When the River Road connected Selbysport and Friendsville, the original way into town was past the cemetery, across Bear Creek, at the cement arch bridge location; and down Walnut Street to Morris Avenue. The more daring could cross on foot, using the railroad trestle further downstream where the Route 53 bridge is now. An iron works was located upstream from here near where I-68 passes overhead. Homes lining the south side of Walnut Street included the house of the Lytle Family, who kept a stable on the creek side, next to their meat market. A large sawmill existed along the north side of the creek behind The Bear Creek Lumber Company store.
When Bear Creek overflowed its bank in the great flood of 1924, the water smashed the meat market against the side of the Bear Creek Lumber Company, which was the J.W. McCullough Company Headquarters. When J.W. switched to coal mining after the collapse of the timber resources, the lumber company store became the company store for the miners. Karol and Bessie Rush made and sold ice cream in the building for a short time. Apartments were vacated and the McCullough building was demolished in 2001.
The Old Selbysport Road Bridge is the longest-spanning concrete single arch bridge in Garrett County. The bridge was built in 1920. It was built by the Luten Bridge Co, York PA, and
is typical of the 1888 patented concrete arch bridge designs of the famous bridge engineer Daniel B. Luten. The Barnes Bridge further up Bear Creek is also a Luten arch bridge.
Friendsville Cougar! In 1993, Paul Schroyer videotaped a cougar slinking up the side of Bear Creek about 1/2 mile upstream from this location. "That's one big cat" said Maryland DNR biologist Ms. Leslie Johnston. "We've had hundreds of sightings, but this one is on tape." (Marker Number 16.)
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