Patrick Stakem

Down the 'crick Patrick Stakem

This is a work about the Georges Creek Valley in Allegany County, Western Maryland. The Georges Creek Valley is defined by Dan's Mountain to the east, and Savage Mountain to the West, part of the Appalachian range. Portions of Savage Mountain form the Eastern Continental Divide, separating watersheds draining to the Ohio River and those draining to the Potomac River. The history of the settlement of the Georges Creek Valley is the history of coal. George Washington was familiar with the area from his various trips in the wilderness. Once populated entirely by Native Americans, the region was settled by the English, with families from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Besides coal, a pioneering iron furnace was built at Lonaconing, which drove the introduction of rail transportation in the region. Where George's Creek meets the Potomac, the C& O Canal was slated to pass by.