been called the "TButcher of Culloden", His Royal
Highness the Duke of Cumberland.

So this is the story of how it came to pass that on
the sight of that ancient Shawanee camp a frontier fort was
erected and the white man, with his axe and his gun, came to
break the silence of the centuries, as he laid the foundation
for a noble city there in the heart of a pr imative wilder-
ness.

-3-

. THS PUS TRADa«

IMtll 17S8, nothing was loaown of the regions bord-
ering the riyer that is today called the Korth Branch of the
Potomac* Then the trapper, in hia search for furs, began to
venture farther and farther into the dense forests, follow-
ing the Indian trails or paddling his canoe along streams.
It was the indomitable courage, energy, and rude diplomacy
of these trappers that opened up the way to trade with the
savages. By 1748 this fur trade had become so important a
business that some influential gentlemen Joined to forai a
company that was chartered by the British government under
the name of the Ohio Company, havii^ among its founders
Lawerence and Augustine Washington and a Colon el Ore gap,
who was already established at a place called 01dtown»

five hundred thousand acres were granted between the
Monongahela and the Kanawha Rivers, provided one hundred
families be established In seven years, a fort established
and a garrison maintained. The land was explored and a post
established on the banks of the Will's Greek, where trading
was done with the Indians, The Ohio Company prospered
greatly,

France as a challenge, erected new forts and put
forth new efforts to prevent their enemies progress. The
Ohio Company was compelled to discontinue its working and
the warehouse at Will's Creek was abondoned.

-4-
THE FIHST ROAD "^ST OT GUMBSRIAITD,

(Jeorge Waahlngton was selected by the governor of
Tlrginla to lead the force that was to regain posaesslon of
the Ohio Company* a grant.

Setting out from Will's Creek, iVaahington followed
the path marked "by Goloniel Cresap, Finding it scarely
more than a narrow trail through dense forests, he was com-
pelled to travel slowly, widening the road as he advanced.
It was iraposaible to advanoe more than a few miles a day,
A French detachment had left Pt, Duquesne to meet .Vashington
and surprise him from ambush. Learning of this Washington
decided to surprise the enemy before they surprised him.
The leader of the French was killed and the others captured,

Washington hurried back to his main body of men and
erected Port IJeoesslty iflSiere he awaited the arrival of the
French whom he felt sure would avenge the p3?eviou3 defeat.
The French arrived and so greatly outnumbered Washington's
men that after nine hours fighting in the rain he was forced
to surrender the fort and return to Will's Creek,

The Duke of Cumberland as Conmiander in Chief of the
British Inny sent Major General Sdward Braddook to attack
Daqueane,

Braddook knew nothing at all of American Warfare,
despised the savages, and undereatitnated their ability and
importance. At the suggestion of General Braddook the new
fort at Will's Creek was called Fort Cumberland, for the
Commander in Chief of the British Aimy,

-6-

Braddook's Army marched out of Fort Ciimberland Tae-
neath a cloudless sky of turquoise blue. The men were in
high spirits singing, joking as if they were off on a
picnic "but as they advanced the going teoorne harder and
their spirits fell. Shortly after noon on the seventh of
July the army was surprised from ambush ty the savages.
Their red uniforms proved deadly targets for the Indians
and the British become panic stricken when they could not
see who they were fighting and fled while attempting to
make the retreat as orderly as possible, Braddock was shot
down and died a few clays later. The men returned to Fort
Cumberland, For a long time much crime was cosmitted along
the frontier since it was left undefended,

William Pitt became Prime Minister of England and
his interest in American affairs was very great, ^« sent
Colonel Boquet who drove the French from Fort Daguesne and
reatabliahed order along the frontier*

.^

-6-

INCOKPOE^TIOK OF CmCBilHLAiro.

Fort Cxmberland continued to grow and tracing be-
come more prosperous.

The town was inoorporateii in January, 1815, at which,
time the Legislature passed an "Act to provide for the ap-
pointment of Commiaaioners for the regulation and improve-
ment of the to-ivn of Gumlierland, in Allegany County, and to
incorperate the aanie.

In March 1834, a bill was passed ammending the act
of 1815 and proTiding that seven counoilmen should "be elected
each year, and that they should elect one of their members
as mayor.

The town was inoorparated under the name and title
of the '•Mayor and Counoilmen of the Town of Cumberland"*

606

-7-

TH2 CTMBSRLAITD ROAD

The C-umberland Road westward to Ohio was so named
because Cumberland was the point officially designated as
the starting point for work done by the federal goveim-
ment to link the East with the newly settled lands West
of the Ohio rlver» The road was subsequently loaown also as
the Union Pike and the National, Road,

On March 29, 1806^ President Jefferson signed a bill
appropriating $30 » 000 for a preliminary survey of a road
from Cumberland, through the Narrows and across the moun-
tains » to the Ohio river at yfheellng; construction followed
as soon as practical thereafter, Taut was nearly stopped by

the War of 1812. Work was resumed In 1816, and the road was
opened to Wheeling in 1818 ♦

'iThil© the federal government assumed authority to
construct this road under th.e clasue of the Constitution
empowering it to establish ^st roads, the principal motiT«
of Its construction was political. It was a continuation
of Washington's policy to unite the settlements west of the
Allegany Mountains with the Atlantic seaboard by the strong
bands of commerce.

The road carried thousands of population and millions
of wealth into the *,Vest ; and more than any other material
structure in the land, served to harmonize and to strengthen,
if not to save the Union,

-8-

From 1806 to 1838 Oon^^ress jipproprial:ed ;?4, 284,086.43
for the building and maintaining of the Ciua'berland Road, The
totea length of the TOh.1 was atoiit 750 Diileej ^1,889,170.59
of the whole aiim was spent on the road from Ctim'berland to
Wheeling; 131 miles as marked by that many markers, some of
them yet standing, over 75 years old.

An. army of people lived upon the traffic that passed
over the road. For 34 years the Cumberland Road was the
great national highway, the principal avenue from the Atlantic
slope to the Valley of the Mississippi, There was no high-
way of equal importance to the national road. It was the
"Appian Way" of Aoaerica, The people who lived along it wit-
nessed a great procession of stages » line wagons, cones togas,
horsemen, droves of cattle, sheep and swine.

The Harrowa, Will's Creek, near Cumberland (abous ISSS)

-9-

The first lo oat Ion of the road had "been out (Ireen St»
and across Will's Mountain through Sandy Gap, A "better route
was found through the Harrows and along Will's Greek and
Braddoolc*s Ktm. The relocation was for six miles, and was
made by General Gratiol the Chief Engineer, He estimated
the cost of the relocation and various repairs at 1645,000,
Tfavel through the Narrows route began in llovember, 1834,

As many as £0 stages, each drawn by four horses,
were sometimes counted in a sin^'le line on the road, and
from March 1 to March 20, 1849, 2586 passengers were carried
on the stages. Merchandise was carried in large broad wheel
wagons, protected by canyas stretched over bows, drown by
six horses, Nearly every mile of the mountains route had
its wayside inn where lodging could be procured for the night.

Thus it can be seen that Cumberland was the Gateway
to the ifl^est as it was the start ir^ point for one of the greatest
highways in the world*

THE NARROWS, AT CUMBERLAND.

-10-

CHSSAPSAES AND OHIO GAHAI*

Realizing the need of "better means of transportation
from the east to the west, it became the general desire to
substitute some better method than the Jack horse or the rirar
boat. This project took place in 1823, and the proposition
was to construct a canal along the Potomac River to its Head
waters and thence to the waters of the Ohio River, This scheme
was brought before the legislation of the state of Maryland
and met with general approval, A convention was called and a
company organized known as The Potomac Company,

The Potomac Company, on the 15th of Augtiat 18S8, ex-
ecuted a deed surrending their charter, property, and rights
to the Chesapeake And Ohio Canal Company,

It was not until June 1823, however, that a sufficient
amoxmt of stock had been taken and the company was formally
organized and accepted the charter.

The first spade fall of earth in the construction of
the canal was removed by no leas a personage than John Quinoy
Adams, President of the United States, The work was started
in Washington and moved West wards ♦ Work progressed on the
canal, money was plenty, and the magnificence and costliness
of all the work done bear evidence of it. The traffic of the
great west was the main object. But about this time attention
was directed to the Cumberland coal fields, and tests and
comparison were made with all other coal, and it was established

-11-

"by testa at the navy yard that a pound of Cumberland coal
was of snel^er bulk and gave out more heat than any other
soft ooal. Being the only carrier of thia inexhaustible
aupply of the best steaming coal in the world, that xm-
naturally made the oanal people very well satisfied with the
future. Finally money ran short and the progress of the
canal slowed up quite a bit. The flompany had trouble with
their creditors and their laborers, Maiyland was the only
source fjrom which money could be obtained and thus the caiial
was completed only as far as Cumberland.

A view of Cumberland showing dam across the Potomac
which supplies water for C & Oanal,

Thruaday the l©th day of October 1850, was a memorable
day in history of Cumberland. That day the Canal was opened
for traffic between Cumberland and Tide Water at Georgetown
on the Potomac.

-12-

Thft completion of the work required twenty -two years
and cost 111, 071, 176 or #59.618 per mile. The Canal was
worth to the state all it cost "because it developed the great
coal mining industry of Allegany County, But as a National
thoroughfare, for ^ich it was designed, it was a bitter
disappoihtment to its projectors, however the canal made
Ctmberland a center for the Vfestward trade.

Yiew along the Chesapeake and uhio G'^snal

-13-

RaiiaOADS

Por more than ten years C-umljerland was the western
terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Hail road, The road was
opened from Baltimore to Cmn'berland on the first day of UoT-
emher, 1842, and the western extension, ffcm Cumherland to
(Theeling, was opened to traffic to Wheeling on the 10th of
January, 1953, That period, when it was the teiminal of the
road, was a moat prosperous time for the city of Qumherland,

3?

FIRST LOCOMOTIVE, liAI.TIMOKF. &
OHIO KAH.ROAD.

The Cumberland Road westward was in effect the continu-
ation of the Railroad, Eastward the wagon road was almost
abandoned. The great stage lines were withdrawn and the line
wagons and other rehicles, and hearda of cattle, sheep, and
swine from the West, stopped at Cumherland, All passengers
and freight between Baltimore and other eastern points were
transfered at Cumberland that west bound from cars to stages
and wagons; that east bound from stages and wagons to the
railroad cars. The volume of freight was so great that the
railroad was not always ready to carry to its destination in
the east that which the line wagons had brought from the West,
and many warehouses were built along the railroad in which to

-14-

store that which was waiting transportation east and west,
Gri^eat drOTes of hogs come £rom the Hest for ahipnent to
Baltimore, Aa many as S600 were shipped daily, and as the
equipment of the road was greatly overtaxed, there would be
long periods of waiting for the oars. The Canal had not
yet reached Gtimberland, and the opening of the railroad,
giTing satisfactory access to the markets of the East, was
the first great stimulus to the growth of the town.

A view of Cumberland of about the year 1858, Note "William G«Uoway" type englae with train on

right aide of picture

The Cumberland and Pennsylvania Hailroad^ runs from
Cumberland through the Narrows to Piedmont, Jf. Va, It passes
through, the valley of George's Creek, the most important
coal region of Maryland, It first extents from Cumberland
to Mount Savage from where it transports coal and iron to
the Baltimore and Ohio Road at Cumberland, This road was
completed in 1846 shortly after the Baltimore and Ohio had

-16-

2?eached C-omlierland, The G'um'be rlaM and PeimsylTania Oompariy
was chartered in 1850,

It can thus be seen that these two railroads up to
1875 did much for the growth of Cumberland and established
Cumberland as the principal way for East to West traffic*

-16-

COITCLUSIOir

CTmberland as the G-ateway to the We at was first
established by the Ohio Company, The fur trade established
the town and its prosperity at the time i^eri men were push-
ing farther West,

The Oiamberland Road, while established for political
reasons, did more to make Cumberland aa the principal route
to the west than any other thing.

The utilization of the Gumberl^id Road by many people
moTing into the fast developing iVest made Cumberland one of
the most popular towns of the time.

The Canal and Railroad helped to develop Cumberland
as an Indus tual center and a trading center and carried
many people and much freight to Cumberland on the way Westward,
Viewing all these facts it can be seen that Cimberland had
much to do with the development of the West,

-17-

BIBIilOaRAPHY

Histoid of Allega3!iy Coimty, Maryland-

By James W, Thomas, L,L,]},
and
Judge T, J, C, WilllsmB-

T©roentenaa?y History of Mary land-
By Mathew Page Andrews,

History of Western Mary land-
s' J, Thomas Scharf» A, M«

Maryland- The History of a Palatenate<
By William Hand Brown,

The Old Pike-

By T, B, Searight,

History of Cumtierland-

By 'f» H, Lowermilk,

jiin^n