Cumberland
The City of Cumberland in Maryland.
City of Cumberland History
Main article: History of Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland is named after the son of King George II, Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland. It is built on the site of the old Fort Cumberland, the starting point for British General Edward Braddock’s ill-fated attack on the French strong-hold of Fort Duquesne (located on the site of present-day Pittsburgh) during the French and Indian War. Artifacts pointing to civilizations in existence before the time of Christ have been found in the area, so we can only assume that people have been living here forever, a fact that those of us who now live at the confluence of Wills Creek and the Potomac River can understand, given the level of natural beauty that surrounds us.
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For generations an American Indian village, then a western outpost of roughshod cabins established by European Americans, Cumberland eventually became a stop for many in the push west.
Cumberland was also an outpost of Colonel George Washington during the French and Indian War and his first military headquarters was built here. Washington later returned to Cumberland as President in 1794 to review troops that had been assembled to thwart the Whiskey Rebellion.
Map of Braddock’s Military Road. Cumberland was a key road, railroad and canal junction during the 1800s and at one time the second largest city in Maryland (second to the port city of Baltimore–hence its nickname “The Queen City”). The surrounding hillsides provided coal, iron ore, and timber that helped supply the Industrial Revolution. In addition, the city was a major manufacturing center, with industries in glass, breweries, fabrics, and tinplate. .
