Harney, Maryland Explained

Harney, Maryland
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:USA Maryland#USA
Pushpin Label:Harney
Pushpin Label Position:top
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within the state of Maryland
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Maryland
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Caroll
Leader Title:Darren Hooper
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Population As Of:2010
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Coordinates:39.7139°N -77.2067°W

Harney (Monocacyville as late as 1892) is an unincorporated community in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. Harney is also the home of the 'World's Best Carnival'. It has been the home of the Harney Volunteer Fire Company since 1951.

Geography

Harney is located near the head of the Monocacy River to the northwest and is the site of the following crossroads: east/west Conover Road (named for a family who owned a defunct farm on the east of the town) and north/south Harney Road. Additional intersections at the ball field are Bowers Road, off Conover Road, and Baptist Road heads southwest from just south of the crossroads. Communities near Harney are Longville to the south, Emmitsburg (southwest) and in Pennsylvania, Natural Dam (west), Mt. Joy Township (north - just across the state line on 134), Barlow 3.1 mi north, Two Taverns (north-northeast), Littlestown (east-northeast), and Kingsdale (east).

Geographic Chronology
DateTopicEventCoordinates
1763The Mason-Dixon survey placed a marker north of the later 1825 crossroads (named Harney) which was later taken—it was replaced during a ceremony .
1808roadA Pennsylvania court approved a road between Gettysburg and Maryland via a fording through Rock Creek near the Black's Mill dam to allow travel to Taneytown[3] (a westward road to Black's Mill had been established "from John Little's [tavern] on the Baltimore Pike.")[4]
1815 business (nearby)Nicholas Eckes built the first home in the vicinity at a site near the Monocacy River, west of the area that would become the town. Eckes performed shoemaking at the farm—his son Enoch Eckes continued shoemaking there & the property transferred to 4 shoemakers: Peter Reigle, John Reindollar, Harry Rineman, and Samuel Eline.
1824businessThe 1st store was opened by Jesse at what became the town of Monocacyville (the property in 1955 was "owned by John Cornel"), and the crossroads community eventually had 3 hotels (a harness shop was at 5949 Conover Road).)
1825roadThe west/east "Emmitsburg and road was opened up" to become the crossroad with the north/south Gettysburg-Taneytown road. By 1895 the street names were Gettysburg Street (northward), Littlestown Street (eastward to Kingsdale), Taneytown Street (southward), and Emmitsburg Street (south-southwest).
businessElijah Eckenrode "opened up a small store" on the "old Lichtenwalter property" (in 1824 Nicholas Eckes had subdivided land and sold part "to Adam Lichtenwalter who built a two story log house", e.g., after moving from the old residence.) In 1843 Jacob Kreglo subsequently bought the small store property which transferred to Philip Shriner who "started wagon making."
Civil WarGeneral Hancock was sent north from near Taneytown and passed through Monocacyville to command at Gettysburg ~3-6 pm.
1863-07-01Civil WarHancock's II Corps (Union Army) traveled through Monocacyville to bivouac for the night near Horner's Mill (arrived at the battlefield .)[5]
1863-07-01Civil WarAmes Battery G established an overnight camp near Monocacyville en route from Taneytown to their Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day, engagement at The Peach Orchard during the afternoon Hood's Assault.[6] (Third Corps artillery trains left Taneytown later on July 2 at 10:30 p.m.)[7]
1863-07-01Civil WarGeorge G. Meade from Taneytown passed through Monocacyville en route to Gettysburg, where he arrived at night[8] after Hancock had returned via Horner's Mill and Monocacyville to brief Meade at Taneytown.
1864business"E. D. Hess sold his property to J. Worthington Jones, and [bought] the James Angel[9] …property on Littlestown Street…built an addition to the house [and] small shop [where he] started the cabinetmaking business".
1866organizationThe Evangelical United Brethren Church, Harney, Md was established—the 1st burial in the United Brethren Cemetery (now Sunrise Cemetery), was tbd—the church was rededicated in 1931,[10] but closed after Rev. Garvin was the pastor in 1955.[11]
1878businessGeorge Fream's blacksmith shop closed, which had been the shop of his father (William Fream) until 1876 after the latter built on the Soloman Snider property (previously the John Rathfan property.)
1879mailBids were solicited for carrying weekly mail via Horner's Mill between Gettysburg and Harney.[12]
1886businessJames H. Reaver sold his Harney property to surgeon[13] (Harney had a Hesson General Store, and Daniel J. Hesson was the 1898 postmaster[14] until moving in 1899 to Hanover, Pennsylvania.)[15]
1887schoolThe Harney "public school started in a room above S. S. Shoemaker's Store, and Mr. J. A. Angell was appointed its teacher". The school was later moved to a 2nd story of a new Shoemaker "agricultural warehouse" where H.O. Harner was a teacher.
1890organizationSt. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Harney,[16] which was using Shoemaker Hall,[17] laid the church cornerstone with a list of charter members[18] on land sold by Daniel Hesson.[19] and which The 1st trustees were Dr. John Bush, John Ohler, Martin Slagle, Abraham Waybright, Blanch Yingling and Katherine Hall, and the "first baby baptized in the church was Earlington Shriver" who had been born April 24, 1890.
1892businessJohn Myers moved to Harney to take over Centennial Mill[20] [21] and "William Myers [during] 1893…had a full set of rolls put in".[22]
1893organizationThe Lutheran church acquired land for their Mountainview Cemetery northwest of Harney (the first burial was tbd.)
1895-01business"Andrew Degroft's large machine shed, just back of the U. B. Church, caught fire one evening about 9 o'clock".
1895businessA summer newspaper identified Harney businesses: Daniel J. Hesson's store, W. A. Snider's store, Mr. T. H. Eckenrode's Union Hotel, John J. Hess's blacksmith shop, and the nearby William Myers mill. Other notable 1895 Harney structures were Miss Perry Eyler's place that had been C. F. Reindoller's drug store, D. T. Shoemaker's "most beautiful" home, and W. A. Snider's "most perfectly built" house on Littlestown Street.
businessAfter a local storekeeper agreed to keep mail for customers to pick up,[23] Monocacyville was renamed when Emmitsburg's 1893-7 postmaster, James Elder, dubbed the post office "Harney" for General William S. Harney of the American Indian Wars. First postmaster was Jeremiah Reinhart,[24] and Daniel Hess was the 1898 postmaster."unknown"
1898business (nearby)Myers Mill* near Harney (owned by Mrs. Hannah C. Myers)[25] and the "adjoining" (downstream) Stonesifer Mill[26] claimed the Gettysburg Water Works had decreased the Marsh Creek/Monocacy River water supply and made the mills inoperable.[27] In 1920, Myers'[28] "three story roller mill [burned down] below the juncture of Marsh and Rock creeks near Harney [where] the dam made to furnish water power from the Monocacy [created] a favorite spot for boating and swimming parties"[29] (cf. the Reaser Hose camp adjoining[30] the "Good Samaritan Masonic Camp"[31] northwest of Harney.)**
1900mailA direct postal route between Gettysburg and Taneytown was planned[32] to replace the Pennsylvania circuitous mail route to Harney:[33]

Gettysburg (on the square)-Two Taverns (C. A. Yost store) -Harney-Barlow (1890 Mills' store)-Sedgwick (Bushman store at Round Top)-Gettysburg(Occasional deliveries to Harney from the store at the Natural Dam mill to the west provided mail from the Fairplay, Pennsylvania, route.)

1900organizationMason and Dixon Lodge, No. 69 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (Oddfellows, colloq.) was foundedhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QpAlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BPMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7034%2C4365165 and had a 1907 anniversary banquet catered by fraternal Brothers Harry E. Rothhaupt and John Thompson.[34] In February 1942 the Lutheran "church bought the Odd Fellows Lodge Hall to be used as a parish house."
1915Community recreation areas at " Shriver's grove, near this place" (east beyond the state line) had a Lutheran church "base ball game" and at "the F. C. Null grove, near town" (just outside on Baptist Road) had the "United Brethren…annual picnic".[35]
1921businessEstee Ray Kiser owned a Harney automobile business shop[36] (a garage along Gettysburg Street was open as late as 1942.)[37]
tbdschoolA schoolhouse was built (the Harney PTA in April 1955 met in the school.)[38]
1933roadA "Memorial Boulevard" proposed [as the] Lincoln Memorial road in 1908, "Washington-to-Gettysburg road" in 1911,[39] & "Lincoln Highway to Gettysburg" in 1913 was planned through Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, New Lisbon (or Westminster), Taneytown,[40] and the Harney area to connect the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC to the Lincoln Address Memorial in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.[41] (the competing plan for a Lincoln Memorial[42] was completed instead of the Memorial Boulevard.)
organizationThe Harney Baseball Club[43] built a baseball field with grandstand east of the Lutheran church. After playing in the Adams County Baseball league (e.g., 1946),[44] the team lost two players to the 1947 Gettysburg Legion team[45] and joined the South Penn Baseball League in 1953[46] Taneytown, Harney and the Emmitsburg Legion [replaced] Barlow, Hanover and Granite—Barlow's Chester Shriver was Harney's 1954 manager (the 1976 team name was "Athletics".)[47] In the 1980s the field was converted for slowpitch softball (Harney "Royals"), and it is now owned by the Lutheran church (which now also operates the Sunrise Cemetery started by the Brethren church).
1947-10-04organizationThe Monocacy Valley Memorial Post 6918 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was chartered with 30 members (later built a clubhouse at 5803 Conover Road.)
1951fire co.The Harney Volunteer Fire Company was established. The "Luther Ridinger Hall"[48] /"Luther Ridinger building"[49] had the initial siren (a shed held 2 fire extinguishers) and the building held meetings (e.g., 1953 fireman's carnival meeting) and recreation events (1956 "Record Hop").
1951organizationHarney had a 4-H club.[50]
1954storeMiller's General Store was open in Harney [51] (A. C. Leatherman had operated a Harney general store for 29 years.)[52]
1955-06fire co.The Maryland governor spoke at the dedication for the new $23,000 Carroll County Fire Department Station 11 (added to the GNIS in 2006.)
1955The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey placed an azimuth marker on the east side of the Lutheran church.
1976 (by)organizationThe Harney Lions Club had formed, (the Lutheran pastor was the 1998 president.)[53]
1979-09-12The USGS designated Harney in the GNIS—the "Harney Post Office (historical)" was designated in 1996 with "unknown" coordinates.
1986businessLuther Ridinger's store on the "5000 Block of Harney Road"[54] had a fire.[55]
1992-04businessThe Harney General Store, the community's last general store, closed.[56]
2008-08-04fire co.The Harney "first call" service area was increased to include an area of the defunct Kingsdale Fire Company[57] (disbanded in 2014.)
1992 (by)businessHarney Woodworking was established for cabinet manufacturing.
businessA fire at 5036 Harney Road burned the former hotel that was the 2nd house north from the crossroads on the west side (the remains were removed.)

References

* Other Myers Mills were at the 1863 Marsh Creek site depicted on Chapel Road by a Confederate cartographer,[58] the 1919 Myers Mill that burned at Arendtsville, Pennsylvania,[59] and "Mairs Mill" west of Harney.[60]

** The Reaser Hose camp and adjoining[61] "Good Samaritan Masonic Camp"[31] were northwest of Harney at S. D. Reck's woods[62] /dam on Rock Creek near the Monocacy[63] where there was a 1935 grove, clubhouse, and baseball field.)[64] The "Black Hole"[65] "near Harney"[66] was an additional recreation area in 1926.[67]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. 2011-04-23. 2011-02-12.
  2. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2011-05-14.
  3. (cited by Geiselman p. 87)
  4. --cited by Geiselman p. 83. NOTE: Little's tavern is depicted on the Baltimore Pike at a run (now Little's Run @ Two Taverns, Pennsylvania) on the 1821 Small & Wagner map.
  5. Final Report on the Battlefield of Gettysburg . Google Books . 28, 33 . 2011-05-31 . General Slocum, who had been superintending the movements of Williams' Division at Rock Creek, having now arrived at Cemetery Hill, Hancock transferred the command to him about six o'clock, and then returned to Taneytown where he reported in person to the general commanding. The Second Corps -- General Hancock's -- having bivouaced on the Taneytown Road, about three miles in the rear, moved up and went into position at 7 a.m., on Cemetery Ridge.
  6. Book: 1900 . Battery G -- " Ames' " First Regiment Light Artillery . https://books.google.com/books?id=QAkTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1371 . Final report on the battlefield of Gettysburg . III . . J. B. Lyon Company, Printer . 1239 . to the left of Sugar Loaf Mountain, Md., and camped near Frederick City, June 28th. June 29th, we camped near Taneytown. July 1st, we camped near Harney..
  7. Web site: Zivilcourage ist gefragt. https://archive.today/20120724075501/http://www.civilwarreference.com/articles/detail.php?article=129. dead. Civilwarreference.com. 24 July 2012. 19 July 2014.
  8. (HMdb contributor Craig Swain)
  9. Web site: The History of Harney. Emmitsburg.net. 2017-12-11.
  10. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  11. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  12. News: June 19, 1879 . title tbd . Proposals will be received by the Post-office Department, until July 10, 1879, for carrying the mail from Gettysburg, by Horner's Mill, to Harney and back once a week. Bond required with bid $100.
  13. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  14. Web site: Archives of Maryland, Volume 0109, Page 0049 - Maryland Manual, 1897. Aomol.msa.maryland.gov.
  15. Web site: Items From the Hanover Evening Herald, March 9, 1899. TXT. Files.usgwarchives.net. 28 July 2019.
  16. Book: Atlantic Reporter. 750. Mountain View Cemetery harney.. July 28, 1919. West Publishing Company. Internet Archive.
  17. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  18. Web site: The Star and Sentinel - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  19. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  20. Web site: New Oxford Item - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
  21. News: January 26, 1892 . Neighborhood News . Mr. John Myers, who was running a mill near New Oxford the past year, moved last week to Harney and will take charge of another mill on the near New Oxford.. (presumably a typographical error regarding the previous Conewago mill and subsequent Monocacy mill.)
  22. Web site: History of Harney - Part 2. Emmitsburg.net.
  23. News: Birnie . C. . January 2, 1900 . Rural Free Delivery: Adams County Farmers Injured by the System . Google News archive . Star and Sentinel . 2014-05-30 . in Harney…if the storekeeper of the village had not volunteered to keep their mail until it was called for, they would have been cut off altogether from this post-office….
  24. Web site: Archived copy . hsccmd.org . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160801100055/http://hsccmd.org/Documents/Carroll%20County%20Times%20Yesteryears/1994/10-23-1994.pdf . 1 August 2016 . dead.
  25. Web site: The Star and Sentinel - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  26. Web site: Gettysburg Compiler - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  27. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  28. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  29. Web site: Gettysburg Compiler - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  30. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-06-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160418152446/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=83AmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SAAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=6858,5910369&dq=mason-camp+rock-creek&hl=en . 2016-04-18 . dead .
  31. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  32. News: January 16, 1900 . Benefits of Rural Free Delivery . Google News archive . Star and Sentinel . 2014-06-01 . Mr. A. B. Smith, Special Agent of the Post Office Department, who was in town [Gettysburg] last week establishing the route between this place and Taneytown. ...the "Post-office on Wheels" [had] been established...in the 19th century...if two-thirds of the citizens in any locality petition the department [then the department] will not cause the abolishing of any country post-offices..
  33. News: title tbd . Harney post office abolished
  34. News: 1907 . Over One Hundred Enjoy Feast . Google News archive . Newspaper tbd . Jan. 23rd, Mason and Dixon Lodge, No. 69, I. O. O. F., of Harney, Md., celebrated its seventh birthday by giving a banquet in their lodge room in that place. The menu was…oysters, oranges, apples, bananas, celery, cheese, crackers, 12 large cakes and coffee. …vocal and instrumental music with John Thompson and Miss Dorothy Sharetts at the organ and Bro. Harry A. Snider and his son with their violin.
  35. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
  36. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  37. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  38. News: April 18, 1955 . Harney . St. Paul's Brotherhood…President M. A. Shildt.
  39. News: June 29, 1911 . Boulevard and Not Statue . Google News archive . The Evening Independent . 2014-06-20 .
  40. Web site: The Star and Sentinel - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  41. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  42. Web site: The Gazette Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  43. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
  44. Web site: Harney baseball barlow site. Google.com.
  45. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  46. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  47. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  48. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  49. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  50. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  51. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  52. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  53. Web site: Farming and the fire hall loom large Residents hope resort will bring businesses, invigorate community. Lisa. Breslin. Baltimoresun.com. 15 November 1998 .
  54. January 28, 1994 Sun article "Harney store has break-in" http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1994-01-28/news/1994028134_1_new-windsor-ridinger-harney
  55. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  56. News: O'Rourke . Kerry . September 20, 1992 . Harney misses the convenience of its only general store, Staff Writer . Google News archive . Baltimore Sun . 2014-05-27.
  57. News: Young . Aaron . August 6, 2008 . Fire company won't call it quits . GettysburgTimes.com . 2011-05-28.
  58. 1891 . 1st Lieut L Howell Brown, Army of Northern Virginia, copied by Hoffman . Map of the Battle-field of Gettysburg . Searchworks.stanford.edu.
  59. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  60. Web site: Mairs Mill Populated Place Profile / Carroll County, Maryland Data. Maryland.hometownlocator.com.
  61. Web site: Gettysburg Compiler - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  62. Web site: The Star and Sentinel - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  63. Web site: Gettysburg Compiler - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  64. Web site: Newspaper article. July 11, 1935 . News.google.com . PDF. 2019-07-28.
  65. Web site: Gettysburg Compiler - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.
  66. Web site: Newspaper article. July 28, 1926 . News.google.com . PDF. 2019-07-28.
  67. Web site: Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search. News.google.com.