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Fleming Family Travel Itinerary Through Western MD, Circa late 1700s
The following itinerary is courtesy of Kathy Marcinek and was discovered during her research of the Tittle Family. The information comes from Grand Pockets' Blog.
The itinerary is undated but the following is taken from the preceding text:
WILLIAM FLEMING, born August 17, 1755, died July 22, 1772, aged 16 years, 11 months, and 5 days;
...After the death of the said William Fleming, the father of the above-named children, all of the said children (then living) emigrated to the ‘Western Frontier’, as then called, except Benaiah, who remained on the old homestead and died in the same house in which he was born, at the age of 83 years, 9 months, and 2 days.
...Among the papers now in the possession of William B. Tharp, of Farmington, Delaware, is a copy of a memorandum sent to Benaiah Fleming by one of his brothers who came to Virginia, which shows the route traveled by these brothers in reaching their new home.
Ed. Note: It may be assumed from the above text, the itinerary dates to the late 1700's (after 1772).
- To Dover - 20 miles
- To Cross Roads (probably Smyrna, Delaware)- 12 miles
- To Middletown - 13 miles
- To Head of Elk - 14 miles
- To the Blue Ball Tavern - 8 miles
- To Barrett’s Tavern - 8 miles
- To Warnock’s Tavern - 8 miles
- To McCall’s Ferry (over Susquehanna River) - 14 miles
- To Brogue Tavern - 10 miles
- To Little York (now York, Pa.) - 15 miles
- To Abbottstown (now a small village in Pa.) - 15 miles
- To Gattiestown (Gettysburg) - 15 miles
- To Nicholson’s Gap - 10 miles
- To Hagerstown - 25 miles
- To Greenspring Furnace - 18 miles
- To Licking Creek Forge - 5 miles
- To Hancocktown - 9 miles
- To Barnhart’s Tavern - 11 miles
- To Fifteen Mile Creek - 6 miles
- To Gray’s Tavern - 15 miles
- To Oldtown - 5 miles
- To Cumberland - 15 miles
- To Crayon’s Tavern - 5 miles
- To Tittle’s Tavern - 5 miles
- To Tumbleston’s Tavern - 11 miles
- To Little Crossings - 2 miles
- To Simpkins’s Tavern - 9 miles
- To Big Crossings - 8 miles
- To Sandy Creek - 14 miles
- Over the Laurel Hills - 12 miles
This makes a total of 337 miles. Their record of the trip stops near Uniontown
Notes On the Route Through Maryland
To Nicholson’s Gap...
To Hagerstown - 25 miles
References to the Nicholson's Gap (Leitersburg) to Hagerstown, MD Road can be found in the MD records dating back to at least the 1760's. More information can be found in Herbert Bell's book, History of Leitersburg district, Washington County, Md
To Green Spring Furnace - 18 miles
Green Spring Furnace is located near Indian Spring and Fort Frederick in Washington County, MD. The furnace was built about 1768 by Lancelot Jacques and manufactured cannon for the Continental Army. Thomas Johnson was a partner in the furnace until 1776 when be became the first governor of Maryland. (Map It) Read more...
The road from Hagerstown to Green Spring Furnance is shown on maps of the period and is noted in MD Session Notes: "And be it enacted, That the road leading from William's Port, in Washington county, to intersect the road from Elizabeth-town to the Green-Spring furnace, at or near Little Conococheague, shall be opened, straightened, marked and bounded, as and for a public road of the said county, and that the same shall be done at the expence of the county, agreeably to the provisions of the, original or supplementary acts." ~ Volume 645, Page 30, 1793. (I have been unsuccessful, so far, in finding authorization for the Hagerstown-Green Spring road itself.)
From this point on, Fleming's route appears to follow the Fort Frederick to Fort Cumberland Road from Green Spring Furnace to Cumberland, MD. For comparasion, I have included distance figures which accompanied the 1758 MD Act authorizing the construction of said road.
To Licking Creek Forge - 5 miles
The Licking Creek Forge was situated at the mouth of Licking Creek near Park Head, MD. (Map It) Read more...
1758 MD ACT: "For clearing a Road from Fort Frederick to Licking-Creek, 3-1/2 Miles"
To Hancocktown - 9 miles
1758 MD ACT: "From Licking-Creek to Poake's Creek (Ed. Hancock), 8-1/2 Miles"
To Barnhart’s Tavern - 11 miles
In my opinion, this would put the tavern in the area of the Fort Frederick/Fort Cumberland Road over Sideling Hill Creek (Map It)
1758 MD ACT: "From Poake's Creek to the Mouth of Sidling-Hill-Creek, 12 Miles
To Fifteen Mile Creek - 6 miles
This location is probably near the town of Little Orleans. Using the route along New Germany Road, the distance between the point I've designated as Barnhart's Tavern and where the road crosses Fifteen Mile Creek is only about 4.3 miles. Map It.
1758 MD ACT: "From Sidling-Hill-Creek to Fifteen-Mile Creek, 4 Miles"
To Gray’s Tavern - 15 miles
The distance noted for Gray's Tavern would, most likely, place it in the area of Town Creek. Map It.
1758 MD ACT: "From Fifteen-Mile Creek to Town-Creek, 15 Miles"
To Oldtown - 5 miles
(Map It) 1758 MD ACT: "From Town-Creek to Col. Cresap's a good Road 4 Miles"
To Cumberland - 15 miles
1758 MD ACT: "From Col. Cresap's to Fort Cumberland wants no clearing 15 Miles"
Begining in Cumberland, I believe the Fleming family followed the old Braddock Road.
To Crayon’s Tavern - 5 miles
To Tittle’s Tavern - 5 miles
To Tumbleston’s Tavern - 11 miles
To Little Crossings - 2 miles
To Simpkins’s Tavern - 9 miles
To Big Crossings - 8 miles
To Sandy Creek - 14 miles
Over the Laurel Hills - 12 miles
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