The Busiest Village on the Road

"After the exhilaration of a gallop down the mountain without breaks, what appetite would not be set on edge, what refinement of palate displeased by venison cutlets, or even ham and eggs?"
Harper's Magazine, 1879

By 1840, Hancock was a major stop on the National Road. Here, travelers could prepare for the nearby mountains or rest after the long up and down ride from Cumberland.

As many as sixteen "gayly painted" coaches sporting names like the National Road or Stockton, the Good Intent, People's and June Bug Stage Lines rolled into town daily. Prancing teams of horses pulled the stagecoaches filled with the famous and common, jostled together by the rough mountain ride. Coaches and wagons were soon replaced by a canal and a railroad. Today, two interstate highways crisscross this narrowest piece of Maryland.

SidebarAn Interesting, Historic Town
With the advent of the automobile came some of our first travel guides. Robert Bruce traveled the National Road in 1916 in an effort to provide the traveler with thorough maps, good driving directions, and interesting bits of information. "Hancock is a prosperous-looking place...an interesting, historic town," he noted. Today, his map of Hancock provides us a glimpse into the past. Note the location of the Barton House andthe Monterey Hotel in the middle of town.

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Show me all markers in:  Hancock, MD  |  Washington County  |  21750  |  Maryland  |  United States of America

Major James Breathed
Discover the Trail Historical
A New Beginning Historical
Discover the Trail Historical
The C&O Canal: Serving the Potomac Valley Historical
Hancock in the Canal Era Historical
Hancock Station
Hancock Historical
The National Road
St. Thomas Church

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