A Brief History of Middletown Valley 1849-1890
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A Brief History of Middletown Valley 1849-1890 by Harry M. Gross, 1932 Presented by John D. Barrett Ocean City, Maryland Reprocessed by Dorinda Davis Shepley Unpublished C Copyright 2004 Not to be reprinted for financial gain. Foreword This brief history of the Middletown Valley in Frederick County, Maryland was researched and compiled by Harry M. Gross in 1932, as a paper for the Rhodes or Kellogg scholarship in his senior year at Columbia University. Much of this research was derived from interviews with the local town folks and articles from the local newspaper of that time period. John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry and The Civil War are highlighted in addition to agriculture, industries and church and school history. One added surprise is a list of the occupants in Middletown in 1865 provided by one of the local citizens. Harry M. Gross, the author, was the first husband of Elizabeth [Flook] Gross MacGregor, daughter of Cyrus Flook, a Myersville banker and businessman, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Eby. Cyrus Flook lived in Myersville at 511 Main Street, next door (513) to his sister Elizabeth Delana Flook Horine, wife of Alvey J. Horine. John D. Barrett has been in possession of this manuscript since 1973, a gift from his aunt Elizabeth. John and his wife, Linda, wish to share this with all who have an interest in Middletown Valley. Because of the faded print, the document has been reprocessed. Many of the pictures have yellowed but have been scanned and included. Note: Numbers appearing in parenthesis serve as a cross-reference to the Bibliography located in the back. Footnotes are designated alphabetically on each page. ii Table of Contents Chapter 1 . Below You Lies the Happy Valley of the Hills . 3 Chapter 2 . Geology of Middletown Valley . 13 Chapter 3 . John Brown and the Harper’s Ferry Episode . 15 Chapter 4 . Pre-War Days of the Civil War . 25 Chapter 5 . The Civil War in Middletown Valley . 29 Chapter 6 . Agriculture and Farm Life . 47 Chapter 7 . Industries . 56 Chapter 8 . Church History . 63 Chapter 9 . Education . 72 Bibliography . 79 iii A Brief History of Middletown Valley - Gross Below You Lies the Happy Valley of the Hills I gaze from Braddock towards the glowing West, Where with a matchless brush, the sun paints Old South Mountain crest, “Neath beetling crag and dark ravine, ‘neath bush and hoary tree, Thro’ dasied meads and poppied fields Catoctin hunts the sea; I look across a valley entrancing in my eyes, As lovely as the gardens fair of storied paradise – Not lovelier than Canaan old which Moses saw afar When he led God’s chosen children under Orient sun and star. I see beneath my restless feet a highway leading down To where arise with sacred pride the spires of Middletown. Deep in the Valley like a gem set in some crown of old, And round it in their beauty lie the harvest fields of gold; The turnpike, winding in and out, now peeps, now disappears Until beyond the town it finds the mountain rich in years – Rich in years and old in story, burdened with its ghostly lore, Crowned with legends wild, pathetic, that will live forevermore. I see the gap among the hills, blue-circled, far away, Where Harper’s Ferry nestles ‘neath its towering walls of gray – Where Shenandoah’s crystal tides and Potomac’s ripples wed And Maryland Heights in grandeur rise above nuptial bed; I turn away a moment to a landscape lovelier still Where bloom the fields that circle ‘round historic Myersville, And far beyond the village fair the mountains lift again, The blue peaks rising high above the rich and fruitful plain. a a (28), T. C. Harbaugh – Middletown Valley in Song and Story, pages 55-56 1 A Brief History of Middletown Valley - Gross 2 A Brief History of Middletown Valley - Gross Chapter 1 - Below You Lies the Happy Valley of the Hills In 1850, a tired and dusty traveler was making his way slowly along the National Highway to the West, the land of fortune. He had passed through old Fredericktown and headed across the Valley towards Catoctin Mountain, a wooded portion of the Blue Ridge Range. As the creaking Conestoga wagon lumbered up the elevation, the man stopped to gaze upon the Valley behind him. What awaited him beyond the crest of this ridge? He stopped for a cooling drink at old Braddock Spring, where years and years ago General Braddock stopped for a moment to quench his thirst. Once again he began the ascent until, finally, the tops of the trees heralded his arrival at the summit. A panorama of natural beauty met his eye. The wagon halted and the traveler remained gazing in silence upon the Valley below. He felt as did Andrew Jackson when years ago he beheld the same view, “This is one of the most favored and delightful spots upon the earth.” (12) The Valley was completely surrounded by mountains, the gentle slopes of which had been cleared and planted in grain. The fields below formed a huge checker board, each block representing a planted field, a green meadow, or a patch of woods. A more delicate touch of beauty was added by the shocks of corn, laid out in perfect rows. The traveler moved on down the mountain, across the undulating Valley floor he had seen from the summit, and then through the pass in South Mountain to his future home in the West. This lovely little valley, which the westward-moving pioneers traversed in their steady drive to new homes, is located in the western part of Frederick County, Maryland. It is bordered on the east by Catoctin Mountain, on the west by South Mountain, and extends from near the Mason-Dixon Line on the North to the Potomac River on the south. The Valley is about thirty miles in length, and varies from about two miles in width in the north to eight miles in the southern part. With the exception of a few small flood-plains along the streams, there is almost no level land. The topography is one of rolling hills, gently sloping southward to the Potomac at the foot of the Valley. Catoctin Creek, from its source in the north, cuts through the heart of the Valley and enters the peaceful Potomac. This little stream and its many tributaries furnish the moisture for successful utilization of the land. A moderate rainfall plus excellent climate make agriculture and dairying predominate as industries. As one stands in the middle of the Valley and gazes at the mountains enveloped in a blue haze, a multitude of legends and stories come to mind. To the north of the Catoctin Gap, where the highway makes its winding path downward, you can see High Knob. Here the dome-like structure gives way to rugged cliffs and bare rocks which jut out like stone monuments. Legend has it that a box of gold was buried somewhere near the Knob. General Braddock, being burdened by too much equipment, was forced to seek a hiding place for his wealth. Taking two Indian guides for helpers, he selected a spot and buried the chest. The General never returned, and both men who went with him were killed. Thus the treasure remains hidden to this day, adding a cloud of mystery to High Knob. The village boys still vow to find the gold, and many of them dream about the day when they will become rich by the discovery. Beside the roadway at Catoctin Gap, a summer resort has developed. Braddock Heights, famed for its marvelous view, is inhabited each summer by hundreds of city dwellers seeking the peace of mountain scenery. From the 3 A Brief History of Middletown Valley - Gross observatory placed at the highest part of the mountain, one can see into three states, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Following on down the ridge, we come to the gap cut into the mountain by the mighty Potomac. High walls of rock, too rugged and high to climb, mark the source of the river. Just beyond the river gap, where the Potomac and the Shenandoah converge, Harper’s Ferry has risen. Here, in the pre-war days, John Brown made his famous stand. Turning, and coming north again, we reach Crampton’s Gap - during the Civil War, the scene of a bloody battle, but now the site of the ruined estate of George Alfred TOWNSEND. This man was a famous Civil War correspondent and author. He wrote under the pen name of “Gath”. Mr. Townsend had realized quite a large fortune from literary successes and, being of the type who loved a magnificent home, spent his money freely in developing a great estate. The structures were large in size and typical of the eccentricities of wealthy people. There was a big dining room, a mansion for Mrs. Townsend, and Mr. Townsend’s den. In the latter building, “Gath” did his work and spent most of his time. All of the buildings exhibited life-size statues imported from foreign countries which the builder stuck in every imaginable place. The grounds were covered with shrubbery, a large part being imported. The last building was a small vault constructed as the last resting place for the author. Perched on top of it was the figure of a dog, and carved over the entrance were the words “Good Night Gath”. a The War Correspondents Memorial The estate was the scene of many great revels. Many of the diplomats would spend the weekends upon the mountain as guests of “Gath”.