08/09/2022
By Dana Cohen
Maryland’s Oldest Sleep Away Camps
Since its inception, summer camp has been an escape for kids in the United States, beginning in the 1870s and 1880s when the first sleep away summer camps were formed. Much like today, sleep away camp was an escape from modern (industrialized) society and a chance for children to experience nature and life outdoors. The first documented sleep away camp was said to be founded in 1861 in Connecticut, but Maryland is also home to sleep away camps that have been serving families for close to a century – or more.
Jeff brought his fly-fishing gear along as I promised him some time to cast in the Casselman River under the historic bridge. When the bridge was erected in 1813, it was the longest single-span stone arch bridge in the United States and a link to the National Road from 1813 to 1933. Now it is a picturesque stone bridge from which Jeff pulls on his waders and fishing gear and steps into the water to enjoy nature and landscape preservation from a different perspective. Lucky for me across the bridge is the Spruce Artisan Village, an arts and heritage center. “The Artisan Village fronts on the historic National Road, which played a large role in westward expansion and economic development of the region. Little Crossings, which is what the area was originally know as, still boasts an original inn dating back to 1818 –now Penn Alps Restaurant, the historic Casselman Bridge, and thirteen restored cabins now housing resident artists. The village’s mission is to preserve the heritage of the region, which includes the Amish and Mennonite communities.” I enjoyed watching vendors setting up as part of the Grantsville National Road Festival and Yard Sale. Jeff emerged from the river with a good fish story about a rainbow trout “catch and release.” We explored the artists and craftsmen in the restored log cabins, chatted with some of the vendors and made some purchases from Stella’s Dot and a local beekeeper. Driving down the national road through Grantsville we saw a lot of the town out for the yard sale. We stopped at High County Market and Creamery for some cheeses and grabbed dill cheese curds to munch on the way.
We followed the border south between West Virginia and Maryland until we found the Cranesville Swamp Preserve. It is a 1,600-acre preserve purchased by the Nature Conservancy in 1960. “It is one of the few remaining boreal bogs in the southern United States, unusual in harboring many plants and animals that are normally only seen in more northern climates. It was designated as one of the first National Natural Landmarks in the country in 1964.” The bog has a mind of its own as it was creeping across the walkway and up from underneath the slats of the boardwalk. Jeff gently put his foot on what looked like moss but felt like a sponge. It was worth going off the beaten path to visit.
Up early and watching the sunrise on our little deck was a good reminder to just sit and enjoy the view every once in a while. Jeff had one more opportunity for a little fly fishing along the Savage River. At the Savage River Fly Outfitters the owner, not only gave Jeff some fishing guidance, but showed off some of the hand-tied Cicada lures. As I dropped him upstream at the Garrett Bridge, I reminded him that there was no cell service near the bridge, so be careful not to get swept down river. He complied and an hour later I picked him up with a smile on his face. It is hard to describe how beautiful the forests are in the county. Instead of our planned hike, we simply drove the winding roads through the forest, appreciating what it is today. “By the early 1900s, narrow gauge railroads were used to facilitate logging on steeper slopes as the demand for wood products continued to increase. The result was that Garrett County was heavily cut-over, essentially clear cut, within a 20-year period. The train engines frequently caused forest fires in the tops and slash that were left from the clear-cutting. As a result of the fires, a new forest was created. This legacy we can see today as most of our older forests are the same age and are approximately 100 years old. In part, as a reaction to the rapid cutting of trees and the burning that was taking place, the Garrett Brothers, in 1906 gave 2,000 acres to the state with the proviso that an agency would be created to manage the property and to institute scientific forestry- this led to the birth of the Maryland Forest Service. The rapid exploitation of the forests came to an end by the 1930s and logging companies moved west or converted to coal mining. The early efforts of the MD Forest Service were primarily fire suppression. In 1929, the state purchased 9,352 acres of cut-over forest land from the N.U. Bond Company. This was the beginning of Savage River State Forest. Since that time there has been several acquisitions both big and small. Now Savage River State Forest consists of 54,324 acres. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps assisted the forest service with fire suppression efforts, tree planting, and constructing facilities for recreational activities. They helped build many trails where hiking, biking, horseback riding, and off-road ORV riding are still taking place.”