Daily Life
Meshach Browning History Center
“The early settlers, being but few in number, had a hard time to maintain themselves; and had they not used the greatest economy, they could not have lived in the wilderness at all…All the settlers lived in cabins, and fed their children on bread, meat, butter, honey and milk; coffee and tea were almost out of the question…”
Meshach Browning, Forty-Four Years of the Life of a Hunter
Walk in Meshach’s moccasins
What would become Garrett County was sparsely populated in the early 1800’s. Meshach described the area around the headwaters of the Potomac River as “the greatest wilderness we were acquainted with.” You can experience some of this remoteness by hiking up to Maryland’s highest point on Backbone Mountain in the southern tip of the County.
Commentary
The pioneers of western Maryland were largely self-sufficient, feeding themselves off the land, building their own cabins from local materials, and clothing themselves with home-spun textiles. Today, residents of Garrett County show many of the same traits of perseverance and connection with nature.
To find out more
You can see more of Leo Beachy’s photos of Garrett County and the surrounding area at the Grantsville Museum. There are hundreds of his photos of everyday life and scenery from the early 1900’s.
Even though none of Browning’s cabins are left, you can visit the Drane House in Accident, likely the oldest standing structure in the County. Built in the early 1800’s, it was home to James Drane, Browning’s second closest neighbor (at 5 miles away).
You can see more of Leo Beachy's photography at the Grantsville Museum
Visit the Drane House in Accident, MD to see the oldest standing structure in the county, built around the same time as Browning's cabin.
Hike to Hoyes Crest, the highest point in Maryland