Haystack Mountain (Maryland)
Encyclopedia
Haystack Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Ridge and Valley
region of the Appalachian Mountains
, located in western Maryland
just west of the city of Cumberland
. The mountain forms the southern wall of the Cumberland Narrows
.
to the southwest of Cumberland and runs in a northeastward direction, achieving a height of 1706 feet (520 m) before falling to a 1200 feet (365.8 m) gap through which Interstate 68
passes. On the other side of the gap the mountain continues, noticeably lower in elevation, achieving a height of 1480 feet (451.1 m) at its northern tip before falling precipitously into the Cumberland Narrows. Across the Narrows is Wills Mountain
. Geologically
, the two mountains are equivalent.
ascended over Haystack Mountain, through the gap which I-68 now traverses, following an American Indian
pathways known as Nemacolin's Path
. This path was chosen by General Braddock during the French and Indian war
, and was later used as part of the National Road
. Remnants of the road can still be viewed today. This road was used by thousands of travelers who struggled to safely climb the mountain with their possessions stowed in creaky wagons. Travelers faced even greater dangers descending Haystack Mountain, due to its steeper grade, near present day Sunset Drive. The road continued toward today’s LaVale Plaza and ascended to the Clarysville Inn, an important wagon stand and stage house between LaVale, Maryland and Frostburg, Maryland
. The National Highway (modern day U.S. Route 40
) was later routed around Haystack Mountain through the Narrows.
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
region of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, located in western Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
just west of the city of Cumberland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
. The mountain forms the southern wall of the Cumberland Narrows
Cumberland Narrows
The Cumberland Narrows is a water gap in western Maryland in the United States, just west of Cumberland, Maryland. Wills Creek cuts through the central ridge of the Wills Mountain Anticline at a low elevation here between Wills Mountain to the north and Haystack Mountain to the south...
.
Geography
Haystack Mountain rises just north of CresaptownCresaptown, Maryland
Cresaptown is a community located in Allegany County, Maryland, United States of America. It is an unincorporated community which, for United States Census Bureau purposes, is united with Bel Air to form the census-designated place of Cresaptown-Bel Air. Cresaptown's post office was established...
to the southwest of Cumberland and runs in a northeastward direction, achieving a height of 1706 feet (520 m) before falling to a 1200 feet (365.8 m) gap through which Interstate 68
Interstate 68
Interstate 68 is a Interstate highway in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting in Morgantown to in Hancock. is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. From 1965 until the freeway's construction was completed in 1991, it was designated as...
passes. On the other side of the gap the mountain continues, noticeably lower in elevation, achieving a height of 1480 feet (451.1 m) at its northern tip before falling precipitously into the Cumberland Narrows. Across the Narrows is Wills Mountain
Wills Mountain
Wills Mountain is a quartzite-capped ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA, extending from near Bedford, Pennsylvania to near Cumberland, Maryland...
. Geologically
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, the two mountains are equivalent.
History
The original route for the National RoadNational Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
ascended over Haystack Mountain, through the gap which I-68 now traverses, following an American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
pathways known as Nemacolin's Path
Nemacolin's Path
thumb|450px|[[Braddock's Road|General Braddock's March]] follows or parallel's Chief Nemacolin's Trail from the Potomac River to the Monogahela. The wagon negotiable route from the summit to [[Redstone Creek]] was bypassed by Braddock...
. This path was chosen by General Braddock during the French and Indian war
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, and was later used as part of the National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
. Remnants of the road can still be viewed today. This road was used by thousands of travelers who struggled to safely climb the mountain with their possessions stowed in creaky wagons. Travelers faced even greater dangers descending Haystack Mountain, due to its steeper grade, near present day Sunset Drive. The road continued toward today’s LaVale Plaza and ascended to the Clarysville Inn, an important wagon stand and stage house between LaVale, Maryland and Frostburg, Maryland
Frostburg, Maryland
Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,873 at the 2000 census...
. The National Highway (modern day U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
) was later routed around Haystack Mountain through the Narrows.