Near Thurmont in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Walk Through History
Catoctin Furnace Iron Trail
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, October 30, 2024
1. Walk Through History Marker
Youre asking. me for the truth? It's a shame, tore my Soul, it was a lovely home they destroyed...that's right...we had land up there and them people there had lovely farms and potatoes, ground and all like that they made, and raised families and they had some cows, you know, and they churned the butter and had milk. Oh they just lived on top the pile. Interview with George Wilhide, N.D., NPS CATO Archives, Oral. History Collection, 14.
Over thousands of years, people have dramatically changed the land surrounding Catoctin Furnace. From quiet, old-growth forest home of Indigenous peoples to industrial site where colonial ironworks fueled the early American economy to recreational parkland that preserves the natural beauty of the landscape, the environment has shaped and been shaped by the people who have inhabited it. This trail explores the many uses of the greater Catoctin Furnace lands. The Iron Trail is a 0.4-mile walk. Please note that the trail has steep steps and two bridges. Additional hiking trails within Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain Park provide recreational and interpretive opportunities to expand your visit. To learn more, visit the Museum of the Ironworker in the Historic village of Catoctin Furnace or scan the code to the right:
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this page online
Erected by Catoctin Furnace Historical Society; William G. Pomeroy Foundation; Maryland Park Service; Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series list.
Location. 39° 35.143′ N, 77° 26.152′ W. Marker is near Thurmont, Maryland, in Frederick County. It is on Cunningham Falls Park Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6701 Cunningham Falls Park Rd, Thurmont MD 21788, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Ingredients For Iron (within shouting distance of this marker); A Creek Rediscovered (about 400 feet away); Destruction and Renewal (about 500 feet away); A Fractured Landscape (about 500 feet away); Recreation For All (about 700 feet away); A Lost Pond (approx. 0.2 miles away); Waste Management (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Bridge that Moved (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Thurmont.
Other markers no longer nearby. Little Hunting Creek (was about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, October 30, 2024
2. Walk Through History Marker
Also see . . . The Iron Trail. Catoctin Furnace Historical Society. (Submitted on November 5, 2024, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2024, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 152 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 5, 2024, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.
