Maryland is a state rich in history, where every town has a story to tell. From the colonial roots of Annapolis to the industrial rise of Cumberland, from the maritime heritage of St. Michaels to the railroad legacy of Ellicott City, each town has shaped—and been shaped by—the tides of time.
In this series, we’ll travel across Maryland’s diverse landscapes and explore the rich and fascinating history of Maryland’s towns—one story at a time.
Friendsville, originally named Friend’s Fortune, was established by John Friend, a European settler. However, he was far from the first person to use the land. Native Americans have been visiting this bend in the river for over 3,500 years. In the past, the land was known by the Shawnee as ‘The Hunter’s Bowl’ with ground well-suited for the cultivation of beans, corn, and squash. Upon arrival, John Friend followed the Youghiogheny upstream to their encampment of the local Shawnee tribe. They were able to communicate and asked permission to occupy the land, even trading some items in exchange for a few dwellings. The group soon returned to Virginia, explaining they’d be back the next year. The next year he returned with his family as well as gifts for the Native Americans.
There is a myth of Johnny Friend, the son of John Friend, who, after building a relationship with the Native Americans, spent the day with them. His parents agreed as long as they’d return with him the following day. The next day they returned with Johnny sporting a deerskin shirt and moccasins. He had plenty of stories to share of his adventures, and it is said that his stories were told for generations to come.
In the past, the land was known by the Shawnee as ‘The Hunter’s Bowl’ with ground well-suited for the cultivation of beans, corn, and squash. The Native Americans coexisted on that land for years until tensions grew and a fort was built. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act by President Andrew Jackson forced them to march to western reservations and led to the devastating death of thousands of Native Americans.
The Youghiogheny River was home to a flourishing fish population, but by the early 1900s, deforestation and coal mining impacted the river. Albert Powell, a fisheries biologist for the state, said, “I observed many numbers of all species of fish floating downstream and collecting in the eddies. I recall rainbow and brook trout, smallmouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, minnows, and mudpuppies (or hellbenders as they were sometimes called).” In 1976, the Yough was established as Maryland’s first Wild and Scenic River. Nowadays, the river is flourishing with trout and smallmouth bass in the water and river otters, mink, and ospreys.
Before I-68 was constructed In 1969 an archeological dig was undertaken, finding “Approximately 49,000 artifacts” that were recovered from the Friendsville site. The earliest artifacts are from the Archaic Period (approx. 8000 BC to 7000 years BC) and includes spear points, stone axe heads and spear throwing weights. From the Woodland Period (2000 BC to 1400 AD), native people left evidence of early agriculture, such as grinding tools and stones, pipes, knives and pot shards.”. In addition they found: “numerous projectile points, including Madison arrowheads, a quartzite hammerstone, tubular bird bone beads, a cut bear canine and drilled dog canines used for adornments.”. Despite being unjustly forced off the land, the natives left material proof of their presence for future archeologists to study and better understand the culture of that time.
Preservation Maryland in Friendsville: Related Articles:
Maryland Road Trip: Exploring Garrett County
MD Women in History: Edna Story Latimer
Heritage Fund Highlight: Roof Repairs at the Friend Family Association
Content for this blog was compiled with the help of our Waxter Intern Miel Hunt. Miel Hunt is a recent graduate of the Ithaca College Park School of Communications. Raised in Texas, France, and Maryland, her multicultural upbringing opened her eyes to new perspectives and ignitd her passion for history and storytelling. She is thrilled with the opportunity to combine those interests with Preservation Maryland. Having lived 5 years in France, she speaks French and is a bit of a Francophile particularly concerning French history. However, after over a decade in Maryland, she is proud to call it her home.