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Allegany County History and Information |
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Allegany County was created in 1789 (Chapter 29, Acts of 1789) and was formed from Washington County. The County was named from the Lenape Indian word oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream.". The County Seat is Cumberland. A courthouse fire in 1893 destroyed marraige records for 1791-1847 and naturalizations for 1892-93
Pioneers in covered wagons followed an ancient Native American trail through the Cumberland Narrows, a 1,000-foot-high gap that forms the main pass through the Allegheny Mountains to the west. English settlers came in the mid-18th century and began mining and establishing towns and farms.
The city of Cumberland was established in 1785 and became the county seat when the county was chartered in 1789. George Washington spent part of his early career at Fort Cumberland and at a log cabin he used as his headquarters during the French and Indian War. The headquarters is now located at Riverside Park in Cumberland. See also County History for more historical details.
Counties adjacent to Allegany County are Somerset County, Pennsylvania (north), Bedford County, Pennsylvania (north), Fulton County, Pennsylvania (north), Washington County (east), Morgan County, West Virginia (south), Hampshire County, West Virginia (south), Mineral County, West Virginia (south), Garrett County (west).
Allegany County Cities Include Cumberland and Frostburg. (Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government.) Towns Include Barton, Lonaconing, Luke, Midland, Westernport. Communities Include Amecelle, Barrelville, Bier, Boden Shaft, Carlos, Clarysville, Corriganville, Danville, Dawson, Detmold, Dickens, Eckhart Mines, Evitts Creek, Flintstone, George's Creek, Klondike, Little Orleans, Midlothian, Mowcow, Narrows Park, Nikep, Oldtown, Pekin, Pinto, Rawlings, Shaft, Spring Gap, Town Creek, Vale Summit, Woodland, Zihlman.
Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county: Cresaptown-Bel Air, La Vale.
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See Also Maryland Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records
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PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. A courthouse fire in 1893 destroyed marraige records for 1791-1847 and naturalizations for 1892-93 |
Government records of Allegany County are available in original, microfilm and digital formats from the Maryland State Archives The Official County website is located at http://www.gov.allconet.org/.See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Allegany County Register of Wills/ Clerk of Orphan's Court has Probate Records from 1790 and is located at 59 Prospect Square 1st floor,
Cumberland, MD 21502 ;ph: (301) 724-3760,
(888) 724-0148
The Register of Wills is responsible for appointing personal representatives to administer decedents estates and for overseeing the proper and timely administration of these proceedings. We also perform the following duties: assist and advise the public in the preparation of all required forms; maintain and preserve the permanent record of all proceedings; serve as the Clerk to the Orphans Court; track estates and refer delinquent matters to the Court; determine and collect inheritance taxes and probate fees/court costs; audit accounts of personal representatives and guardians; and, verify compliance with court orders.
Allegany County Circuit Court Clerk has Land Records from 1791 and Marriage Records from earliest to 1919 and is located at 30 Washington Street,
Cumberland, Maryland 21502;
Phone (301) 777-5922,
Fax (301) 777-2100
The Clerk's responsibilities include supervising Clerk's office personnel in the civil, criminal, courtroom clerks, business license, marriage license, land records, and juvenile units.
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There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Maryland Marriages, 1655-1850 and Maryland Marriages, 1667-1899.
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Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Vital Records in Maryland
Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!
Division of Vital Records Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, 6550 Reisterstown Rd., Reistertown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215; (410) 764-3038 or (800), 832-3277,
Fax: (410) 358-0738. The Division of Vital Records of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issues certified copies of birth, death, fetal death, and marriage certificates for events that occur in Maryland. The Division also provides divorce verifications. The Division provides information on procedures to follow for registering an adoption, legitimation, or an adjudication of paternity. Allegany County Health Department has Births, Death and marriage records after 1919,
P.O. Box 1745,
12500 Willowbrook Road SE,
Cumberland, Maryland 21501-1745;
(301)777-5600
- Birth Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for births since Aug 1898. Birth certificates for individuals born in Maryland after 1939 are also available for same day service at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County. The State of Maryland Archives has Birth certificates since 1875 for Baltimore City and 1898 for Maryland counties.
- Cost: $12.00 per certificate, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
- Death Certificates:The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for deaths since since 1969. Within 30 days of a death, copies of the record may also be obtained from the local health department in which the funeral director filed the death certificate, with the exception of Baltimore City and Baltimore County health departments. You must apply in person at the appropriate local health department. The State of Maryland Archives has Death certificates prior to 1969.
- Marriage Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for marriage since since Jan 1, 1990. The State of Maryland Archives has Marriage certificates since 1640.
Marriage Certificates are availible since before Jan 1, 1990 from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the license was issued.
- Cost: $12.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Maryland Archives and the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.
- Divorce Certificates: The Division of Vital Records issues verification only since Jan 1961. Certified copies should be available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was granted. Fees vary.
- Cost: $12.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.
Processing Time: Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search
by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY.
Order In Person: Birth certificates for individuals with valid, government-issued photo identification who were born in Maryland are available for same day service at the Division of Vital Records in Baltimore. Same day service is also available at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County for individuals born after 1939.
Order By Mail: Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. However, people are urged to allow sufficient time for delivery for all birth/death records. Mail a check or money order of $12.00 for each certified certificate. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address: The Division of Vital Records,
6550 Reisterstown Road,
Reisterstown Road Plaza,
Baltimore, MD 21215. Please include return address on envelope and application form.
Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek
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The Maryland State Archives maintains many records that are invaluable for biographical and genealogical research. These include birth records, adoption records, marriage records, divorce records, and death records, and some indices to these records. |
Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Research In Census Records
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Allegany County, Maryland are 1790 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850 ,1860 ,1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Allegany County, Maryland are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.
See Also Statewide Records that exist for Maryland
Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Census Records by clicking the link below:
- Maryland Census, 1772-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedules; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedules; 1890 Naval Veterans; Early Census Index.
- Maryland Colonial Census, 1776: Granted by the King of England to George Calvert in 1632, Maryland was home to nearly 300,000 people before the Revolutionary War. This database is a transcription of a colonial census taken in 1776.
- Allegany County, Maryland Census Books at Amazon.com
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Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. The Maryland Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Maps. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Maps by clicking the link below:
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See Also Military Records in Maryland
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Military Records by clicking the link below:
- Maryland: Muster Rolls & Other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution
- Maryland: History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers War of 1861-5 Volume 1
- Maryland: History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers War of 1861-5 Volume 2
- Maryland Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
- Maryland Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
- National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
- Maryland Military Men, 1917-18: This database is a massive collection of military records for men who served in the war from Maryland.
- Maryland Revolutionary War Records: This database is a collection of pension and bounty land claims on the state for military service in the war.
- Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 1: With over 36,000 records of soldiers, sailors and marines in the Union Army and Navy from 1861 to 1865, this database is of interest to anyone with ancestors from Maryland who served in the Civil War.
- Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 2: The second volume in a two-volume series, this volume embraces all of the sailors, marines and other troops from Maryland who served in the Union army or navy.
- Southern Claims Commission from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
- Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
- Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
- Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
- Allegany County, Maryland Military Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Research In Tax Records
Available at the Maryland State Archives with index is a Maryland tax assessment of 1783, which is “more complete” than the 1776 or 1778 “censuses”. Robert W. Barnes and Bettie Stirling Carothers abstracted the 1783 tax list of Baltimore County, Maryland but while it has some omissions, it serves as an index to photocopies of the originals published as Maryland Tax List 1783 Baltimore County from the collection of the Maryland Historical Society (Philadelphia: Historic Publications, 1970). The counties of Calvert, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot are covered by Bettie Carothers, comp., 1783 Tax List of Maryland (Part I: Cecil, Talbot, Harford, and Calvert Counties) (Lutherville, Md.: Pub. by compiler, 1977). Furthermore, there is a two part index to the 1783 list at the state archives, one by names of property owners, the other by names of the tracts.
The earliest tax records are to be found among the proprietary papers, dating from the 1630s. Some early tax records have been published, such as Raymond B. Clark, Jr., and Sara Seth Clark, comps., Baltimore County, Maryland, tax list, 1699-1706 . At the Maryland State Archives is a tax list for St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, 1764-66. Also here are the surviving 1798 U.S. direct tax records, for Anne Arundel County (indexed), Baltimore County and City, and the counties of Caroline, Charles, Harford, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, and Talbot. Richard J. Cox edited Name Index to the Baltimore City Tax Records: 1798-1808 Of the Baltimore City Archives , (Baltimore: Baltimore City Archives and Records Management Office, 1981).
Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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See Also Other Maryland Genealogical Addresses
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Allegany County Historical Society,
History House, 218 Washington St., Cumberland, MD 21502 - 2827,
(301) 777-8678,
e-mail: hhouse@allconet.org,
- Genealogical Society of Allegany County,
P.O. Box 3103,
La Vale, MD 21502;
M-Tu & Th-Sat 12:00-8:00
- Allegany Co Public Library,
31 Washington Str,
Cumberland, MD 21502;
Ph: 301-777-1200;
Fax: 301-777-7299
- South Cumberland Library,
100 Seymour Str,
Cumberland, MD 21502;
Ph: 301-724-1607,
Fax: 301-724-1504
- Local Maryland Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
- Maryland State Archives, 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401
- Maryland Genealogical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4674.
Publishes the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin Quarterly.
- The Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore MD 21201-4674
Has published a quarterly magazine Maryland Historical Magazinefor over 90 years
- Maryland Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
- Maryland Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Maryland
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Click Here to Search Maryland Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships. |
There are many churches and cemeteries in Allegany County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Allegany County Tombstone Transcription Project.
A search for church records should begin with Directory of Maryland church records (Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987), arranged by county and giving a range of dates of available records for over 2,600 churches with mailing addresses. Also helpful are The First Parishes of the Province of Maryland (Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Co., 1923).
The largest collection of church records is at the Maryland State Archives, with a consolidated index, and many are at the Maryland State Archives, which has various original and microfilmed records, many with indexes. Some church records have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin or in individual books, such as those for St. Paul's in Baltimore and for many German churches in the western counties.
Although Catholicism is very important to the history of Maryland, the disenfranchisement of Catholics after the establishment of the Anglican church in 1692 largely contributed to the lack of record keeping prior to the Revolutionary War. One source for St. Marys County in the 1700s, however, is Catholic Families of Southern Maryland: Records of Catholic Residents of St. Mary's County in the Eighteenth Century (1980; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985). Records of the German churches and the Society of Friends are very good. The latter were early settlers of Maryland, along with Anglicans and Catholics. Quaker records in Maryland, (Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1966) is an excellent guide to the original and microfilmed Friends' records at the Maryland State Archives. Some Quaker records were published in Kenneth Carroll, Quakerism on the Eastern Shore (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1970) and other records are at the Maryland Historical Society, the state archives, and the Friends Historical Library in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
The Maryland State Archives has indexes to cemetery records for various time periods. Some have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin and other journals and in individual works covering large parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, St. Marys, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. A great number of grave marker inscriptions have been transcribed by members of the Maryland DAR and will be found at the Maryland Historical Society and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. See also Historic graves of Maryland and the District of Columbia (1908; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967).
Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Allegany County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Allegany County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
- Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
- Sites on USGenweb: [ Allegany County ] [ Maryland ] [ Main Page ]
- [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
- Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
- Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
- Maryland Family Group Sheets Project
- The Order of the First Families of Maryland
- Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
- Maryland Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
- Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
- Allegany County, Maryland Family Books at Amazon.com
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Allegany County was an important center of transportation for travelers heading west. People traveled by canal, train, horse and buggy. The National Road, the first federally funded highway, began in Cumberland. Visitors can see how people traveled by visiting the C&O Canal National Historical Park and Paw Paw Tunnel and the C&O Canal Boat Replica. The Transportation and Industrial Museum has many pictures of the canal, railroad and industries in Allegany County. Take a ride aboard the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to Frostburg. After lunch at The Depot, the restaurant at the station in Frostburg, visit the Thrasher Carriage Museum and learn the history of the town at the Frostburg Museum.
Other important places to visit are Mt. Savage Museum, where Irish laborers were brought to operate the iron furnaces; Michael Cresap Museum, named after a Revolutionary War hero and the oldest historic home in the county; and LaVale Toll Gate House, the state's only remaining toll house on the National Road
Courthouse History
The Allegany County Court House was constructed from an act of the General Assembly of 1789. The part of Washington County westward of Sideling Hill Creek became Allegany County. The name Allegany is derived from the indian word "Oolikhanna" meaning beautiful stream.
 The first courts were held at the home of John Graham. According to local historians, court business was held in the tavern of Abraham Faw, which was located on Green street until a proper courthouse could be erected.An act by the General Assembly of 1793 authorized the construction of a courthouse and a jail. The courthouse was not ready for occupancy until 1799. The cost of the courthouse was $3,062.50.In 1806 the General Assembly allocated $1200.00 to build record rooms for the Clerk of Court and the Register of Wills. Even with the addition, the courthouse soon became too small for the county's growing needs. In 1834 the General Assembly provided that a new courthouse be built for $5,000.00. The new courthouse was ready to be occupied In 1841.
 Thirty years later the General Assembly granted to the County Commissioners authority to issue bonds in the sum of $75,000.00 for enlarging and remodeling the courthouse and for building a new jail. The courthouse was enlarged, along with the Clerk of Court and Register of Wills offices. In addition, the appearance of the building, both inside and out, was beautified.
On January 5, 1893 the Courthouse caught fire and unfortunately the firefighters of Cumberland were unable to save the building, only the vaults of the Clerk of Court and Registers of wills survived.
Work began almost right away to build a new courthouse, which is the one in present day use. During this time the court held business in city hall. The Courthouse was constructed for a total cost of $97,000.00. The Courthouse is situated on the site of the old Fort Cumberland, overlooking the Potomac on one side and Wills Creek on the other. The Courthouse has changed little since its original construction. The building with its square steepled tower is the centerpiece of the Cumberland Historical District.
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