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A
CHRONOLOGICAL
HISTORY OF
BERLIN-BRUNSWICK,
MARYLAND
1634-1990
1634–Captain Henry Fleet, British ship captain, voyaged up the Potomac River to Great Falls, sent parties up Potomac Valley and the Catoctin Mountain and South Mountain prospecting for gold.
1638–French-English fur traders were selling commodities to the Indians.
1700–Swiss prospector Louis Michel searched for gold in area.
1717-A trading post was opened by the Cartlidge Brothers, Edward and John, from the Susquehanna River (Pennsylvania) Trading Company. Same year a series of trading posts opened at Monocacy River, Point of Rocks, Berlin, Williamsport, Hancock, by the same people.
1722-1732-The “German Settlement” (Lovettsville, VA) settled by Germans from Pennsylvania (Lancaster-York counties) who mainly used the “German Crossing” for crossing Potomac at Berlin.
1728-First permanent settler at Berlin-Brunswick–trader Abraham Pennington from Cecil County, Maryland.
1731-Captain Joist Hite, British army guide, led a group of settlers from Pennsylvania to Shenandoah Valley, stopped at the “German Crossing” a week until the Potomac receded from a flood, still could not cross and went across Pleasant Valley (and gave it the name Pleasant Valley).
1731-British Captain and guide led a group from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to the Shenandoah Valley. Stopped at a local spring (today Moore’s Spring). His name: Captain James Knox. He stopped there on several occasions, hence the name Knoxville, Maryland.
1731-First ferry across Potomac River at the “German Crossing”, operated by Abraham Pennington.
1732-1734-Survey of Monocacy Trail from Wrightsville, Pennsylvania (now Harrisburg).
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1741-Exchange of hands of ferry, from Pennington to John Hawkins.
1744-Ferry exchanged hands, from Hawkins to John George Arnold of Burkittsville area (Broad Run).
1748-Ferry exchanged hands, Arnold to John Colvin, of Virginia and the Trading Post.
1750-Ferry exchanged hands, Colvin to Jacob Brumbaugh, from Adams Co., Pennsylvania.
1753-John Hawkins granted 3100 acres of land on the Potomac river, named “Merrypeep- O-day” (Looking eastward over Catoctin Mountain, the sun peeps to the Potomac Valley below, hence “Merry-peep O-Day”. Brunswick stands on part of this land.
1762-Col. George Washington, Mt. Vernon, proposed making the Potomac River navigable for small boats. River traffic was already active, Williamsport-Great Falls, by flatboats.
1777-Formation of official Maryland Government, separate from British rule.
1778-Virginia Legislature awarded a license to the Earl of Tankerville to operate a ferry from Maryland short to Virginia, at German Crossing; there was heavy travel from Pennsylvania. The land tract had 17,000 acres. The ferryman was Christian Shimmer. Ferry named “Tankerville Ferry”, and Brunswick to the name “Tankerville”.
1780-First religious services held in Brunswick.
1780-First religious service held in Brunswick was “The Mass”. Priests from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Frederick, held services in the home of Leonard Smith, founder of Brunswick (Leonard Smith and his family are buried in St. John Cemetery, Third Street, Frederick.)
1780-Clement Hollyday and Leonard Smith surveyed and laid out lots for their respective families. Historians accept this date as the “official” founding of Berlin- Brunswick (see Williams History of Frederick, Co.).
1781-October 20, 1781, John Ross key, father of Francis Scott Key, carried the message to Frederick from Yorktown that Washington’s troops had won the Battle of Yorktown, and the war was over.
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1783-General Washington delivered a stirring speech to Marylanders in the home of John Ross Key, thanking all American citizens for their help and sacrifices all during the war.
1784-December 22, the Virginia Legislature granted a license for the formation of the Potomac River Company; Maryland did the same.
1785-A large group of settlers from Frederick County, Adams County (Pennsylvania), Somerset County (Pennsylvania), removed into Kentucky. Families from Berlin went along.
1787-Leonard Smith surveyed ninety-two lots for sale in Berlin. This was the true beginning of Brunswick; see map hanging in the Brunswick Council room.
1802-Brick yard and furnace office built at 2
nd Street and C Street (the front of the residence of Helen and Elsie Cooper-the oldest house in Brunswick), later owned by John L. Jordon Sr. (In what was called “Brick Yard Hollow”); kiln (furnace) built 1799.1820-The Potomac River Company considered a failure and abandoned. In its place it was proposed that the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company be formed, and a canal constructed from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland.
1821-The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Committee formed.
1822-Jacob Waltman Jr., received a license to operate the Berlin-Loudoun Ferry across the Potomac River at the German Crossing.
1828-A banner year for Potomac Valley (and Brunswick); the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal began. John Quincy Adams, President of th United States, turned the first shovel of soil.
1828-Construction on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road began on July 4, 1828; the first shovel of soil was turned by Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
1830-First B&O Rail Road coach, the “Columbus”, horse-drawn between Baltimore and Ellicott City, Maryland.
1832-First B&O R.R. (steam), the “Atlantic”, between Baltimore and Ellicott City, destination Frederick, Maryland. At Mt. Airy, steam engine uncoupled and horses hitched to car, named “Frederick”; they pulled coach over Pars Ridge and on to Frederick.
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1832-April 26, name of town (now Brunswick) changed to “Barry”, by the U.S. Postal Service.
1834-First canal boat arrived at Barry.
1834-First B&O R.R. tracks arrived at Barry (same day as C&O Canal).
1845-Flour and grist mill built on north bank of Canal at Lock 30 by Charles M. Wenner. His original farm extended from Wenners Hill to north shore of Potomac River; it had belonged to Leonard Smith.
1854-1858-building of covered bridge across the Potomac River, at Barry.
1860-The first public school opened in Barry.
1861-May 1, General Robert E. Lee, Commander Army Northern Virginia, Confederate States of America, gave orders to Col. Thomas J. Jackson CSA to burn the covered bridge at Harpers Ferry. It was burned June 9, 1861.
1861-June 9, Drake’s CSA Cavalry was stationed on Virginia side of Potomac River of Covered Bridge, across from Barry. (Drake’s unit was a part of General J.E.B. Stuart’s main cavalry). Early in the morning, before first light, Drake’s men saturated the wooden bridge with “coal oil” (kerosene), and packed black powder around piers. With a thunderous road the covered bridge went up in fire and smoke. The citizens of Barry rushed to the scene, but the CSA riflemen sprayed the mill and lead-road up to the bridge. All that they could do was watch their three-year-old beautiful bridge burn and fall into the Potomac River.
1861-June 9: at the same time the Barry Bridge was fired, the Point of Rocks bridge was destroyed by General Turner Ashby, CSA, called the “knight of the Shenandoah Valley”. Dams, canal boats, towpath, etc. destroyed along the canal from Point of Rocks to Harpers Ferry. The B&O R.R. suffered the same destruction–tracks were torn out; telegraph poles, telegraph sheds destroyed.
1861-The Maryland Home Guard unit (Union) was stationed at Barry under command of Captain Charles H. Russell, a son of Barry. On September 12 when Stonewall Jackson was about to capture Harpers Ferry (completed September 15) the Barry and Frederick Potomac Home Guard joined Col. Dixon S. Miles, commander of the Railroad Brigade of the Middle Department, Eighth Army Corps, Union, with 12,000 men at the Harpers Ferry garrison.
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On the 15
th the garrison was captured, except the gallant 1,200 cavalrymen who escaped in total darkness, across the pontoon bridge right under the noses of General McClaws’ men up on Maryland Heights directly above the ferry. Captain Charles Russell and nine hand-picked men left the ferry to go on one of the most dangerous missions of the war: to take a message for help to Gen. George B. McClellan, stationed at Bolivar, Maryland, just west of Middletown...mission accomplished, but too late...on the 15th, Harpers Ferry fell to Col. Stonewall Jackson (CSA). All through the war Barry was not affected very much except for an occasional rifle shot across the river by an anxious CSA lad. The main reason for the respect that the Virginia people had for Barry was that on both sides of the river were relatives on the other side; churches had members in Virginia, especially the Reformed ad Lutheran Churches.1861-After quiet returned following the firing of the Potomac River bridge at Barry, the Corps of Army Engineers (Union) built a pontoon bridge that remained until well into 1862, as a means for the Union to get fast deployment of cavalry units (to frighten off CSA units spying on Barry).
1862-Skirmishes between Union and Confederate calvaries, at Barry, Petersville, and Knoxville.
1862-September 14, the Battle of South Mountain, especially the two battles at Burkittsville, Cramptons Gap and Brownsville Pass. People of Barry and doctors took bandages to Burkittsville hospitals.
1862-September 17: Battle of Antietam at Sharpsburg affected the whole country within a fifty mile radius.
1862-By October the Canal and railroad, and all roads around Barry, were repaired.
1862-Barry on the B&O Railroad became the supple dept for the Army of the Potomac, under command of Gen. G.B. McClellan. The various divisions took their turn to come to Barry and camp there (mostly between the tracks) while being reequipped and getting new uniforms, new winterized equipment, before going south on October 26.
1862-Camp
sites of
waiting
units at
Barry
depot:
1) General
Alfred
Pleasanton,
Commander
union
Cavalry,
headquarters-the
Captain
John Short
house (of
Revolution
Days), the
Musgrove
House (now
the
American
Legion
Home); all
the space
from the
present
Gross
store to
below
present
roundhouse.
Farmers
hauled
grain and
hay,
ladies
sold baked
goods,
food,
soup...Barry
reaped a
harvest.
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2) General
G.B.
McClellan
had his
rest home
at the
George
Yourtee
house,
just
beyond the
present
Valley
Elementary
School,
Pleasant
Valley, at
Brownsville
Heights.
During
inclement
weather he
made his
headquarters
at the
Charles
Wenner
house
(present
home of
Mrs. Lucy
Erksin
Meyers),
at Souder
Road
(across
from the
present
shopping
center).
On special
needs he
used the
Short
residence.
Mrs.
McClellan
stayed for
the
duration
at the
Yourtee
home.
3) Brig.
General
George
Grodon
Meade and
Brig. Gen.
Truman
Seymour,
Third
Division,
composed
of
Pennsylvania
troops (1
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Among them
was the
story that
the Union
army’s
separate
units,
while they
were being
re-equipped
at Barry,
camped
down the
road form
where the
new high
school
stands,
and around
the house
and barn.
They let
their
horses
loose
in the
meadow
below the
house
(that
would be
to the
right of
the main
road, Rt
464).
Charles
said that
in the
field
(where the
new houses
are now
standing)
he and his
brother
when
cultivating
corn often
ploughed
up a Civil
War belt
buckle.
Each time
that they
found it
they would
clean it
well and
drop is
again, to
see where
it would
turn up
the next
time. Said
Charles
“it is
till there
as far as
I know.”
(1988).
Maynard
Eagle once
told this
writer
that his
father
told him
that none
of the
outstanding
generals
that he
remembered
was
General
George
Ambrose
Custer. He
had long,
flowing
blond hair
to his
shoulders,
scented
with
cinnamon
oil. He
went
through
the Civil
War, and
in the
last
battle
that he
fought was
on that
lonely
Montana
hill, at
the Battle
of the
Little Big
Horn,
where he
was killed
by a Sioux
Indian’s
bullet.
8) Maj.
Gen.
Ambrose
Burnside
took over
the 9
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papers wrapped around them. This proved to be one the many important documents of the Civil War. It revealed to Gen. McClellan the positions of the entire Confederate Army commanded that General Lee in Maryland at the time, and changed all of Lee’s plans for the conquest of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the Nation’s Capital. Could Harry Catlett’s answer be a clue to the secret?
1863-On July 18, Barry again became the headquarters for the Union Army, under the command of Gen. George McClellan. This was following the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 2, and 3. Again, Gen. McClellan used the Charles Wenner house for his HQ (Mrs. Lucy Erskin Meyers house). Mclellan and the Union Army crossed the Potomac River, heading toward Richmond Virginia on October 26 (Union Army of the Potomac).
1881-Brunswick’s first newspaper, the Brunswick Herald, Edward C. Shafer, editorowner.
1889-Plans made for building the B&O Round House.
1889-First house built on Wenner’s Hill.
1890-Berlin brick yard (1799) in 1890 John L. Jordon, Manager, (2
nd Ave and B St) office built 1802 (now residence of Elsie & Helen Cooper).1890-Great flood destroys C&O Canal, B&O RR property (known as the Johnstown Flood).
1890-Opening of the Shed Seminary, North Second Ave.
1890-April 8: Brunswick incorporated-name changed from Berlin (because there was another Berlin on the Eastern Shore in Maryland). A B&O Railroad official gave it the name because so many Germans lived there whose ancestors came from Brunswick, Germany (they had worked on building the Canal and railroad).
1890-B&O RR yards moved to Brunswick from Martinsburg, West Virginia.
1890-The Victor Kaplan Building built, home of Kaplan & Sons.
1890-B&O Railroad gravity yards constructed, largest such yards in the world.
1890-First Mayor elected, John L. Jordon Sr.
1890-West Brunswick Elementary School built on Brunswick Street, with four rooms.
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1890-Catoctin Road relocated from B&O right of way to 9
th Ave, down East Potomac St., on to Knoxville Road.1890-B&O built YMCA, for employees to stay over (Brunswick was the end of a division).
1890-B&O Emergency Hospital built onto YMCA; Dr. Harry Hedges was the doctor and surgeon.
1891-First link and couple pin used on B&O trains.
1891-B&O Relief Department instituted.
1892-East Brunswick Elementary School built.
1892-First baseball team organized in Brunswick, the Twilight League on Wenner Hill.
1892-May 5: Fraternal Order of Masons organized lodge and sponsored by the Sandy Hook, Maryland Masonic Order of Masons, their lodge room-building built on Square Corner.
1893-William L. Gross General Store opened at end of Maryland Ave, at B&O tracks. Motto: “Whatever you want, we have it.”
1893-B&O RR eastbound classification yard constructed.
1893-Population of Brunswick 2,000.
1893-Iron bridge built across Potomac River, replaced ferry (original covered bridge burned by CSA in 1861), built by Loudoun Berlin Bridge Company, Newton O. bake, president. Opened November 3, 1893. Huge parade with over 500 participants from Virginia and Maryland marched between 3, 000 who lined both sides of bridge. Two boys fell off railing into the Potomac River (unhurt). Parade marched east on Potomac Street, ended at East Brunswick Elementary. At 7 p.m. a gain display of fireworks from “between the tracks”. A week of festivities! Crowds of sightseers flocked to town to walk on the new bridge and visit this thriving railroad town.
1900-First street lights installed, a gift form the B&O Railroad. The source of electrical power was the B&O RR shops.
1900-Four new rooms added to East Brunswick School.
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1900-Second B&O RR classification yard built.
1906-1910- First prefabricated houses built-shipped from New York and erected on New York Hill (that is how the Hill got its name) East Potomac Street, “Ten Row”, “Harry George Row” (next to former Litton Garage on West Potomac Street).
1906-Gravity yard and eastbound hump built in West End yard (Westbound Hump located in East End Yard). Number of pairs of tracks multiplied to make up the volume of trains leaving Brunswick.
1906-1910-General hiring of railroad employees by largest employer in County.
1906-First Baptist Church built on A Street.
1907-West Brunswick Elementary School enlarged; west end of town growing.
1907-Westbound RR station moved from Seventh Street to present site.
1907-B&O RR YMCA built on Potomac Street.
1907-Brunswick declared a “boom town” by area newspapers.
1908-Eastbound station built.
1909-Brunswick installed own electric line, power form Harpers Ferry Power and Light Company.
1910-First public water system installed; gravity water supply high tank, N. Maple Avenue on Wenners Hill.
1910-Brunswick Boys Club organized “OGF-BOOM” (Old Glory Forever), by the Rev. Luther Martin, Presbyterian Church minister.
1910-Brunswick first Fire Department begun. 1
st Phone service by C&P Telephone Co.1912-Brunswick High School built on 4
th Ave “Turkey hill”.1912-Proposed hookup of Frederick trolley line; tracks laid in Potomac Street (never used; Frederick Trolley never connected to Brunswick tracks).
1913-B&O RR classification yard completed.
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1914-Erection of high water tank on Wenner’s Hill-gravity water flow.
1916-Troop 2, Boy Scouts of America, organized with George A. Hood Scoutmaster, Charles L. Utterback, Assistant Scoutmaster, First Methodist Church sponsoring institution; second troop in Maryland (Baltimore Troop was #1). Troop meeting room, Methodist Church Sunday School room.
1917-April 30: Lavetta Irene Kelly Thomas, telephone operator (until 1963).
1917-19-stall roundhouse built by B&O RR.
1917-Park Heights Cemetery begun, Howard Marvin Jones, Manager-Secretary.
1918-Troop1, BSA late registering, received Number 5 as Troop number.
1920-Armistice Day Parade begun.
1920-1930-Apple Blossom Festival, Winchester, VA-B&O ran “Apple Blossom Special,” B&O supplied for Brunswick school children usually won first place!
1921-Merryland Tract Homemakers Club chartered.
1920's-1950's-Opening of Louis & Tony Cincotta fruit & vegetable store.
1921-Girl Scout Troop organized in home of Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Hood, 314 W. Potomac St,; Captain, Miss Lavenia Hood; First Lieutenant, Miss Georgia Hood; First Methodist Church, sponsoring institution.
1921-General pump installed on Petersville Road.-Wenner’s Hill.
1921-Water pumped to N.Y. Hill wooden tank, water used for fire hydrants and fire lines.
1922-The year of the Great Railroad Strike.
1922-Building water reservoir for gravity flow, Souder Road.
1922-Football organized by “Sonny” Cannon, “Brunswick Railroaders”.
1924-Chesapeake and Ohio Canal officially ceased to function.
1924-Potomac Street blacktopped surface.
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1925-Red Men’s parade and public picnic, city park (a big affair!)
1925-City Park and pavilion built.
1928-Brunswick High School burned before dawn. Classes then held downtown: Red Men’s Hall and classrooms: Methodist Church (office), hall above Orison’s store, Karn lumber.
1929-January 26: American Legion, Steadman-Keenan Post 96 established.
1929-B&O Railroad largest employer in Frederick County, with over 1,200 workers.
1929-1930-Sheer’s Stadium built on B&O RR farm; Tri-County teams played there.
1929-B&O transfer yard repair shop enlarged and repaired; transfer sheds enlarged and rebuilt.
1930-Formation of Brunswick Band.
1930-Founding of Brunswick Hospital, Virginia Avenue, by Dr. William Schnauffer (local son).
1930-Bill Wenner store opened on W. Potomac Street.
1930-Plans set forth by Men’s Bible Class, Methodist Church, to establish a town museum; Charles L. Utterback, chair; Asst. Glenn I. Cooper, Donald Darr, secretary; John B. Funk, H. Austin Cooper to represent youth. Proposed Red Men’s Hall, first floor.
1930-Town census taken-4,000 citizens.
1932-Water system included Yourtee Spring (near Brownsville).
1932-Opening of Souder-Chick Dairy and Delivery Service.
1937-Fire trucks changed form solid tires to pneumatic tires.
1938-Factory built, Brown’s Hosiery.
1946-Dedication of Memorial Park-Square, A Street, in memory of boys who fell in service to their country.
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1952-Brunswick Elementary School opened on Center Avenue.
1953-Forming of Little League Baseball.
1954-Recreation Commission, W. Carlos Myers, Chairman.
1955-Organization of Babe Ruth League team by Marvin Younkins, Secretary, B&O YMCA.
1955-New concrete bridge over Potomac River dedicated, July 30 by Brunswick Board of Trade, James E. Cummings, Mayer; address by Theordore R. McKeldin, Governor of Maryland; City Council: W.F. Albert, William Horton, Chester Phillips, C.C. Hahne, Charles Selby, A.H. Danner: Police and clerical staff: E. Donald Darr, Herber E. Sperry, C Thomas Moore, Lee R. Merriman, William Crum, James W. Main; General Chairman of Program: Frank Sapp, Brunswick Board of Trade, Historian, David H. Brown, Chr. Of Program, Irvin Ephriam.
1959-Baltimore & Ohio Railroad fright yards moved to Cumberland, Maryland.
1962-Radio Station WTRI.
1962-Building of Brunswick Coop on Souder Road.
1962-Brunswick Milling Company buildings destroyed by fire (1845-1962).
1965-Organization of Brunswick Senior Citizens-Audrey Barger, first president.
1965-Diamond Jubilee-year-long celebration (year of the beards)-1890-1965.
1965-New Brunswick High school built on Cummings Drive on old B&O farm.
1967-B&O RR turned over the raw water pump (Potomac River) to town; town built water treatment plant.
1969-Construction of Brunswick municipal recreation park, along C&O Canal towpath.
1972-Establishment of Senior Citizen’s Home, E. Donald Darr building on A Street.
1973-Organization of Rotary Club, Brunswick chapter.
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1974-Purchase of Red men’s Hall by Potomac Foundation and Museum.
1975-Organization of Brunswick History and Distinguished Citizen’s Commission, by Mayor and Council; President-H. Austin Cooper, Vice President-Willard Barger, Secretary-Estelle Belt, Corresponding Secretary-Betty Lou Cavalier, Treasurer-John B. Funk, Mayor Jess D. Orndorff appointed by Mayor and Council to formulate plans for Bi-Centennial 1776-1976, and to collect, write, and preserve Brunswick history; and to honor Brunswick’s distinguished citizens.
1978-Establishment of Medical Center on Ninth Avenue.
1978-Brunswick Historic District listed on National Register of Historic Places.
1979-Organization of the Lioness Club.
1980-Celebration of laying out of Brunswick, 1780 by Leonard Smith, surveyor (he had laid out Jefferson, Maryland in 1774).
1980-Pilgrimage of Brunswick History Commission and citizens of the town to St. John Catholic Cemetery, 3
rd Street, Frederick (the family of Leonard Smith are buried in the east side); a service was held by a priest and president of the commission. Mayor Jess D. Orndorff laid a wreath upon the grave of Leonard Smith.1980-The John T. Williams Funeral Home bought form the C.H. Feete Brothers.
1980-Beginning of the Potomac River Festival.
1980-Establishment of the Brunswick Museum (Dr. Eleanor Milligan, current curator).
1980-Beginning of the Brunswick Library, in old West Brunswick School.
1982-Brunswick B&O YMCA destroyed by fire.
1988-Brunswick Shopping Center activated, Souder Road.
1989-Building and dedication of new Brunswick Library.
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