Hancock in Washington County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Tonoloways
Western Maryland Rail Trail
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 24, 2016
1. The Tonoloways Marker
Big Tonoloway and Little Tonoloway Creeks empty into the Potomac River nearby. The Native American translation for Tonoloway is "long tail" or "wildcat". People of English, German, and Scots-Irish descent, who came down from present day Fulton County, Pennsylvania first settled this area in the 1730's. On a hill to the northwest, a small stockade fort was erected by the colony of Maryland in the fall of 1755. "Stoddert's Fort" was garrisoned by 15 men to protect the settlements at the Tonoloways from hostile Indian war parties. The fort was abandoned and burned by the colonists in the summer of 1756 upon completion of the more formidable Fort Frederick, 12 miles to the east.
Erected by Western Maryland Rail Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 39° 41.9′ N, 78° 11.083′ W. Marker is in Hancock, Maryland, in Washington County. It can be reached from South Pennsylvania Avenue south of West Main Street (Maryland Route 144), on the right when traveling south. Located on the Western Maryland Rail Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hancock MD 21750, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Baltimore Metro Region and in Western Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. 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.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 24, 2016
2. Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources website entry
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2016, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,839 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 26, 2016, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
