Editing Williamsport, Maryland (section)

==History==
[[File:Maryland - Williamsport - NARA - 23941235 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of Williamsport in 1930]]
The town lies on one of the early Native American trails between New York and the Carolinas. In the mid-18th century, tens of thousands of European settlers and pioneer families with their wagons followed the same route on the [[Great Wagon Road]] from [[Pennsylvania]] to [[Virginia]] and points south and west. In 1744, a ferry was established at the present site of Williamsport to carry the traffic across the [[Potomac River]]. Today’s travelers make the crossing on [[Interstate 81]] a mile downriver from the town.

In 1755 the land tract of Thomas Cresap (Jr.) named "Leeds" at the future site of Williamsport would become an important supply depot for the Braddock expedition to capture the French fort Duquesne (at present Pittsburgh).  Supplies were transported to this place both west from Rock Creek (today's Georgetown) and south from Pennsylvania.  Col. Thomas Dunbar's 48th regiment of the British Army encamped here on May 1, 1755, before ferrying across the Potomac River and marching two days south to rejoin Sir Thomas Halkett's 44th regiment north of Winchester, Virginia.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The History of an Expedition Against Fort Du Quesne in 1755|last=Sargent|first=Winthrop|publisher=J.B. Lippincott|year=1856}}</ref>  Just over two months later Dunbar, the highest-ranking surviving, unwounded officer, would lead the remains of the tattered army through Williamsport to Frederick, Maryland on the retreat to Philadelphia.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Charlotte Brown, "The Journal of Charlotte Brown, Matron of the General Hospital, with the English Forces in America, 1754-1756," in Colonial Captivities, Marches and Journeys|last=Calder|first=Isabel M.|publisher=Kennikat Press|year=1935}}</ref>

The land of present-day Williamsport was previously owned by [[Otho Holland Williams]], a [[Continental Army]] officer in the [[American Revolutionary War]], and for whom the town is named.

[[Cedar Grove (Williamsport, Maryland)|Cedar Grove]], [[Daniel Donnelly House]], [[Elmwood (Williamsport, Maryland)|Elmwood]], [[Rose Hill (Williamsport, Maryland)|Rose Hill]], [[Sprechers Mill House]], [[Springfield Farm (Williamsport, Maryland)|Springfield Farm]], [[Tammany (Williamsport, Maryland)|Tammany]], and the [[Williamsport Historic District]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20130104.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=January 4, 2013|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 12/26/12 through 12/28/12|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

===Economic growth===
[[File:Maryland - Williamsport - NARA - 23941233 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Bryon Leather Shop at Bryon, 1945]]
In 1834, boats using a portion of the newly built [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] were able to reach Williamsport from [[Washington, D.C.]] The canal itself was extended to Williamsport in 1835.<ref name="C&O Handbook">{{cite book |title=Chesapeake and Ohio Canal |publisher=National Park Service |location=Washington, D.C. |year=1991 |isbn=0-912627-43-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/chesapeakeohioca0000unse |url-access=registration }} Handbook No. 142.</ref>{{rp|96}} The canal became an important commercial route which connected the area with the lower Potomac River region and the [[Chesapeake Bay]], and later with the [[Cumberland, Maryland]] region as the canal construction continued westward. Williamsport became a very popular waterfront town which benefited the economy. In 1873, the [[Western Maryland Railway]] extended its line from Hagerstown to Williamsport, in order to gain access to canal traffic. Coal from Cumberland area mines was one of the principal commodities transferred from canal barges to rail cars at Williamsport.<ref name="Cook">{{Cook-Western Maryland |pages=33–34}}</ref>

===Flooding===
In 1863, during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the overflowing flooding waters of the river prevented General [[Robert E. Lee]]'s army, on its retreat from [[Battle of Gettysburg|Gettysburg]], from crossing and making it safely into Virginia for several days.<ref name="C&O Handbook" />{{rp|94}} A large flood in 1924 caused extensive damage to the canal, which was then permanently shut down.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/choh/historyculture/canaloperation.htm |title=Canal Operation |author=National Park Service |work=Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park |access-date=October 22, 2012}}</ref>