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Maryland's
Coal Heritage Trail
Part
I-Allegany County
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The
Coal Heritage Trail is a State of Maryland Scenic Byway . The
Trail begins where Maryland and Route 36 meets alternate U.S.
40, in the Cumberland Narrows, and it travels 54 miles through
a region rich in history. Immigrant laborers from Ireland, Scotland,
Wales and other European nations, settled here as coal mines,
railroads, brickyards, and commercial ventures thrived during
the 19th Century. African-American miners also worked the deep
mines of the George’s Creek region in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries.
Following Route 36 north, the Coal Heritage trail includes the
early industrial town of Mt. Savage, where the Cumberland and
Pennsylvania Railroad (incorporated 1850) located its locomotive
roundhouse and shops. Steam locomotives, passenger cars, and
rolling stock were manufactured and repaired at the shops. The
short line railroad provided daily passenger service to Cumberland
and George’s Creek residents, but its primary cargo was
coal that was transported to the C&O Canal in Cumberland.
C&P railroadiana may be viewed at the Westernport Heri-tage
Museum and at the Mt. Savage Museum along Old Row.
Mt. Savage also has the distinction of being the location of
the first “U” shaped iron rail rolled in the United
States (1844). 500 tons of U rail were laid in 1844 from Mt.
Savage to Cumberland.
The next stop along the Trail is the town of Frostburg, home
to Frostburg State University. Frostburg was the commercial
center of the George’s Creek mining region. The town’s
past is well documented at the Frostburg Museum, located in
the former Hill Street Elementary School. A featured display
is the coal mine exhibit, complete with a mine opening, tools
and artifacts. Frostburg also serves as terminus of the Western
Maryland Scenic Railroad, where the restored C&P Depot and
turntable may be viewed.
Continuing south along Route 936 (old Route 36) one passes along
numerous 19th and 20th century mining towns. Borden, Shaft,
National, Carlos, Woodland, Klondike and Ocean mark the 5-mile
distance between Frostburg and Midland. Hundreds of miners worked
the “Big Vein” and “Small Vein” coal deposits
in those communities. The Big Vein was a 14-foot seam of quality
semi-bituminous coal that ran through the region. Interestingly,
Ocean Mine #7, a Consolidation Coal Company operation in the
community of Klondike, was identified as the largest semi-bituminous
coal mine in the world in 1908 as over 1,000 miners worked the
Big Vein deposits located there.
The next town along the Trail is Midland, home to nearly 2,000
residents at the end of the 19th Century. Many Irish workers
found work here and the town today reflects its Irish heritage.
Several historic buildings, including the First National Bank
(1900), remain in the town on Route 936, next to present day
Route 36. The Town Museum, located above City Hall, contains
numerous photographs and town memorabilia.
Lonaconing is about half way between Frostburg and Western-port.
Its name was derived from an Indian word “Lonacona”
meaning where many waters meet. Coal mines surrounded the town
and supplied work for the Scotch-Irish residents. Mining prosperity
brought schools, churches, banks, a commercial district and
various entertainment establishments including the San Toy Theatre
building that can still be viewed along Main Street. Family
owned businesses remain vibrant as Love’s Grocery on Main
Street enjoys its fourth generation of service and Ternent’s,
located on Union Street, enters its 117th year of continuous
operation.
The only remaining intact silk mill in the United States is
located adjacent to George’s Creek in Lonaconing. The mill
is an industrial time capsule as all machinery, company records
and workers personal effects remain as they were when the factory
closed in 1957.
Lonaconing was also home to the greatest left-handed pitcher
in baseball history, Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove (300
major league victories, lifetime winning percentage .680) A
memorial to Lefty Grove is located in the Town Park at the Iron
Furnace. Lefty’s 1931 Most Valuable Player Trophy may be
viewed in the George’s Creek Public Library. The Library
also hosts a display of Lonaconing memorabilia.
Lonaconing’s Iron Furnace, completely restored and open
to the public every day, was the first blast furnace in the
United States to successfully use coke, instead of charcoal,
to smelt iron. Iron smelted here found its way to the C&O
Canal and other local industries.
Traveling southwest along Route 36 one passes near Barton. Two
mines operated along the north side of the town, one directly
behind the American Legion. Near the town’s athletic field
is a coal mining car that may be viewed. The car is typical
of those used in the nearby mines. Surface mines operate above
the north and south sides of the town, supplying a major power
plant near Cumberland.
At the confluence of George’s Creek and the Potomac River
is the town of Westernport, so named because it was the western
most spot on the Potomac River where commercial navigation was
possible. Transportation of goods down the Potomac River on
flat boats, built in Westernport, gave rise to a small trading
community in the area. With the discovery of coal, the C&P
and B&O Railroads made entry into the Westernport area.
Westernport’s railroading heritage is evident in the restored
Western Maryland Railway Station that serves as the Heritage
Society Museum. The Western Maryland caboose, adjacent to the
Museum, also houses local railroadiana.
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