Table Of Contentm £ NATURAL RESOURCES OF GARRETT COUNTY, MARYLAND
AND THE GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS INVOLVED IN THEIR UTILIZATION
by....
Kenneth A*. Battersby
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School
of the University of Maryland in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy
1951
UMI Number: DP70269
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i
A c m m L m m m r s
Many persona have contributed Information, Ideas, advice, criticism,
and the incentive© which have made this study possible, but to Professor
William Van Royers, under whose direct supervision the work was done, pri
mary acknowledgayjnt is gratefully given. Hia suggestions and criticisms
have been invaluable in getting the material into fine! form, and were
consistently mad© in such an objective, fair, and considerate manner that
it ha© been pleasant to be associated with him*
Much of the material and a much better comprehension of the factors
involved were obtained during the past four summers through field work and
research in Garrett County, to many of it® residents, sincere thanks for
friendly interest and generous cooperation. For their particular contri
butions the following should be specifically mentioned! Jams© J* Belbig,
Treasurer of Sanders Motor Freight, Inc., Oakland; Dorsey Guard, Progres
sive farmer, Shalbysport; Capt* Charles E. Hoys, County Historian, Sang
Bun; Dr. Joseph £. Hamad, pharmacist and botanist, Oakland; Howard J.
White, Fieldman, Carnation Company, Oakland; Mrs. Beulah K* Spence, Pro
prietress of Janny Lae Craft House, Oakland; Robert Murphy, merchant,
Friendsville; Clmar Schrock, farmer and business man, Grantaville; and
J. J* Ashby, Clerk, Board of County Commissioners of Garrett County,
Oakland.
The following officials of several State agencies, affiliated with
the Bureau of natural Resources, have also been most cooperative and have
furnished special Information which would otherwise have been unavailable s
R. D. Van Deusen, Department of Research and Education, Solcmonp; Adna R.
Bond, Department of State Formats and Farias, Annapolis; Joseph T. Singe-
wsld, Jr., Department of Geology, Mines and later Resources, Baltimore;
John J. Rutledge, former Director, Maryland Bureau of Mines, Baltimore;
Frank T. Powers, Director, Maryland Bureau of Mines, Wostemportj John P.
Trimmer, Director of Information, Annapolis; William H. Bayliff, Ebascutive
Director, Board of Natural Resources, Annapolis; and A. W. Bedrich, State
Department of Health, Baltimore.
Officials of agencies of the Federal Government who have given a great
amount of help include! Ray Hurley and Howard G. Brunsman of the Bureau of
the Census; Francis J. Marsohner and Hugh H. Wooten of the Bureau of Agri
cultural Economics.
A great deal of Information and a number of valuable suggestions have
been given by officials of several railroads. These include: Clark M.
Oroninger, Coal Traffic Manager, 1* S. Hartley, Manager, Agricultural Dev
elopment, and R. L. Winklepleck, Horticultural Agent, The Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company, Baltimore, Maryland; F. E. Lillman, General Coal
Freight A gent, Korfolk and Western Railway Company, Roanoke, Virginia;
R. J. Beatty, Coal Traffic Manager, The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company,
Richmond, Virginia; and C. L. Eberly, General Coal Freight Agent, The
Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
Special credit should be given to William S. Bamill of the Maryland
Development Bureau, Baltimore Association of Commerce, whose comprehensive
surveys, reports of the industries of Maryland, and cordial cooperation,
162823
ii
have been of exceptional value. Jam©a T. Fisher of the Reuben H. Donnelley
Corporation of Washington, D. 0. has also been most helpful in suggesting
sources of information*
On the campus at College Park, Merl F. Hershberger, a native of irants-
ville, and Soil Conservationist, should receive special mention for his ad
vice and cooperation in construction of the Soils and Land-Us e - at eaa maps*
To the cartographers of the Department of Geography, her© at the Uni
versity, should go much credit for putting the maps in presentable fora and
for ready suggestions on problems in map presentation* Arthur g* Karlnen
constructed the Land Forms map which serves as a background for all the
others. Edna 5* Kelley made many valuable suggestions, did much of the
cartography, and lent her artistic sense in the use of color. John S. Hewins
is the third of this accomplished group.
Mrs* Mary P. Allen has been a most able and willing assistant in typ
ing the many pages and has cheerfully and energetically lightened an arduous
task*
College Park, Maryland
May, 1951
Q m m m s
Page
Aismom^DQmmB ........ *............ i
LIST OP ILXUS2iUTI0BS..................................... ▼
introduction................ ................. ................... 1
Definition of the Problem. . • ........... ................. .... 1
Method of Procedure .......... 1
CHAPTER I. DESCRIPTIVE BACKOHOUKD............... 4
Location, Size, and Shape . • • • • 4
Settlement. ...... 12
Jarre tt aa a aew County. .... 28
OliAPISE IX. HiSIRkTIGNSHXP OP PHYSICAL FEATURES, NATURAL
RESOURCES , ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES, AKD PLANNING. ........ 50
Contrasts w ithin Maryland......... 50
Economic Importance of Garrett County*s
Natural Resources. ...... 32
Agencies Involved in Utilization of
ilatural Resources. .... 55
Need for More Scientific Utilization of
natural Res©urces.............................. 55
CHAPTER III* LAND PGAM3................. 39
Origin.................................. 39
Structure .......... &Q
CHAPTER IV. CLIMATE.......... 8?
General Conditions ................. 8?
Temperature............ 92
Precipitation. ........... 101
CHAPTER V. ECONOMIC ASPECTS OP WATER RESOURCES................. 105
Surface Waters.............. 110
Underground Waters.......... 118
CKAFITO VI. SOIL RESOURCES................................ 123
Origin. .... 124
Fertility. ........ 124
Soil Types•»••• ........ 127
Summary. .... 137
iv
Page
GtU&Sm VII. KOLuST MKSGUKa&S............... .......... ...... 14-1
Nature aM Original Sxtent. .... 14-1
Present Distribution ...... 142
Typos of Present forests.......... ■. 144
Saw Timber Resources........ .............. 154
Utilization of *ood... ..... 158
Economic Xaportane© of Para «.ood Lots. Ib4
Maple Products .... 167
Extent and Economic Importance
of State Porasts............................. 175
S u m m a r y 184
CHAPTER VIII. E^^CEEATIONAL USE OP JNATUEAL RESOURCES............. 18?
Recreational Use of State Forests .... 175
Summary ....... 205
OH/iPTEii IX. M2&XRAL R&oGUECISS ..... 206
Beginning of Goal-I<iining Industry
in western Maryland. .................... .. 206
Coal Deposits of Garrett County•............... 210
Maryland Goals Compared with Goals
of Hearby Competing States.. .... .. ... 225
Principal and Potential Uses of
Garrett County Goal......... 229
Accessibility of Goal Deposits. ........... 25?
Composition of Goal-Mining Industry....... 241
Some Social and economic Characteristics
of Garrett County Coal-Mining............... 246
factors Involved in the Market Distribution
of Garrett County Coal .... 275
Natural Gas .... 501
Fire Clay... .... 301
OHaPTSR X. AGRXGOLTUii&L RESOURCES............. 307
'General Character and Economic Importance ....•• 307
Utilization of Farm Land.......... 3.5&
Crop production........ 571
Livestock Production. 427
(MMMiAL mmAMY AMD OQhGW^lom ..... 475
BiaLXOGMAPHV. . ............ 505
APPKUDXK...................... 509
Gazetteer of Garrett County .... 509
Glimatologieal Data.......................................... 527
LIST OF ILLUSTRAflOMS
Fig* Fag®
MAPS
A* Location..,, .... •........ 3
B. pattern of Battlement ..... 47
0* Transportation.......*........... 43
B. Minor Civil Divisions.. ............. 43
1 • Geological Formations........... «....... 35
F. Structure ...... 86
0. Soils................................ 140
H. Generalised Distribution of Forests (Vegetation)............ IS 5
I* State Forests and Recreation............ 186
Km Land Use Areas* .... 4f2
PICTURES
1* Court House, Oakland .... 32
2. Stores and office buildings, Oakland..................... 32
3m Residential section, Oakland. ...... ...... 38
4. Ke% bom© on outskirts of Oakland ............ 3C
5* Looking northwest from Backbone Mountain....... 63
6. Looking east fro® Route 215...... 63
7. Looking south from geyser * & Bidg©....... .......... 68
8 • Youghiogheny River Talley ....... 68
5* Band stone overlying shale......... ..... 75
10. Bands tone and shale............ 75
11 • Rotary snowplow .......... 108
12* Hydroelectric power plant.......... 108
15. lood land .......... 161
14. Portable saw mill. ......... 161
15* Youghiogheny River below Swallow Falls...... 188
16 • Deep Creek Lake ..... 188
17• Summer home at Deep Creek Lake. ......... *....... 151
If; • stone cabin at Beep Greek Lake. .... 131
15 • Oakland golf course ... ...... .................... . 13 6
20. Ski lift on Hoop Pol® liidge........ 136
21. Power house and coal tipple..... 252
22. Miners* homes at Crsilin. ..... 252
23. Strip mining....»....... 261
24. Loading coal truck. ..... 261
25• General farming near Hoyes ...... 315
26. General farming near Elder Hill............ 315
21* General and dairy farms in Pleasant Valley......... 332
28 • Dairy farias in Pleasant Valley.............. 332
23• Looking west across the Cove. .... 555
30* Contour cultivation in the Cove urea.. ..... 333
vi
Fig. Page
31. Hay, small grains, and corn on K©yser*s Ridg©............. 364
32 • Contour farming north of Deer Park. .... 3^4
33 • Qeneral farming south of Mt • lake Park. .... 370
34. General farming and poultry south of Mt. Lake Park. ..... 370
35. Field of buckwheat near Oort nor .... 370
36. Harvesting grain with combine. ........-............ 370
37. Hilly permanent pastux*© near Sang fiun......... 403
38. Cleared slopes between McHenry and Accident .... 403
37 • pea-vinlng shed near Red House..... 424
40. Mt. Lake park canning plant......... 424
41. Crop and pasture land near McHenry.................. 428
42. Dairy cattle near Qortner....... 428
43. Mew dairy barns near Gortner. ........ 434
44. Livestock auction near Accident....... 434
45• Carnation Milk Company plant..................... ........ 446
46. Imperial Ice-Cream Company plant........ ................ 446
47. Flock of whit® leghorns near Cherry Creek ....... 482
48• Greenhouses and nursery at v*eber......... 482
XNTRGDUCTIGH
Definition of the Problem
Th© purpose of the dissertation is to analyse the relationships
between the geographic equipment, and the use of a region. Kow the
various physical factors such as surface configuration, climate, and
natural resources including water, vegetation, soils, minerals, and
recreational resources, have bean assets or liabilities in the occupance
of an area. To take up the problems posed by location and position fac
tors; in short, why Garrett County is and will continue to be unique in
Maryland.
Method of Procedure
Much of the information for this study has been obtained through
field work during four summers. In addition to personal observation,
the field work included interviews with officials, farmers, miners,
business men, local historians and educators, and many of the "rank and
filsn of Garrett County. Other important sources of data have been in
terviews and c orrespondenc© with specialists in pertinent fields at the
University of Maryland, in other parts of the State, in Washington, D. C
and elsewhere.
Published and unpublished material, Including much statistical data
has been analyzed and utilised whenever and wherever pertinent. Sources
of tills kind are the Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Agricultural Econ
omics , Bureau of Mims, and periodic reports of both federal and state
governments on the censuses of agriculture, population, manufacturing,
and other subjects.
2
Finally, a series of maps has been prepared, with the morpholog
ical features of Garrett County as a background. These maps present
the correlation of surface features with soils, natural vegetation,
pattern of settlement, agricultural use of land, coal mining, transpor
tation, and recreation. For purposes of comparison and contrast, rela
tive conditions of the utilisation of natural resources and their impli
cations in Garrett County are measured with those of Maryland as a whole
and with those of other counties within the State as they are applicable.
The distribution of geographic features within Garrett County and corre
lations between their variations and utilisation have been particularly
stressed.
