Friendsville in Garrett County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

J.W. McCullough, Lumbering and Mining Titan

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 24, 2019

1. J.W. McCullough, Lumbering and Mining Titan Marker

Inscription. Drawn by the rich forest timberlands of Garrett County, John W. McCullough arrived in the Friendsville area in the 1890's and figured prominently in the expansion of the town. He constructed several sawmills in the area and in 1894 built a 36 inch narrow gauge line, called the Clark & McCullough Railroad that traveled along Bear Creek. This line extended eastward and climbed Negro and Meadow Mountains and eventually to Swanton with spurs including 25 miles of track in very rugged terrain making it the longest narrow gauge line in the county.

The large sawmill in Friendsville was sawing up to 50,000 feet a day in 1900, by 1912, the logging industry collapsed as this resource became decimated. J.W. then purchased the Fike Mine upstream of town along the river and mining continued until the railroad closed in 1942. J.W. served as a State Senator and a County Commissioner. In 1931, J.W. suffered a heart attack and died in the Garrett County Courthouse right after addressing the County Commissioners on the critical need for a hard-surfaced road to connect Friendsville to Pennsylvania.

Erected by Maryland Heritage Area Authority. (Marker Number 15.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce

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• Railroads & Streetcars • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Maryland, Friendsville History Tour series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.

Location. 39° 39.754′ N, 79° 24.037′ W. Marker is in Friendsville, Maryland, in Garrett County. Marker is at the intersection of Maple Street and Walnut Street, on the right when traveling east on Maple Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Walnut Street, Friendsville MD 21531, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bear Creek Lumber and Meat Market (approx. 0.2 miles away); Walnut Street and First Avenue – F.G. Fox & Sons (approx. ¼ mile away); Friendsville School 1891-1924 (approx. ¼ mile away); Yough Motors, Confectionary and Bandstand (approx. ¼ mile away); The Unique Milling Company (approx. ¼ mile away); First National Bank, Leslie Friend Store & Military Honors (approx. 0.3 miles away); Friendsville Honor Roll (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Railroad Era and Hotels (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Friendsville.

Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 24, 2019

2. J.W. McCullough, Lumbering and Mining Titan Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 184 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.