Page 31 - Garrett County 2021-2022 Visitors Guide

PHOTO BY CREDE CALHOUN – VISION QUEST STUDIOS
THE GARRETT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MAINTAINS THREE MUSEUMS THAT CELEBRATE DIFFERENT FACETS OF THE AREA’S HERITAGE:
Garrett County Historical Museum, Oakland (garrettcountymuseums.com/ historicalmuseum.html): Covers 200
years of county history in a short time
with a variety of exhibits, organized in themed rooms focusing on hotels, schools, transportation and more.
Garrett County Museum
of Transportation, Oakland (garrettcountymuseums.com/ transportationmuseum.html): Visitors to this two-story transportation museum get an up-close look at a replica of a blacksmith shop and vehicles from days gone by — sleighs, buggies, early automobiles — plus a second floor that highlights the history of Deep Creek Lake.
Grantsville Museum
(garrettcountymuseums.com/ grantsvillemuseum.html): A small community museum, this collection features the photos of the late poet and photographer Leo Beachy, whose glass plate negatives show western Maryland in the early 20th century. Other exhibits offer a look at key community events with artifacts from nearby residents.
Funded in part by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority
Garrett County:
A HISTORY
Garrett is Maryland’s second-largest county, and its youngest. Until 1872, it was part of Allegany County, which is now Garrett’s neighbor to the east.
Garrett County’s name derives from John Garrett, president of the B&O Railroad at the time the county was established. The Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad had played a major role in the area’s economic growth during the second half of the 19th century.
Of course, the area’s history goes back much further than that. Prior to European settlement, Garrett County had been a source of natural bounty for several Native American tribes more than 4,000 years ago. Those groups hunted and fished in the area during the summer months, returning home to areas west of the Ohio and east of the Potomac’s tributaries in the winter.
The French and Indian War marked a major milestone for Garrett County, as an Indian trail in the area was widened in 1755 to accommodate General Braddock’s army. Between 1811 and 1819, the old National Road was built over that same trail. Some
of those who passed along this road on their way to Pennsylvania liked the area
and stayed, eventually forming the town of Grantsville. Today’s U.S. 40 follows much the same route as the old National Road.
Prior to the Revolutionary War, Garrett County had been only sparsely settled. The first settlement, “Friend’s Fortune,” was established in 1765 by John Friend Sr. and his brothers. Today, it is known as Friendsville.
In the 1850s, construction of the B&O brought railroad workers, who cut timber and mined coal. The establishment of Oakland, now Garrett’s county seat, dates to this time. The railroad drew more settlers, as well as the first vacationers, to Garrett County.
During the Civil War, the B&O was a vital Union supply line and was therefore subject to frequent Confederate raids.
Once the war ended, Garrett continued as a holiday destination, with towns such as Deer Park and Mountain Lake Park prospering
as a result. John Garrett, the county’s namesake, had built several summer
resorts in the area, and in 1886, President Grover Cleveland and his wife spent their honeymoon at one of them.
Today, tourism remains a major industry in Garrett County, along with logging and farming.
www.visitdeepcreek.com 29