Editing Manchester, Maryland (section)

==History==

The Town of Manchester, officially incorporated in 1833,<ref name="MDManual" /> was originally known as "Manchester Germantown". However, the name Germantown referred to a community west of Manchester that was later incorporated with the town.<ref>{{cite book| last=Schkichter| first=Harvey G.| title=Two Centuries of Grace and Growth in Manchester| year=1984| page=227}}</ref> The town was originally laid out in Baltimore County and remained a part of that county until the creation of Carroll County on January 19, 1837.<ref name="Manchester History">{{cite web| title=Manchester History| url=http://www.manchesterconnection.com/history/| access-date=July 29, 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217003144/http://www.manchesterconnection.com/history/| archive-date=February 17, 2010| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Prior to European [[colonization]], the [[Susquehannock]] people occupied the territory now within the borders of Manchester.<ref>{{cite book| last=Sarah Trump, Adda L. Trump, Kathryn L, Riley| title=Two Hundred Fortieth Anniversary of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church| year=2000| page=31}}</ref> At the center of town stands an intersection of what were once two important [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] [[Great Trail|trails]].<ref>{{cite web| last=Ashcraft| first=Mary Ann| title=Manchester a Strategic Travel Location| date=March 23, 2009| url=http://www.carrollcounty.com/articles/2009/02/23/features/in_focus/columns/carroll_yesteryears/yester955.txt| access-date=July 29, 2009}}</ref> One part of the trail connected the [[Potomac River|Potomac]] and [[Susquehanna River|Susquehanna]] rivers, and the other ran from the [[Conewago Creek (west)|Conewago River]] to the [[Patapsco River]] ([[Hanover, Pennsylvania]] to [[Baltimore, Maryland]]).<ref>{{cite book| last=Schkichter| first=Harvey G.| title=Two Centuries of Grace and Growth in Manchester| page=222| year=1984}}</ref> The latter trail was laid out in 1737 as the first public road in what is now Carroll County by Robert Owings.<ref>{{cite book| last=Baty| first=Catherine| title=Carroll County| location=United States| year=2006| page=7| isbn=978-0-7385-4302-4 }}</ref>

The first land grant in the area, a tract of {{convert|150|acre|km2}} known as "Steven's Hope", was given to Samuel Stevens, and was laid at the intersection of present-day Lineboro Road.<ref name="Schkichter 1984 223">{{cite book| last=Schkichter| first=Harvey G.| title=Two Centuries of Grace and Growth in Manchester| year=1984| page=223}}</ref> The first European settlers were English but later immigration brought people of German descent. There were many early land grants; the first one touching the present confines of town was made in 1758, issued to "German Churche".<ref>{{cite book|author1=Nancy M. Warner |author2=Ralph B. Levering |author3=Margaret Taylor Woltz | title=Carroll County, Maryland: a history, 1837-1976| location=United States| year=1976| page=27}}</ref> In 1765 Captain Richard Richards was granted a tract of {{convert|67|acre|km2}} of land which was named "New Market", adjoining the existing land grant of "German Churche". Richards laid out the town of Manchester, naming it after his [[Manchester|home town in England]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Nancy M. Warner |author2=Ralph B. Levering |author3=Margaret Taylor Woltz | title=Carroll County, Maryland: a history, 1837-1976| location=United States| year=1976| page=35}}</ref>

[[Image:North Main St. Manchester, Maryland circa 1900.jpg|thumb|left|North Main St, circa 1900]]
From the 18th century until the earliest parts of the 20th century, the primary languages spoken by the residents was German, or [[Pennsylvania Dutch]]. The custom of the German residents of making noodles and stringing them on lines outside their homes would give the town the nickname "Noodle Doosey". Later, Manchester would receive another nickname when the German custom of making [[ginger cake]]s brought on "Gingercake Town".<ref name="Schkichter 1984 223"/> Manchester was also a relatively large [[cigar]] manufacturing town, from after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] until around 1930, when the mass production of cigars made the manual method in use in the town less economical.<ref>{{cite book| last=Schkichter| first=Harvey G.| title=Two Centuries of Grace and Growth in Manchester| year=1984| page=241}}</ref>

Manchester was the home of one of the first colleges in Carroll County when, in 1858, [[Irving College]], named after poet [[Washington Irving]], was established by Dr. Ferdinand Dieffenbach. During the Civil War the success of the school was greatly hampered by the death of Dr. Dieffenbach and the low number of young men returning from the front lines. The school changed its name to Irving Institute in 1886 and finally ceased operation by 1893.<ref>{{cite news| last=Getty| first=Joe| title=Manchester School Dedication| publisher=Carroll County Times| date=June 10, 1990| url=http://hscc.carr.org/research/yesteryears/cct1990/900610.htm| access-date=August 1, 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516081956/http://hscc.carr.org/research/yesteryears/cct1990/900610.htm| archive-date=May 16, 2008| df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Schkichter| first=Harvey G.| title=Two Centuries of Grace and Growth in Manchester| year=1984| page=236}}</ref>

During the [[American Civil War]], Manchester was used as a camping area for the [[VI Corps (Union Army)|Union Sixth Army Corps]] under General [[John Sedgwick]] on July 1, 1863.<ref>{{cite book| last=Frank Moore, Alexander Hay Ritchie, [[George Edward Perine]], John Chester Buttre, Henry Bryan Hall| title=The Portrait Gallery of the War, Civil, Military, and Naval| location=United States| year=1864| page=171| isbn=978-1-4328-1692-6}}</ref> The next day, the army made its march to the [[Battle of Gettysburg]].

Manchester has had three newspapers. The first, called the ''Manchester Gazette'', began publishing weekly in 1870 and ceased in 1872. The second went into print on December 11, 1880, and was called the ''Manchester Enterprise'', and in 1888 the ''Telephone Messenger'' was established.<ref>{{cite web| title=Maryland State Archives, Guide to special collections| url=http://speccol.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/speccol/catalog/newspapers/cfm/dsp_countyresults.cfm?county=cr| access-date=August 2, 2009}}</ref>

[[Image:White Oak Tree Manchester, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|"Lutheran [[Quercus alba|White Oak]]"]]
The official seal of the town of Manchester is a [[Steeple (architecture)|church steeple]] in the foreground and the likeness of a leaf-less tree in the background with the text "Founded 1765 Incorporated 1834".

The image of the tree is a representation of a [[Quercus alba|White Oak]] and is considered the town symbol. The "Lutheran White Oak", as it has come to be known, is estimated at 320&nbsp;years old.<ref>{{cite web| last=Krueger| first=Jeff| year=2001| title=Historic Tree:List of Trees; Maryland| url=http://home.earthlink.net/~jeffkrueger/treelist.html| access-date=July 29, 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710004554/http://home.earthlink.net/~jeffkrueger/treelist.html| archive-date=July 10, 2009| df=mdy-all}}</ref> The large oak became a fixture of the town when, in 1758, [[King George III]] granted a charter to German [[colonists]] to erect a church near the tree. The town [[newsletter]] was named ''Oaknotes'' as an homage to the large White Oak tree.<ref>{{cite web| title=Official Manchester Newsletter| url=http://manchestermd.org/Newsletter.html| format=PDF| access-date=July 29, 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://archive.today/20090125144757/http://manchestermd.org/Newsletter.html| archive-date=January 25, 2009| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Manchester is a typical "[[Main Street#American cultural usage|Main Street]]" town that continues expanding to accommodate a growing population.  Manchester has its own [[post office]],<ref>{{cite web| title=USPS PO Search| url=http://webpmt.usps.gov/pmt003.cfm?PostOfficeName=Manchester&stat_state_name=MARYLAND| access-date=July 29, 2009}}</ref> and home mail delivery is available to most residents. A majority, an estimated 95%, of town residents commute to work.<ref>{{cite web| title=Manchester, Maryland Facts, Schools, Colleges, Weather, Zip Code, and More| url=http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/maryland/manchester| access-date=July 29, 2009}}</ref> There are no large employers inside the town limits, but there are many [[small business]]es.<ref>{{cite web| title=MAMA Businesses| url=http://www.manchesterareamerchantsassoc.org/directory.htm| access-date=July 29, 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804221102/http://www.manchesterareamerchantsassoc.org/directory.htm| archive-date=August 4, 2012| df=mdy-all}}</ref> Manchester is mostly residential buildings, with some restaurants, a bank and other small retail storefronts. A large portion of the businesses are located on or around Main Street which [[Maryland Route 30]] becomes once entering "downtown" Manchester.