The Apple Industry

The Apple Industry. Western Maryland Rail Trail. , For well over one hundred years the Hancock area has been at the heart of the Maryland Apple Industry. At the first part of the 20th Century, the gently rolling hills and vast open territories hosted over twelve major orchards. Some of the more noteworthy companies included J.A. Cohill, R.M. Daniels, John T. Mason, Glenn Allen, The Marvania Orchards and the Ridgefield Fruit Farms., One of the largest producers, the American Fruit Growers, once claimed to have harvested 75,000 barrels of apples annually., At this site, you can see the remains of a foundation that once was a packing shed. Typical construction was a wood framed and sided structure resting on a stone or concrete foundation. This packing shed was located next to a siding track, where apples could be sorted, packed, and loaded onto waiting freight cars., Today, the apple industry in the Hancock area, as well as the Western Maryland Railway, is a memory of times past, but not forgotten., (captions) , Harvest time at the Brook Farm on Roundtop Road , Harvest time at the Cohill Orchard near Hancock