This book was created from a conviction that the early history of Back Creek Valley has been neglected, and that Back Creek was one of the earliest settlements in Old Frederick County, if not the first. The settlers of the 1730s came from New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. During the 1740s, a Quaker migration from Pennsylvania established a settlement at Gainesboro. By 1780, Quakers owned parcels of land in every sector of the Back Creek watershed. A German migration took place during 1785-1795, sometimes called the “post-war Germans,” followed by Irish immigrants at the turn of the century.
The history of the community wouldn’t be complete without family histories. The story of the area, one of the county’s earliest permanent settlements, is given here plus details of the families of the early settlers: Smith, Thomas, Babb, Malin, Julian, White, and many more. Book chapters are organized by family surnames, which include background information on origin, date of settlement, early history and genealogical information. The time period of this study is 1730-1830, but in some cases genealogical information is presented beyond the scope of the time frame. Maps, vintage photographs, a bibliography, and a full-name index add value to this work.
Wilmer L. Kerns, Ph.D.
(1995), 2023, 6x9, case-laminate, index, 664 pp.
ISBN: 9780788429941
101-K2994
