Page 56 - Garrett County 2021-2022 Visitors Guide

Community Profile: TOWNS
Garrett County’s Towns:
YOUR GATEWAYS TO HISTORY AND OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Oakland, Maryland
Accident
This quaint town north of McHenry got its unusual name in the 1700s. Around 1751, George Deakins received a land grand from King George II, for 600 acres of land anywhere in Western Maryland. Deakins sent out two different groups of engineers to look for the best land. When the two groups returned with their maps, they found they had each surveyed the same tract of land by accident. Hence, Deakins chose the area for settlement and it became known as “The Accident Tract.”
Drane House, the oldest known structure in Garrett County, is on the National Register of Historic Places. There is a Memorial Garden on the property, where the local Garden Society plants heirloom vegetables and flowers.
Accident’s biggest annual event is the Fourth of July Homecoming. A parade, concerts, games and good food draw residents and visitors to the town.
Two major employers — Phenix Technologies Inc and Garrett Container Systems Inc. — are located in Accident.
Population: 312 Elevation: 2,415 Incorporated: 1916
Accident, Maryland
54 The Deep Creek Experience
PHOTO BY SARAH DUCK
PHOTO BY CREDE CALHOUN – VISION QUEST STUDIOS