the crossroads of american history

Transcription

1 ALLEGANY MUSEUM the crossroads of american history George Washington s 1794 troop review at Fort Cumberland 1

2 C&O Canal The Canal Place organizations combine historical preservation, recreation, and education with economic development strategies. These organizations include George Washington s Headquarters, National Road Monument, C&O Canal National Historical Park and Visitor s Museum, Western Maryland Railroad Station and Scenic Railroad, and The Great Allegheny Passage. The Allegany Museum The leading cultural institution in Western Maryland Our nation s transportation history is rooted in Cumberland, a unique city in Western Maryland. Cumberland s foundation is tied to its geographic importance as a key route linking the East Coast with the great American West through the Ohio and Mississippi watersheds. The Allegany Museum is the leading cultural institution in Western Maryland. Our mission is to convey the region s unique heritage and contribution to our nation s development. Located in downtown Cumberland in a spectacular building that once served as the Federal Court House and Post Office during the early 20th century, the Allegany Museum is at the heart of Canal Place, Maryland s first certified heritage area. Showcasing the power of our nation s history As a transportation crossroads between the East Coast and the West, Allegany County has an inseparable link to innovation in manufacturing and transportation. The Allegany Museum provides visitors with an overview of the region and weaves together particular stories that illustrate the region s significant contributions to the national story. Washington Street Fort Cumberland Site Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Washington s Headquarters North Branch Potomac River Will s Creek Great Allegheny Passage Mechanic Street Canal Place Route 68 Shops at Canal Place C&O Canal Towpath Trail Baltimore Street Pedestrian Mall Pershing Street Allegany Museum The Allegany Museum (opposite) sits in a key position between the north ern end of Canal Place, the Baltimore Street pedestrian mall, and historic Washington Street. 2 3

3 History General George Washington The Allegany Museum s new first floor exhibit hall, opening in 2014, highlights George Washington s role in our region. It includes a large, scale model of Fort Cumberland and other Washington memorabilia from the 1750s. Washington traveled to Allegany County five times and spent significant time at Fort Cumberland. He first traveled to Allegany County in 1748 in search of the origin of the Potomac River. In his early twenties he became an aid to General Braddock, a well-known figure of the French and Indian War. Washington was with Braddock during a disastrous rout delivered by the French and was forced to organize the British forces to retreat after Braddock s death. Washington returned a fifth and final time in 1794 as President and Commander in Chief in response to the George Washington s map of the position of Fort Cumberland (left) is one of the earliest known maps of this region. The museum owns a scale model of the fort (above). Opposite: The cabin that was Washington s headquarters. Whiskey Rebellion. This is the only time a U.S. President led troops into the field. The footprint of Fort Cumberland, including the fort s old tunnels, sits just steps away from the museum on a hill overlooking the city. The cabin that served as Washington s headquarters, the only building to survive from the fort, can be seen in a nearby park. 4 5

4 Transportation and Engineering Cumberland was founded along an ancient American Indian trail linking the coast with America s vast interior. It is no wonder that it became a vital transportation and manufacturing hub as Colonial America matured into a great nation. The National Road George Washington and Thomas Jefferson believed that a trans-appalachian road was necessary for unifying the young country and allowing westward expansion. Government officials feared that without this road western settlers would turn to the Spanish or to the British in Canada. Construction of the Cumberland Road (later renamed the National Road) began in downtown Cumberland in 1811 and eventually extended to Vandalia, Illinois. It was the first Federally funded highway. The museum s new exhibition space will highlight the evolution of the National Road. It will begin with its Native American roots. The exhibit includes an authentic Conestoga wagon and fascinating early automobiles. A collection of artifacts found in Cumberland shows that Native Americans were the first to call the area home. The thrasher Collection has stunning examples of carriages (above) that used to travel the streets of Cumberland and the National Road. A signpost from the National Road (left) told travelers they were close to the city. The rare and extensive Thrasher Carriage collection supports the National Road story. This collection of horsedrawn vehicles dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s is unsurpassed in its breadth and depth and includes everything from milkman carts to luxurious sleighs used by the Vanderbilt family. It also includes funeral hearses and the inaugural coach used by Teddy Roosevelt. The carriages are showcased in a satellite facility of the Allegany Museum located in Frostburg at the terminus of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. It is a stopping place on the Great Allegheny Passage. 6 7

5 C&O Canal George Washington was the chief advocate of using waterways to connect the Eastern Seaboard to the Great Lakes and the Ohio River. President Monroe signed a bill chartering the construction of the C&O canal in Using mostly imported indentured laborers from Ireland and Germany, construction was completed in The canal operated until a great flood in 1924 sealed its already declining fate. When operating, the canal transported regional resources like timber and coal that fueled America s industrialization. Museum exhibitions highlight the economy and lifeways that developed with the canal. A model of one of Cumberland s famous landmarks, the Queen City Hotel, is on display at the Allegany Museum. The C&O Canal cuts through mountains in Allegany County before it ends at Cumberland. Inset: a model canal boat. B&O Railroad Charles Carroll, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, broke ground for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad with great celebration on July 4, The railroad reached Cumberland eight years before the C&O canal was completed. An intricate system of railroads began crisscrossing the hills of Allegany County s western coal country, funneling big vein coal toward Cumberland. By the 1940s, the peak of the rail era, Cumberland was a major railroad hub connecting the East and West. This rail heyday is exemplified in our railroad exhibit. Besides models of trains, the museum features a model of the Queen City Hotel and railroad station. Opened in 1872, it was the flagship of a group of hotels built by the B&O Railroad after the Civil War. It featured 174 rooms, a 400-seat dining room that doubled as a ballroom, a restaurant, a billiards room, tennis courts, and formal gardens. 8 9

6 Cumberland s booming economy made for a bustling downtown retail and entertainment district. Glass making Cumberland was an ideal location for glass making because of its proximity to rich coal deposits needed for fuel and silica sandstone, the raw material of glass. After 1880, the city became a center of glass manufacturing. Local factories obtained patents for many inventions. Glass factories were dangerous places to work and commonly burned to the ground. One of the earliest and most prominent glass companies, Wellington Glass Company, was completely destroyed by fire in After 1930, glass making played a greatly diminished role in the local economy. Manufacturing and Technology Cumberland became a boom-town by the end of the 1800s. Its thriving transportation system opened the door to a period of unprecedented wealth and importance. The first quarter of the 20th century saw Cumberland triple in size and become Maryland s second largest city. Transportation and coal created robust employment. These assets also encouraged industries, especially lumber, tire manufacturing, glass making, and America s first synthetic fiber making plant. Cumberland s Washington Street is filled with impressive Victorian mansions built by railroad barons, bankers, politicians and retail princes. The Allegany Museum collects objects and information that document our region s role in America s post-civil War industrial boom. Its two key stories about the rise and decline of products Made in America are glassware and tire production. Cumberland s glass manufacturing industry was among the best in America. The Allegany Museum features displays concerning glass-making and collections of the area s finest glassware

7 Tire manufacturing The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company story is a story of innovation and adaptation to emerging markets. It began in 1894 as a manufacturer of rubber tires for carriages, patenting a process of placing a solid rubber tire in a rim channel. The tires were quickly adapted to the expanding automobile industry and the company thrived. Kelly-Springfield, America s oldest operating tire company, kept a plant in Cumberland from 1921 until The history of tires is told through a complete set of examples manufactured in Cumberland (above). The museum also exhibits a delightful set of transportation-related antique toys (below). Educating our community The Allegany Museum s rich manufacturing and transportation collection makes it a natural starting point to promote STEM education. Shown here is a child 3D printing in a maker space. America s position as a global leader is threatened by a growing lack of expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and by an inadequate pipeline of teachers skilled in those subjects. Our town has historically contributed to the nation s economy through the ingenuity and hard work of its citizens. Our region has been particularly hard hit, however, by the decline of traditional manufacturing. We need to find ways to create a workforce ready for 21st century jobs. To address this problem, the museum is planning to in

8 stall a maker space learning center. This center will have traditional tools as well as high tech equipment, such as laser scanners and 3D printers. The museum will provide educational programs that allow K-12 children to design, prototype, and produce objects. Providing our children with these skills will help create the skilled workforce needed to support job creation in our area. The Allegany Museum is dedicated to promoting history, art and STEM education to our underserved constituency. That is why we are committed to securing funding for the maker space. There is currently no such venue in our region. We believe that our effort will promote education, encourage innovation, and contribute to the economic re-birth of this region. It is a direct investment in our children the future of Maryland and America. The museum s exhibits include transportation icons like this Ford Model T. Creating economic strategies that benefit the community The Allegany Museum is more than an educational organization. We are a critical catalyst for the economic revitalization of Allegany County. We are a go to place for heritage tourists and visitors who come to enjoy our rails to trails recreation areas. The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal towpath trail create a continuous path for hikers and bikers from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.. Putting Cumberland on the map as a vibrant tourist destination needs to be a joint effort with other historical organizations in the area. To this end, we are partnering with a consortium of local historical organizations called the Western Maryland Heritage Association that includes: Allegany Arts Council Allegany Historical Society C&O Canal Museum C. William Gilchrist Museum of the Arts F. Brooke Whiting House Frostburg Museum Garrett County Historical Museum Garrett County Transportation Museum Gordon-Roberts House Grantsville Community Museum Oakland B&O Museum Springs Museum Vietnam Veterans Museum Williams Community Museum The Western Maryland Heritage Association coordinates to expand public outreach. The organization has used grants to develop a heritage group tour web site (

9 ALLEGANY MUSEUM the crossroads of american history Prehistory 1755 Nemacolin s Path Ancient Native American trail through Cumberland Braddock s Road Started from Cumberland 1811 First National Road Originated in Cumberland 1828 America s first railroad The B&O was started. Arrived in Cumberland C&O Canal The canal was started. Arrived in Cumberland Allegany Museum 3 Pershing Street, Cumberland, MD info@alleganymuseum.org Design by Chris Sloan / Science Visualization, Cumberland, MD 16 Credits: Pg. 2, Lance Bell. Pg. 10, Charles Amos. Pg. 13, SciViz. Pg. 14, Lance Bell. All other photos, John Bone/Allegany Museum.