Tucked in the Casselman River Valley in the shadow of Mt.
Davis, Pennsylvania's highest point, Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, has long
held a tradition of attracting visitors from far and wide.
Today, it is the Great Allegheny
Passage, a 135-mile hiking and biking trail stretching from Maryland
to Pittsburgh, that draws visitors from across the country and throughout
the world to take in the scenic vistas offered up by the former Western
Maryland Railway. In 2009, the trail had an estimated 700,000 users.
The expansive Salisbury Viaduct located west of town and the Keystone
Viaduct east of town serve as special attractions for those exploring
the trail. Meyersdale is also the closest town in Pennsylvania to the
Mt. Savage Tunnel, a 2,100-foot long lighted pathway beneath Mount Savage
that provides a stunning vista of the Cumberland Valley from its eastern
portal.
These impressive feats of engineering were built during the country's
Gilded Age, when the push was on to connect the East with the burgeoning
Midwest. Coal was mined locally and shipped on the railroads to feed
the country's needs for energy during the Industrial Revolution. The
rich veins of nearby Shaw Mines are still mined today.
Wind farms located on the ridges east and west of Meyersdale contribute
to the country's energy needs today as they tower above the landscape,
providing stunning backdrops for trail users.
Meyersdale has been the home of the Pennsylvania Maple Festival for
more than 60 years, celebrating the rich heritage of a land that was
first known to be occupied by the Monongahela Indians who captured the
sweet water from maple trees to make maple sugar. This annual early
Spring rite lures visitors to Festival Park on Meyers Avenue and features
car shows, a parade, and the Lions pancake house where pure local maple
syrup is served.
Although the Western Maryland is silent except for the voices of trail
users exploring the hillsides and valleys of the Alleghenies, trains still
rumble through the town on CSX tracks, carrying commerce of the nation
from the Midwest to Baltimore on the former B&O.
With lots laid out in 1844, Meyersdale was officially founded in 1874,
bringing together Meyers Mill and Dale City.
Meyersdale,
PA on Wikimapia
Meyersdale, PA
