| Garrett County, Maryland | ||
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Location in the state of Maryland |
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Maryland's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1872 | |
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| Named for | John Work Garrett | |
| Seat | Oakland | |
| Largest city | Mountain Lake Park | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
656 sq mi (1,699 km²) 648 sq mi (1,678 km²) 8 sq mi (21 km²), 1.21% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
30,097 47/sq mi (18/km²) |
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| Congressional district | 6th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www.garrettcounty.org | |
Garrett County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. Created from Allegany County, Maryland in 1872 it was the last Maryland county to be formed. It was named for John Work Garrett (1820–1884), railroad executive, industrialist, and financier. Garrett served as president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from 1858 until his death in 1884.[1] The county has long been part of the media market of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The eastern border with Allegany County was defined by the Bauer Report, submitted to Governor Lloyd Lowndes, Jr. on November 9, 1898.[2] The Potomac River and State of West Virginia lie to the south and west. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is to the north. The Maryland–Pennsylvania boundary was surveyed and marked between April 1765 and October 1767 by astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon. This boundary is commonly known as the Mason-Dixon Line.[3]
Garrett County lies in the Allegheny Mountains, which here form the western flank of the Appalachian Mountain Range. Hoye-Crest, a summit along Backbone Mountain, is the highest point in Maryland.
The Eastern Continental Divide runs along portions of Backbone Mountain. The western part of the county, drained by the Youghiogheny River, is the only part of Maryland within the Mississippi River drainage basin. All other parts of the county are in the Chesapeake Bay basin.
Garrett County contains over 76,000 acres (310 km2) of parks, lakes, and publicly accessible forestland. Popular activities in the county include camping, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, alpine and cross county skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, ice fishing, fly fishing, whitewater canoeing, kayaking, rafting, boating, swimming, sailing, and water skiing.[4]
The National Register of Historic Places listings in Garrett County, Maryland has 20 National Register of Historic Places[5] properties and districts, including Casselman Bridge, National Road a National Historic Landmark. Garrett County is part of Maryland's 6th congressional district and Oakland is the county seat.
Native American cultural artifacts of the Cherokee, Delaware (Lenape), and Shawnee can be found throughout Garrett County. The Mingo tribe seems to be the indigenous people who returned to the mountain top each year to hunt, fish, trade, and plant crops.[6]
As near as can be determined, the Native Americans in the United States came into the Garrett County area from two general locations: the Monongahela–Ohio River drainage area to the west, and the New Creek–Potomac River drainage area to the east. Evidence uncovered by floods in the Potomac River valley indicates that some towns have been in existence for over 2,000 years.[6]
John Friend, Sr. is considered to be the first permanent European American settler of Garrett County. According to family tradition, John Friend, his son Gabriel, and John's brother Andrew came from the Colony of Virginia in 1764 by way of McCulloch's Path. Eventually, they got to an Indian village on the Youghiogheny River, which now bears the family name, Friendsville.[6]
In 1632, Charles I of England granted a charter that lead to the creation of the Province of Maryland, a proprietary colony. In 1696 the western part of the Province of Maryland, including the present Garrett County, was incorporated into Prince George's County.[7] This county included six current State of Maryland counties, and by repeated splitting, new ones were created:
In January 1872, European American residents from the western portion of Allegany County sent a petition to the state legislature requesting the creation of a new county. Advocates for the new county cited these main reasons for their petition:
The Maryland State Legislature complied with the petition and Garrett County was established on April 1, 1872. A constitutional requirement left final ratification of the county’s creation to the qualified voters of the territory. The question concerning the creation of the new county, as well as the electorate’s choice for county seat, were both voted on in the general election of November 4, 1872. Voters overwhelmingly approved creation of the new county and chose Oakland, Maryland for the county seat.[8] On December 4, 1872, Maryland governor William Pinkney Whyte proclaimed that the extreme western triangle of the state “has become and is now constituted as a new county, to be called 'Garrett County'.” In 1880, the first county census showed a population of 12,175 people.[8]
In the mid-18th century, much of the land was surveyed by George Washington for Lord Fairfax of Virginia. A common stopping point for Washington and British troops during the French and Indian War was Little Meadows, Maryland at the foot of Meadow Mountain.
In 1755, 23-year-old Washington, who knew the territory, served as a volunteer aide-de-camp to General Edward Braddock. General Braddock of the Coldstream Guards was sent to remove the French from Fort Duquesne, (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The Braddock expedition set out from Fort Cumberland on May 29, 1755. Braddock's army cut a military trail through the wilderness roughly following the eastern part of Nemacolin's path. For half a century, passage westward from Cumberland by travelers and settlers was over Braddock's Road.
In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson signed a bill from the United States Congress setting aside money for building the National Road, the nation’s first federally funded and constructed highway, from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling, West Virginia. Work started in 1811 at Cumberland and by 1816, the Maryland section had been completed; two years later, it was completed all the way to Wheeling and the banks of the Ohio River. Over 20 miles (32 km) of this 132-mile (212 km) road pass through the northern portion of present-day Garrett County.[8]
With the advent of the National Road, many people passed through the northern parts of the county to points westward. The town of Grantsville came about due to the influx of traffic along this road. Some of the old stage coach inns can still be found in the Grantsville area.
The county owed much of its eventual development to the building of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through its mountains in 1851-1852. In the 1850s, the railroad opened up the area that would become Garrett County. During the railroad period, which lasted until the early part of the 19th century, the Irish, Scotch, and Welsh came to mine the coal and cut the timber. This brought great population growth in the county along the railroad. The towns of Oakland, Bloomington and Swanton sprang up during this time as commercial mining, and timber centers, dependent on the railroad for receiving and shipping of products to market.
The railroads also were responsible for building large summer resorts in the beautiful mountain areas in Garrett County. The rich and the famous of the day were often found in Garrett County during this time period recreating. President Grover Cleveland and his wife spent their honeymoon at the Dear Park Resort in 1886.
In the early 20th century, the railroad and tourism started to decline. Coal mining and timber production continued at a much slower pace.
Today, tourism has made a dramatic rebound in the county with logging and farming making up the greatest part of the economic base. Due to a cold climate and lack of any large city, Garrett County has remained a sparsely populated rural area. As of the Census[9] of 2010, there were only 30,097 county residents.
The County is governed by an elected Board of County Commissioners (the "Board"), whose three members serve four-year terms and must live in the District they represent. The Board is the traditional form of county government in Maryland and may exercise only such powers as are conferred by the General Assembly of Maryland.[10]
The County is administered under a line organizational method, with the County Administrator responsible for the general administration of County Government. The administration of the County is centralized with the County Administrator responsible for overseeing the financial planning, annual budget process, personnel management, and direction and management of operations within the organization.[10]
The county is part of Maryland's 6th congressional district and is the most Republican in the state. The Republican candidate for President has won in each of the last thirteen elections.[11] In 2008, John McCain carried Garrett County by a 40.2% margin over Barack Obama, with Obama carrying Maryland by a 25.5% margin over McCain.[12]
On December 15, 1977, the seal[2] of Garrett County went into effect by virtue of Resolution #7. The seal is elliptical, with the name "Garrett County" inscribed above the upper fourth of the ellipse, and "Maryland 1872" inscribed below the lower fourth of the ellipse. The date “1872" depicts the year of the formation of Garrett County. The seal illustrates a large snowflake to depict winter; water to represent sailing; and oaks and conifer to represent the county’s mountains. The colors are peacock blue for the sky and water. The blue and white background is divided by kelly green.
The official flag[2] for Garrett County is elliptical. The flag illustrates a large snowflake to depict winter; water to represent sailing; and oaks and conifer to represent the county’s mountains. The colors are peacock blue for the sky and water. The blue and white background is divided by kelly green.
The county is policed by the Garrett County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police.
The state parks are police by the Department of Natural Resources Police.
Garrett County, Maryland’s westernmost county, has over 76,000 acres (310 km2) of parks, lakes, and publicly accessible forestland. It lies on the Allegheny Plateau, about 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and 160 miles (260 km) west of Baltimore, Maryland. Highest elevations along four flat-topped ridges range to 3,360 feet (1,020 m). Broad flats lie 500 feet (150 m) below the ridge crests.River valleys are narrow, deep ravines typically 1000 to 1,800 feet (550 m) below surrounding peaks. Two river systems drain the county: the Potomac River#North Branch Potomac River and Youghiogheny. The Savage River drains about a third of the area, emptying to the North Branch of Potomac River. The Casselman River drains north to the Youghiogheny from the county’s central section. The upper Youghiogheny drains area west of the Casselman watershed and empties to the Monongahela south of Pittsburgh.[13]
The Glades' 601 acres (2.43 km2) is of great scientific interest because it is an ombrotrophic system (fed solely by rainwater), contains peat up to 9 feet (2.7 m), and is one of the oldest examples of mountain peatland in the Appalachians.[14]
On the western edge of the Savage River State Forest along Maryland Route 495 lies Bittinger, Maryland. Named after Henry Bittinger who first settled in the area, other German settlers moved in and took up the fertile farm land. On the eastern edge of Bittinger is one of the largest glades area of Garrett County. Geographically, this is an area which seems to have been affected by the last great ice sheet of North America. Two miles southeast of Bittinger, there is a large deposit of peat moss.
In the Casselman River valley, 1-mile (1.6 km) south of Grantsville, Maryland and beside Maryland Route 495, one can see remains of geological evidence about the last great ice sheet over North America. A series of low mounds can be seen in the fields on the west side of Maryland Route 495 that are "loess" (wind-blown) material. Apparently, these are the only ones still visible in the northern part of Garrett County.
The mounds were formed when a glacier lake existed in the Casselman valley, and the ice around the edges of the frozen lake melted. Wind blew fine grains of earth into the water around the edges where it sank to the bottom, and the mounds were the result of the deposit of this wind-blown material.
Mountains
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Creeks
Lakes
Waterfalls
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See these articles for information on the forests, rivers and caves of Garrett County:
State parksSix state parks are in Garrett County. All offer picnic and fishing areas; all but Casselman River State Park have hiking paths. Mountain bike paths, swimming areas, and boat launches and rentals are available at Deep Creek, Herrington Manor, and New Germany state parks. Rental cabins are available at Herrington Manor and New Germany state parks. Big Run, Deep Creek, Herrington Manor and New Germany state parks all offer canoeing, while campsites may be found at Big Run, Deep Creek, New Germany, and Swallow Falls state parks.[19]
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Garrett County owns four park sites and fifteen recreation facilities. The parks are maintained in cooperation with local associations and civic groups. The recreation areas are attached to public schools and colleges and maintained by the Garrett County Board of Education.[20]
The municipal parks of Garrett County provide sport facilities, hiking, bike and walk paths, playgrounds, picnic areas, boat ramps, and fishing.[21]
Annual events include the Autumn Glory Festival, the Scottish Highland Festival, and the Garrett County Fair.
Garrett County Airport (2G4) is a general aviation airport surrounded by the mountains of Western Maryland. The airport enhances the region's tourist industry and provides emergency air service evacuation and landing facilities for general aviation.[22]
| Fayette County, Pennsylvania | Somerset County, Pennsylvania | |||
| Preston County, West Virginia | Allegany County | |||
| Garrett County, Maryland | ||||
| Grant County, West Virginia | Mineral County, West Virginia |
The region’s climate is humid, continental. The area experiences effects of the Great Lakes and storm systems that sweep northeast along the Appalachians. Average yearly precipitation totals 49 inches (1,200 mm), with one in ten years less than 43 inches (1,100 mm) and one in ten years more than 55 inches (1,400 mm). The total includes snowfall that averages 72 inches (1,800 mm).[23] Average daily temperatures for the year range between a 60.4 degree maximum and a minimum of 36.3 °F (2.4 °C). Frost typically persists into late May and the growing season usually ends in late September, limiting average growing seasons to 122 days.[13]
Garrett County the only county in the state to produce natural gas or peat.[4]
Garrett County's 970 businesses employ 10,100 workers, with an estimated 15 of these having 100 or more workers. Garrett County businesses continue to expand and prosper. Major private employers include Beitzel Corporation/Pillar Innovations, First United Corporation, Garrett Industrial Supply/Pioneer Conveyor, Fechheimer Brothers, Wisp Resort, Phenix Technologies, Garrett Container Systems, and Total Biz Fulfillment.[4]
Central, Northern, and Southern Garrett Industrial Parks, as well as the Keyser's Ridge Business Park located off Interstate 68, are State Enterprise Zones. The McHenry Business Park, a technology-based business park to be located on county property adjacent to the Garrett County Airport, is in the design phase and was on track for infrastructure construction to begin in spring 2009.[4]
Garrett County participates in the One Maryland Program, which offers significant tax credits for capital investments that create jobs, and has been designated a HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) Zone by the U.S. Small Business Administration.[4]
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 12,175 |
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| 1890 | 14,213 | 16.7% | |
| 1900 | 17,701 | 24.5% | |
| 1910 | 20,105 | 13.6% | |
| 1920 | 19,678 | −2.1% | |
| 1930 | 19,908 | 1.2% | |
| 1940 | 21,981 | 10.4% | |
| 1950 | 21,259 | −3.3% | |
| 1960 | 20,420 | −3.9% | |
| 1970 | 21,476 | 5.2% | |
| 1980 | 26,498 | 23.4% | |
| 1990 | 28,138 | 6.2% | |
| 2000 | 29,846 | 6.1% | |
| 2010 | 30,097 | 0.8% | |
Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 29,846 people, 11,476 households, and 8,354 families residing in the county. The population density was 18/km² (46/sq mi). There were 16,761 housing units at an average density of 10/km² (26/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 98.83% White, 0.43% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 36.1% were of German, 22.9% American, 9.6% English and 8.8% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 11,476 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,238, and the median income for a family was $37,811. Males had a median income of $29,469 versus $20,673 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,219. 13.30% of the population and 9.80% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.60% are under the age of 18 and 13.90% are 65 or older.
Garrett County includes eight municipalities, all classified as towns under Maryland law:
The United States Census Bureau recognizes no Census-Designated Places (CDPs) in Garrett County, which is unusual for Maryland counties, which usually have many unincorporated population centers. There are some areas in Garrett County that are not listed as CDPs. They are:
Education matters that affect Garrett County come under the control of the Board of Education. The Board is composed of six members. Five are elected by the voters to four-year terms. A nonvoting student member, chosen by the Board of Education, serves a one-year term.[24]
The Superintendent of Schools administers the Garrett County Public School System, and serves as executive officer, secretary, and treasurer of the Board of Education. With the approval of the State Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education appoints the Superintendent of Schools to four-year terms.[24]
Garrett College was founded as Garrett Community College in 1967, and opened in September 1971. It was renamed Garrett College on July 1, 2002.[24]
The Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County is the public library for Garrett County. Based in Oakland, the central library has branches in Accident, Friendsville, Grantsville, and Kitzmiller.[24]
Garrett County is part of the Pittsburgh DMA, a regional media market centered in neighboring Pennsylvania.
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