Weird Western Maryland

Oak Hill Cemetery in Lonaconing is the setting of this undated post at the Ghosts of America website, by a writer who identifies only as “Jeri”: This sighting occurred in the late 1990s. I told a few people about what we saw, but was [sic] received with skepticism. I finally just stopped telling the story. I stumbled across ghostsofamerica.com and decided to tell the story one more time. My husband and I were at Oak Hill Cemetery on a late afternoon in July. No one else was there. We drove around to the top row, parked the car, and got out to look for ancestors buried there. It was odd how quickly a strong wind started to blow. Both of us were looking down at the lower road, and a figure (seemingly oblivious to us) was walking in the direction of where it elbowed up to the next level. He was dressed as an old time miner. What he had on was very recognizable. He had on a mining hat and was carrying what looked like a lunch bucket. He looked like he was covered in coal dust. It was...

Previously, I linked to the Roadside America entries for Allegany , Garrett , Washington and Frederick counties, as a baby step toward establishing a canonical list of well-known Western Maryland Weirdness. In the same spirit, I turn now to Atlas Obscura , beginning with Allegany County's five entries. Never fear, Allegany, we will do much better than that! Cumberland: George Washington’s Headquarters . “This one-room cabin where the young colonel slept during the French and Indian War.” Cumberland [actually LaVale]: LaVale Toll Gate House . “Maryland’s first (and last standing) toll house on America’s first federal road established the state as the ‘Gateway to the West.’” Also at Roadside America. Frostburg: The Jail in the Gunter Hotel . “The antique hotel still has a jail in the basement, though the cockfighting ring is long gone.” Also at Roadside America. Lonaconing: Klotz Throwing Company . “A remarkable time capsule of American manufacturing deep in Maryland co...