Are you telling me that not ALL 21-month olds won't sit on rocks in cold, rushing water up to their chest, giggling hilariously? |
Even in the summer months, the stream has a cold, shallow flow, wonderful habitat for dace, crayfish, and little boys and girls. The bed material is almost all sand and cobble, which is perfect for any kid or adult who is sure-footed in the water.
I moved into this area in 1998 and first fished the Gunpowder River near its confluence with Minebank Run in 2001. I knew that the County bought most of the land - forming Cromwell Valley Park - in the mid-1990s and some of my habitat restoration competitors were busy in the early 2000s restoring Minebank Run itself. Still, I really know nothing about the stream, the valley, or its history, so I decided to look it up on the interwebs.
Taking some license with history, apparently the area was originally timbered and farmed by some English folks in the 1700s, I dunno, with some forgettable names like "Cromwell" and "Towson." In the late 1700s, broken pieces of locally mined marble, limestone and chalk were processed at lime kilns along Minebank Run. These sites were heavily used (and the stream heavily polluted) until the 1800s, when, according to the Falmanac blog, railroads became more locally prevalent, the implication being (I guess) that it was more efficient to bring in rock and ship out lime via rail than it was to do it via horse, as it was done in the early 19th century. I assume that the rail line they're referring to is the local Northern Central Rail line (now NCR Trail) which was built just a few miles to the west, with newer lime kilns staggered along the rail line.
Cromwell/Minebank Lime Kilns. Source: Falmanac
Every time a minnow swam by, Hank would say, "Wooooah!" |
For us, it's a good place to be, close to home. An amazing fishing hole it ain't, but even when Hank is big enough to hold a rod, I'll bring him to this place and let him think it's the Amazon, that those little bluegills are peacock bass, and that the river crayfish are rock lobsters.
I'll take my juice and my motorcycle, please. |
5 comments:
What a great place! Thanks for sharing!
Great to see such restoration...great post! And loved the pictures!
oh, most fabulous. SO glad you have an adventure-friendly child. That's GREAT! =) Adorable, too, of course. =) Oh, and glad HE has parents who are happy to plunk him in the wilds vs. afraid of who-knows-what. Again, YAY! =)
Thanks guys - it's the only way we know how to be. In many ways, the little guy is pushing us to be more adventurous. It's been great (and exhausting!).
The railroad referred to was the "famous MA&PA," which ran above the high side of Cromwell Bridge Road until 1956. The railroad even had a spur running to the Loch Raven Dam when the larger one was under construction. There was a small station across from Sanders Corner. That land was owned by the Gilmor family, Scotophiles, who's estate was modeled after that of Sir Walter Scott. One was a shipping tycoon, one was a Confederate raider, and one was an early president of the aforementioned railroad, when it was still called the Maryland Central. They gave us the name Loch Raven, and between that and E A Poe, the football team was named.
Cromwell was a large figure in British history, who's doings not only dethroned a king, but had repercussions in MD colonial history. However, I'm not sure if that was the Cromwell the bridge was named for, still that's who comes to mind, every time I cross it.
Towson was, if memory serves correct, the first paymaster of the U.S. Army. They named a fort after him and has an oblique reference in the book True Grit. Obscure perhaps, but hardly forgettable.
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