Westernport, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Westernport is a town in Allegany County, Maryland
, United States
, located along the Georges Creek Valley
. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 2,104 at the 2000 census.
in Paris
. The settlement at that time had no name. By 1774, it was known as Hardscrabble because the rocky soil made planting difficult. Some time in the mid 1790s, the name was changed to Westernport, with the town being the western-most navigable port on the Potomac River
. In the late 18th century and early to mid part of the 19th century, coal and timber was loaded onto flatboats where George's Creek
empties into the Potomac, then floated down to near Great Falls, Virginia
, where the goods were unloaded, the boats broken up to sell as lumber, and the operators walking back to Westernport. The town was incorporated in 1859.
The Waverly Street Bridge
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984. The Meyer Site
was listed in 1973.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,104 people, 909 households, and 601 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,385.6 people per square mile (923.1/km²). There were 1,056 housing units at an average density of 1,197.3 per square mile (463.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.24% White, 0.19% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.14% Asian, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 909 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution is 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,681, and the median income for a family was $31,714. Males had a median income of $34,896 versus $16,920 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $12,503. About 12.1% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.
Allegany County, Maryland
Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the US state of Maryland. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 75,087. Its county seat is Cumberland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located along the Georges Creek Valley
Georges Creek Valley
Georges Creek Valley is located in Allegany County, Maryland along the George's Creek. The valley is rich in wide veins of coal, known historically as the "The Big Vein." Coal was once extracted by deep mines but is only mined today through surface mining...
. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area
Cumberland, MD-WV MSA
Cumberland, MD-WV MSA, or Cumberland Metro for short, denotes the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Cumberland, Maryland and the surrounding economic region of Allegany County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia, in the United States....
. The population was 2,104 at the 2000 census.
History
Westernport's first settlement is identified on a French military map dating from 1758. The map is currently on display at École MilitaireÉcole Militaire
The École Militaire is a vast complex of buildings housing various military training facilities located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, southeast of the Champ de Mars....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The settlement at that time had no name. By 1774, it was known as Hardscrabble because the rocky soil made planting difficult. Some time in the mid 1790s, the name was changed to Westernport, with the town being the western-most navigable port on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. In the late 18th century and early to mid part of the 19th century, coal and timber was loaded onto flatboats where George's Creek
Georges Creek
Georges Creek is a tributary stream of the North Branch Potomac River in western Maryland. The creek has its headwaters near Frostburg and empties into the North Branch Potomac River at Westernport, all in western Allegany County. Along the Georges Creek Valley, there exists a series of small...
empties into the Potomac, then floated down to near Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,427 at the 2010 census.Although primarily a bedroom community for Washington, D.C., one major attraction is Great Falls Park which overlooks the Great Falls of the Potomac River, for which...
, where the goods were unloaded, the boats broken up to sell as lumber, and the operators walking back to Westernport. The town was incorporated in 1859.
The Waverly Street Bridge
Waverly Street Bridge
The Waverly Street Bridge, also called the Westernport Bowstring Arch Truss Bridge, is a historic steel truss bridge at Westernport, Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It carries vehicular traffic on Waverly Street over George's Creek. The bridge has a span length of 108 feet...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1984. The Meyer Site
Meyer Site
The Meyer Site is an archaeological site near Westernport in Garrett County, Maryland, United States. It is located along Chestnut Grove Road on the riverside edge of an alluvial bottom on the west side of the North Branch of the Potomac River...
was listed in 1973.
Notable residents
- Leo MazzoneLeo MazzoneLeo David Mazzone is a former pitcher in minor league baseball and coach in Major League Baseball. He began working with the Atlanta Braves' organization in 1979.-Early life:...
, the well-known former pitchingPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
coach of the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
who made his reputation in the same role with the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, lived his entire childhood in Westernport. Although he was born on the West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
side of the North Branch Potomac River in KeyserKeyser, West VirginiaKeyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, his parents lived in Westernport at the time.
- Stephen Wheeler DowneyStephen Wheeler DowneyStephen Wheeler Downey was a lawyer and politician in Wyoming.In 1861, Stephen Downey enlisted as a private in the 3rd Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade, and successfully promoted to first lieutenant, lieutenant colonel, and colonel...
, the "Father of the University of Wyoming", was born in Westernport in 1839. He became a trustee and eventual president of the University of Wyoming from 1891–97.
Nearby communities
- Cumberland, MarylandCumberland, MarylandCumberland 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...
- Piedmont, West VirginiaPiedmont, West VirginiaPiedmont is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census. Piedmont was chartered in 1856...
- Luke, MarylandLuke, MarylandLuke is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located along the Georges Creek Valley. Known originally as West Piedmont, the town is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 80 at the 2000 census....
- Barton, MarylandBarton, MarylandBarton is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 478 at the 2000 census.- History :...
- Keyser, West VirginiaKeyser, West VirginiaKeyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...
- Lonaconing, MarylandLonaconing, MarylandLonaconing is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,205 at the 2000 census.- History :...
- Midland, MarylandMidland, MarylandMidland is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 473 at the 2000 census....
- Elk Garden, West VirginiaElk Garden, West VirginiaElk Garden is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 217 at the 2000 census. Elk Garden was incorporated in 1890 by the Mineral County Circuit Court...
- Kitzmiller, MarylandKitzmiller, MarylandKitzmiller is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The population was 302 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kitzmiller is located at ....
Geography
Westernport is located at 39°29′12"N 79°2′36"W (39.486671, -79.043417).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,104 people, 909 households, and 601 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,385.6 people per square mile (923.1/km²). There were 1,056 housing units at an average density of 1,197.3 per square mile (463.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.24% White, 0.19% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.14% Asian, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 909 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution is 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,681, and the median income for a family was $31,714. Males had a median income of $34,896 versus $16,920 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $12,503. About 12.1% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.