The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and Garrett County

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Garrett County. . , When the B&O railroad finally arrived in Cumberland on November 5, 1842, there was cause for celebration. The railroad would soon reap big rewards from the valuable coal reserve of the Cumberland basin. The ultimate goal at that time was to capitalize on the emerging commercial trade along the banks of the Ohio River. Standing in the way of that goal was the imposing mountain range of the Eastern Continental Divide. A number of routes through and around the mountains were considered, some passing through Pennsylvania and others through Virginia, bypassing the western tip of Maryland. Fortunately, for the area that would eventually become Garrett County, a route was chosen directly into the mountains., A work force of 5,000 men and 1,250 horses were soon engaged in a seemingly impossible task, carving a rail line through rugged territory with picks and shovels, rising from 605 feet above sea level at Cumberland to 2,628 feet at Altamont. Drilling through solid rock was done by hand using black powder for explosives. It was exhaustive and dangerous work borne largely on the backs of Irish immigrants., In 1849, anticipating the coming of the "Iron Horse,” a town was laid out in the area known as "Yough Glades,” on the farm of an early settler, Isaac McCarty. When the railroad arrived in 1851, B&O officials suggested naming the town McCartysville, but Mr. McCarty's daughter, Ingaba, proposed the name of Oakland., In 1860 Mr. John W. Garrett, President of the B&O, stated in his annual report: "The salubrious climate and beautiful country among the highlands of Western Maryland have elicited much attention . . . a large population from the South, East and West will probably hereafter select this singularly picturesque and attractive region for a summer resort.” Although the Civil War disrupted Mr. Garrett's plans, he thereafter built two splendid hotels on the mountaintop, one at Deer Park and one at Oakland. This resort area provided respite for many famous persons, including four Presidents of the United States (Ulysses Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland and William McKinley). The railroad also boosted the local economy in other ways, providing an efficient method of transporting natural resources to urban markets including timber, coal, and agricultural products. When a new county was formed in 1872 it was aptly named in honor of Mr. Garrett., (Caption):, This engine, #201, traveled through Oakland on a regular basis during the Civil War. , Photo courtesy of the B&O Railroad Museum