I didn't see a welcome to Maryland sign but knew I was there when I arrived in Hagerstown. Hagerstown was organized about 1740 as a trading center for frontier settlements. Later it became an important railroad center. Off I went trying to figure out where I was going. I turned east on 70 towards Frederick and then wondered why I was heading towards Baltimore. After filling the gas tank I studied my AAA camp guide and spotted where I wanted to go. As I entered the Fort Frederick State Park I saw several buildings and a fort. What a surprise as all I expected was a state park with a campground. I drove on over the C&O Canal and parked overlooking the Potomac. For $7 what a spot. Three deer greeted me as I pulled in while they were all enjoying a short bush. There were only two other vehicles in this small camping area.
Fort Frederick is a stone fort that was built in 1756 to protect English settlers from the French and their Indian allies. It was never attacked but served as a supply base for English campaigns. Several hundred settlers sought protection within the fort during the 1763 uprising of an Ottawa Indian chief named Pontiac. During the Revolutionary War it served as a prison for Hessian soldiers. In 1791 the state sold the fort and the land was farmed. The state of Maryland repurchased the fort in 1922 and began developing Maryland's first state park.
Next stop - West Virginia.
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